11th abla cali – colombia learning strategies from a dynamic systems theory (dst) perspective...
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11th ABLA CALI – COLOMBIA
Learning strategies from a Dynamic Systems Theory (DST) perspective
Carlos Andrés RicoM.A. Applied Linguistics
University of Groningen, the Netherlands
Implementation of vocabulary learning strategies from a DST perspective
• Objectives:
1. To briefly describe what Dynamic Systems Theory (DST) is about
2. To provide examples of how DST may apply SLA
3. Give pertinent information about the organization of the multilingual mental lexicon and offer some insights about vocabulary learning from a dynamic perspective
4. Give a general description of the empirical experiment that was carried out for this investigation
1. Dynamic Systems Theory
1. Dynamic Systems Theory
1. What is a system?
2. What is a dynamic system?
3. Can you name three examples of systems?
4. What are some characteristics of dynamic systems?
1. Dynamic Systems Theory
1. What is a system?
– A group of related parts that work together as a whole for a particular purpose (Oxford dictionary).
Taken from http://www.rainbowskill.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/digestive-system2.jpg
1. Dynamic Systems Theory
2. What is a dynamic system?
– Van Geert (1994) defines dynamic system as a set of variables that mutually affect each other, and this generates changes over time.
1. Dynamic Systems Theory
3. Examples:
– Examples:
The weather, the traffic, economy of a country.
Taken from: https://www.ecwa.org/Graphics/watercycle.gif
1. Dynamic Systems Theory
• What does DST study?
1. Dynamic Systems Theory
• What does DST study?
It aims to account for how the behavior of a large complex system emerges from the interaction of its different components.
It analyzes how disorder gives way to order.
It studies processes rather than states.
2. Features of Dynamic Systems
2. Features of Dynamic Systems
2. Features of Dynamic Systems
Dynamic
Complex
Non-linear
Chaotic
Unpredictable
2. Features of Dynamic Systems
Dynamic
Complex
Non-linear
Chaotic
Unpredictable
Sensitive to initial conditions
Open
Self-organizing
Feedback sensitive
Adaptive
2. Features of Dynamic Systems
Dynamic:
• There are changes over time
Complex:
• Large number of components
• The behavior of the system depends on the behavior of its individual elements
2. Features of Dynamic Systems
Dynamic:
• There are changes over time: Vocabulary
Complex:
• Large number of components: Vocal cords, respiratory system
• The behavior of the system depends on the behavior of its individual components: Speech production
2. Features of Dynamic Systems
Non-linear: • The proportion cause-
effect is not reciprocal
Chaotic: • Period of complete
randomness
Unpredictable: • It impossible to
determine when chaos will start
2. Features of Dynamic Systems
Non-linear: • The proportion cause- effect is not reciprocal: Teaching and
learning (time invested)
Chaotic: • Period of complete randomness: Grammar mistakes, L1
interference
Unpredictable: • It impossible to determine when chaos will start: It is impossible
to predict all the errors one learner can make
2. Features of Dynamic Systems
Sensitive to initial conditions:
• A slight change in initial conditions can have vast implications for future behavior
Open:
• Increase in order and complexity
2. Features of Dynamic Systems
Sensitive to initial conditions:
• A slight change in initial conditions can have vast implications for future behavior: Sounds to produce
Open:
• Increase in order and complexity: More elaborated grammar structures
2. Features of Dynamic Systems
Self-organizing:
• Particles organize themselves
Feedback sensitive:
• Mutations, and changes
2. Features of Dynamic Systems
Self-organizing:
• Particles organize themselves: Human mental lexicon
Feedback sensitive:
• Mutations, and changes: improvement in the learning of the L2
2. Features of Dynamic Systems
Adaptive:
• Attractor states (stability)
• Fractal
2. Features of Dynamic Systems
Adaptive:
• Attractor states (stability): Focilization
• Fractal: A language is composed by several smaller components
2.1 Dynamic Systems and Language
• While language can be conceptualized as aggregations of paradigmatic
and syntagmatic units (e.g. phonemes, morphemes, sentences, etc), it is
also true that a view of language as a dynamic system can be adopted.
2.1 Dynamic Systems and Language
• In many studies of SLA, the learners’ language development is
pictured as a more or less linear progress from zero to native like, in
gradual consecutive steps.
2.1 Dynamic Systems and Language
Possible Ss' learning progress over time
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
Ss' English level
Tim
e (
Years
)
2.1 Dynamic Systems and Language
• However, it has been shown that when people learn an L2, the
development is not straightforward.
