Theories of Learning

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day.

Teach a man how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. (Chinese Proverb)

THE STRUCTURE AND PROCESS OF THE MIND

THE ANALYSIS OF THE NATURE

VS

Developments in learning theory

Relating to language Relating to learning

description of the

language

how learners

learn

The History of Theories

Comenius’ studiesThe Direct MethodNo Coherent theory… till the 20th century

PRINCIPLES

Behaviourism: learning as habit formation

BASED on the work of Pavlov and SkinnerPROVED the Audiolingual Method

Never translate Follow the sequence

hear – speak – read- write

Frequent repetition

Errors – corrected

immediately

Drills

MENTALISM: THINKING AS RULE-GOVERNED ACTIVITY

THE FAILURE OF THE BEHAVIOURISM:

learners insisted on translation

asked for rules of grammar

found repeating boring

FORMING HABITS

ACQUIRING RULES

VS

Cognitive code:

learners as thinking beings

THE LEARNER

a passive receiver of information

(the behaviourist theory)

an active processor of information

(the cognitive theory)

The problem-solving task is the basic teaching technique

Sources

aimed at teaching

reading strategies

are developed

Learners are at the centre of the learning process

THE COGNITIVE THEORY

Learners learn when they

actively think about what

they are learning

Motivation

instrumental

integrative

Learning(a conscious

process)

Acquisition(an unconscious

process)

A MODEL FOR LEARNING

NETWORK CONNECTIONS

A need to acquire knowledge is a

necessary factor but the learner should

enjoy the process of acquisition!

ConclusionECLECTIC APPROACH:Don`t base any approach too narrowly

on one theory;Take useful points in each theory;Trust in the evidence of your own

teaching experience;

Theories of learning and language descriptions are not casually linked;

Thank you for your

Attention!