brain-based foreign language learning

Brain-Based Foreign Language Learning

Frank Lixing Tang, Ph.D.Robin Harvey

New York UniversityProject for Developing Chinese Language

TeachersOctober 31, 2009

What’s new? The meaningful brain The curious brain The emotional brain The social brain The conscious & subconscious brain

(Caine & Caine, 2001)

The curious brain

• The brain is attracted to novelty.

• It tends to become more active when exposed to new ideas and challenges.

The meaningful brain

Meaning is more important to the brain than is information.

The brain searches for meaning through patterning. Patterning allows for the storage and connection of information into meaningful categories.

The emotional brain

Emotions and intelligence originate in separate places in the brain, however, their paths cross each other—they are inseparable.

It can be enhanced by stimulus and challenge.

The social brain

Our brain is social. Interaction and social status impact stress level.

Language learning becomes more effective in a learner friendly setting where scaffolding, cooperative learning, and social interaction take place.

The conscious and subconscious brain

Learning involves both conscious and subconscious processes.

Learning not only takes place in the classroom but occurs in everyday life. Successful language learners extend their learning beyond the textbook and the classroom.

Mel Levine: Founder of All Kinds of Minds Institute

… transform a verbal into a visual task, and a visual task into a kinesthetic one. Challenging the brain, not numbing it with overload, keeps the mind happily humming and is essential to teaching.

A Mind at a Time (2002)

The New Bloom’s Taxonomy

Engage the Emotional Brain

“Why do I have to learn Chinese?”“I have no choice, it’s the ONLY language offered here!”

Vs.

“I LOVE CHINESE! We wrote skits and they were soooo funny!“My Chinese teacher taught us the coolest song in class!”

Engage the Emotional Brain

But that’s not REAL learning!

Real learning entails suffering!

But I didn’t learn that way!

But the kids are so NOISY when I teach this!

Engaging the Meaningful Brain

What is the purpose of learning a language?To know all the rules and never make a mistakeTo pronounce every tone perfectly

To communicate and share your meaning

Language teaching is the perfect place to practice engaging, brain-based learning

Sing the song (conjugating “To Be”):

Sum es est sumus estis sunteram eras erat eramus eratis erantero eris erit erimus eritis erunt

And Pray to the God of the North for Snow:

Latin was the most popular class in my high school

Engaging Students:The Social Brain

Cooperative WorkInterviewing classmates, Creative Writing (skits, plays, songs)

Keep everyone involved!

Performance:

Students who watch must understandStudents can ask questions about the

performanceStudents can answer questions

Engages the emotional, curious, meaning-seeking brain

The Meaningful Brain Seeks Patterns

•Take advantage of this in teaching characters

呢

妹妹

姐姐 妈妈 林林

树树

吧吧

听听

呢呢吗吗

梅梅

森森

果果

The Curious BrainRole-Play Activity: Who Am I?

Teacher gives student(s) “secret identities”

Student must speak to classmates as if s/he is the “secret” personDescribe a typical day of the secret personDescribe what the secret person likesMay NOT describe yourself or what you do

Classmates must guess the “secret identity”

Language becomes the tool to discover the identity

The Curious Brain: Alibi

• Music and Movement• Listening to music creates state of relaxed

alertness• Music creates emotion in students• Students enjoy having music in the classroom

• While Students are relaxed and enjoying music, YOU are evaluating their listening skills

Conscious and Subconscious Brain

Chemistry through Dance

A failing student astounded everyone with his remarkable dance intelligence. He was able to repeat a complex twelve-count phrase after seeing it only once. "I really put in an effort to understand the chemistry so I could make a good dance," he explained. Some students worked with first graders, teaching them about chemical reactions and then choreographing and performing with them. A young man said, "I felt empowered because the first graders wanted to hear what I had to say about science."

Sing a Song: Make your own video

Project Procedures:

•Learned the original song, vocabulary and “patterns”

•Designed our own dream houses

•Drew pictures of our own dream houses

•Wrote the lyrics

•Scanned pictures and recorded voices to create powerpoint•(could use voicethread or other programs as well)

Sing a Song: Culture, Lyrics, Speed!

在梅边

Project for Developing Chinese Language Teachers (DCLT)

Project DCLT

New York University

Frank Lixing Tang, Ph.D., Director

Robin Harvey, Coordinator

Robin.harvey@nyu.edu

(212)992-9367