Learning Theories and Language Learning Theories

Behaviorism Approach

1897

The behaviorism approach is a theory of learning that focuses on interacting with the environment through conditioning. Basically, behavior is a response to environmental stimuli.

Classical Condicioning

1897

Ivan Palov was the pioneer of this theory. He published the results of an experiment on conditioning after originally studying digestion in dogs. As known as Classical Conditioning. Pavlov showed that dogs could be conditioned to salivate at the sound of a bell if that sound was repeatedly presented at the same time that they were given food. The bell had become the conditioned stimulus, and salivation had become the conditioned response.

Language Learning

1900

Linguistic theories have faced some important phases; traditional grammar, structuralism and functionalism. And within these theories some approachs can change according to the theoretical. These theories are responsible for the development of language learning theories.

Traditional Grammar

1900

This theory has roots in the work of classical Greek and Latin. Traditional grammar involves two major concepts; narrow and broad. It focuses on the old language model while stressing written language and abandoning the oral language. Richards (2000) defined this theory as a grammar that relied on the past gramma of Latin or Greek and applied it to other languages in an unsuitable way. The most famous method of this theory is the Grammar Translation method.

John B. Watson

1913

Watson has a fundamental importance in the development of behaviorism theory. In 1913, he published the book "Psychology as the Behaviorist Views It", which defined goals, methods, and parameters to the theory.

Structuralism

1916

The founder of structuralism was a Swiss linguist named Ferdinand de Saussure. He was respectively considered the father of modern traditional linguists. This theory focuses on language as a system that examines sounds, words, and sentences within its system. While the traditional grammar gives priority to written texts, structuralism focuses o spoken language. (Richards, 2000) The structuralist school influenced the development of experimental psychology.

Operant Conditioning

1930

Operant conditioning, also known as instrumental conditioning, is a method of learning normally attributed to B.F. Skinner (his work was based on Thorndike’s (1898) law of effect), where the consequences of a response determine the probability of it being repeated. (feedback and reinforcement) He believed that the best way to understand behavior is to look at the causes of an action and its consequences.

Criticism of Behaviorism

1949

Many critics argue that behaviorism is a one-dimensional approach to understanding human behavior. They suggest that behavioral theories do not account for free will or internal influences such as moods, thoughts, and feelings. Behaviorism also does not account for other types of learning that occur without the use of reinforcement and punishment.

Functionalism

1955

In linguistics, functionalism is concerned with the functions performed by language, primarily in terms of cognition, expression, and conation. While structural linguistics rather deals with langue, functionalism wants to explain how the concrete usage of a language in a given context shapes its structure and tries to describe the communicative aspects of a language. Noam Chomsky has a fundamental role in this theory.

Cognitive Constructivism

1968

This theory grows up in response to behaviorism. Jean Piaget and William Perry developed this approach that focuses on mental processes rather than observable behavior. Learning is relative to the learners' stage of cognitive development; understanding the learners' existing intellectual framework is central to understanding the learning process.

Jean Piaget

1968

Piaget was one of the most influential cognitive psychologists. He described learning as the interplay between two mental activities: assimilation and accommodation. Assimilation is the interpretation of new information in terms of pre-existing concepts, information, or ideas. In contrast, accommodation is the process of taking new information in one's environment and altering pre-existing schemas to fit in the new information.

William G. Perry

1970

Perry generalized that study to give a more detailed account of post-adolescent development than did Piaget. He says that construing development in terms of a sequence of stable stages in which students are "imprisoned" is too static (Perry 1999, xii). Thus, he introduces the notion of a position. According to him, gender, race, culture, and socioeconomic class influence our approach to learning just as much as our stage of cognitive development

Lev Vygotsky

1978

The psychologist Lev Vygotsky has a legacy of creating this theory. Vygotsky introduced the social aspect of learning into constructivism. He defined the "zone of proximal learning," according to which students solve problems beyond their actual developmental level under adult guidance or in collaboration with more capable peers. He understands learning as a collaborative process.

Social Constructivism

1978

Social constructivism is a variety of cognitive constructivism that emphasizes the collaborative nature of learning. The central idea of social constructivism is that human learning is constructed and knowledge is constructed through social interaction and is a shared rather than an individual experience (Vygotsky, 1978). It's a learning perspective founded on the assumption is focused on learners and promotes their active participation taking into consideration their realities.

References

2022

McLeod, S. A. (2018, October 08). Pavlov's dogs. Simply Psychology. www.simplypsychology.org/pavlov.html. Access on October 10, 2022.
McLeod, S. A. (2018, Jan, 21). Skinner - operant conditioning. Simply Psychology. www.simplypsychology.org/operant-conditioning.html. Access on October 10, 2022.
GSI Teaching & Resource Center. 301 Sproul Hall. Graduate Division, UC Berkeley | © UC Regents, 2016. Available in: [e-mail]. Access on October 10, 2022.

References (02)

2022

ALSHALAN, K. Theories of Language Learning. American Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences Research (AJHSSR) Volume-03, 2019. p. 69-72 Available in: www.ajhssr.com