2.1 Dynamic Systems and Language
Ss' possible progress between the 4th and 6th month
0
2
4
6
8
10
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
TimeLe
vel of
prog
ress
Possible Ss' learning progress over time
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
Ss' English level
Tim
e (Y
ears
)
3. The multilingual mental lexicon
• What is the mental lexicon?
3. The multilingual mental lexicon
• What is the mental lexicon?
The human word-store is often referred as a “mental dictionary or more
commonly as the mental lexicon” (Aitchison, 2003. p. 10).
3. The multilingual mental lexicon
• According to Aitchison (2003) the mental lexicon is partially organized:
3. The multilingual mental lexicon
• According to Aitchison (2003) the mental lexicon is partially organized:
in grouping categories.
by frequency of usage.
by initial sounds, word endings, stress patterns and stressed vowels.
by semantic patterns.
by data about syntactic patterns.
3. The multilingual mental lexicon
• One word can be “linked” to several groups at the same time:
SEE
3. The multilingual mental lexicon
• As for content, dictionaries have a fixed numbers of words that can be
perfectly counted. However, humans’ vocabulary is constantly changing, it
is updated and some information is forgotten.
3. The multilingual mental lexicon
• As for content, dictionaries have a fixed numbers of words that can be
perfectly counted. However, humans’ vocabulary is constantly changing, it
is updated and some information is forgotten.
• Therefore, the human word store can be considered active and dynamic.
3. The multilingual mental lexicon
Recent models have built their theories on connections such as neuronal
networks.
3. The multilingual mental lexicon
• Recent models have built their theories on connections such as neuronal
networks.
All lexical items are part of one big network.
Individual words in the lexicon may change depending on its degree of
activation.
Activation can increase or decrease over time (de Bot, Lowie & Verspoor
2005).
3. The multilingual mental lexicon
3.1 Vocabulary learning from a dynamic perspective
• The human word store can be considered as a dynamic system
because it:
3.1 Vocabulary learning from a dynamic perspective
• The human word store can be considered as a dynamic system
because it:
– changes due to internal an external factors,
– self organizes,
– is feedback sensitive,
– is adaptive,
– changes over time, and
– has several variables that mutually interact.
3.1 Vocabulary learning from a dynamic perspective
• According to the dynamic model of the multilingual mental lexicon:
The words that are heard, seen and used more frequently will be easily retrieved.
The words that are often used create more associations with other information.
The activation of one lexical item can affect the level of activation of other lexical items it
is attached to.
The activation of a word depends on the input and output that a speaker has experienced
in his entire life, and in very recent times.
3.1 Vocabulary learning from a dynamic perspective
• If the dynamic model of the multilingual mental lexicon is correct,
“association” and “activation” are key elements that will have
implications for second language acquisition – development (de
Bot, Lowie & Verspoor 2005).
3.1 Vocabulary learning from a dynamic perspective
• Association means that a great number of connections has to be made, so a word can be learned.
3.1 Vocabulary learning from a dynamic perspective
• Association means that a great number of connections has to be made, so a word can be learned.
The lexical item must be noticed in various contexts.
The learner should pay explicit attention to the different characteristics of the word to learn.
3.1 Vocabulary learning from a dynamic perspective
• Activation is a kind of practice that makes the access to the lexical item more automatic.
3.1 Vocabulary learning from a dynamic perspective
• Activation is a kind of practice that makes the access to the lexical item more automatic.
If there is rehearsal, the level of activation of the different lexical items is increased.
When the level of activation decreases over time, it is important to try to keep the level of activation above a threshold level, so the increase of activation is more effective, and the lexical items are not “forgotten”.
3.1 Vocabulary learning from a dynamic perspective
Taken from: http://www.visualthesaurus.com
4. The experiment
• It is common to see English teachers (and language teachers in
general) say “it’s important to study vocabulary”; however, it is not
common to see them explaining and showing how to study.
• We also do not know how much DST elements such as association and
activation may actually influence the acquisition and development of
vocabulary.
4. The experiment
Research question
Does the teaching and training in the use of two vocabulary learning
strategies that help incorporate and activate new lexical items—the
keyword method and semantic mapping—have a positive effect on the
amount of vocabulary learned by Dutch learners of Spanish?
4. The experiment
• The key word method (association + activation)
It is a learning technique that requires a deep cognitive process (Brown
& Perry, 1991; Gu & Johnson, 1996; Macaro, 2006).
4. The experiment
• The key word method (association + activation)
It is a learning technique that requires a deep cognitive process (Brown
& Perry, 1991; Gu & Johnson, 1996; Macaro, 2006).
– This method involves linking the L2 word (e.g. pato = duck) to an L1
keyword (e.g. pot) that looks or sounds like the L2 word, or both, and then
constructing a mental image or a sentence to connect the keyword (pot) to
the L2 word (e.g. the pot is full of duck).
• The key word method (association + activation)
+ = POT (L1 word)
PATO (L2 word) THE POT IS FULL OF DUCK
(mental image to connect the keyword (pot) to the L2 word)
4. The experiment
4. The experiment
+ =
An appointment Anapoima I have an appointment in Anapoima
• The key word method (association + activation)
4. The experiment
• Semantic mapping (association)
It is a mnemonic technique that is based on establishing
connections based on visual and verbal imagery.
4. The experiment
• Semantic mapping (association)
It is a mnemonic technique that is based on establishing
connections based on visual and verbal imagery.
– Oxford (1990), defines semantic mapping as “... an arrangement of
words into a picture, which has a key concept at the center or at the
top, and related words or concepts linked with the key concept by
means of lines or arrows” .
4. The experiment
• Semantic mapping
4. The experiment
Research Methodology
• Participants:
33 Dutch learners of Spanish
‒ Dutch native speakers
‒ First year college students
‒ All between 17 and 21
‒ First time studying Spanish
4. The experiment
Research Methodology
• Design and analysis:
Two groups: Control and experimental
Intervention experiment with a pre-test and a post-test.
A repeated measures analysis with pre/post test as a within subjects factor and a group as a between subjects variable was done.
4. The experiment
Research Methodology
• Materials:
DiaLang
4. The experiment
Research Methodology
• Four phases:
Class, Pre-test, Training in association/activation techniques, and Post-test
4. The experiment
General Results
• The control group (M= 11.4, SE= 4.4) obtained better results than the experimental group (M= 9.4, SE= 2.3) in the pre-test.
• The experimental group (M= 16, SE= 3.3) did better than the control group (M= 13.2, SE= 4.1) in the post-test.
• It was found that the interaction between the groups and improvement turned out to be significant (F (1, 58) = 44.4; p<0.01).
General Results
Post-testPre-test
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ExperimentalControl
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4. The experiment
Discussion
4. The experiment
Discussion (Research)
1. These findings may be good empirical evidence to support the dynamic
model of the multilingual mental lexicon.
By using association strategies, the students link new info to old info
(enhancing the vocabulary network).
The words that are frequently activated can be easily retrieved
4. The experiment
Discussion (Research)
2. There is a reason that can possibly explain why the learners in the
experimental group obtained better scores in the post-test:
They were trained to create semantic networks (semantic mapping) and
mental linkages (keyword method) to learn the new vocabulary; as a result,
they elaborated various- strong kinds of (strong) mental connections for the
words they had to study.
4. The experiment
Discussion (Pedagogical)
1. Both groups studied under very similar conditions and they both progressed.
4. The experiment
Discussion (Pedagogical)
Post-testPre-test
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4. The experiment
Discussion (Pedagogical)
2. If there is teaching and training of vocabulary learning strategies, students
may benefit from this kind of dynamic teaching approach:
• Students reflect and self-evaluate their learning methods.
Students can “discover new” learning strategies.
Students learned how to study (and learn) more effectively.
Students can improve their learning processes.
4. The experiment
4. The experiment
Conclusions
4. The experiment
Conclusions
• If the mental lexicon is understood as a dynamic system, the teaching
of learning strategies that foster processes of association and activation
of new information can have positive effects on the amount of
vocabulary learned by language learners: Dutch learners of Spanish.
4. The experiment
Conclusions
• If the mental lexicon is understood as a dynamic system, the teaching
of learning strategies that foster processes of association and activation
of new information can have positive effects on the amount of
vocabulary learned by language learners: Dutch learners of Spanish.
• More research using DST as a foundation is required:
Real classroom settings: contexts that are part of the system
The results can not be seen as direct cause - effect links
Concluding Remarks
1. Description of the Dynamic Systems Theory (DST)
2. Examples of how DST may apply SLA
3. Information about the organization of the multilingual mental lexicon and vocabulary learning from a dynamic perspective
4. Description of the empirical experiment that was carried out for this investigation
Questions