Chapter 4
Human Learning
Brown, H. D. (2007). Principles of language
learning and teaching (5th ed.). White Plains,
NY: Pearson
Student: Eva He (N98C0008)
Introduction
Focus on cognitive processes
 Learning theories:
Behaviorism
Subsumption Theory,
Humanistic Psychology
 Universal learning principles
 Aptitude and intelligence
 Community Language Learning Method

Learning and Training
Four steps of conducting a training program:
＊Specifying entry behavior
＊Explicitly formulating the goals of the task
＊Devising some training methods
＊Determining short-term and long-term
evaluation measures
Learning Theory
＊ Various definitions of learning
＊ Four psychologists:
Pavlov (Classical Conditioning)
Skinner (Operant Conditioning)
Ausubel (Cognitive Teaching Theory )
Rogers (Humanistic Psychology)
Pavlov’s Classical Conditioning
Learning process: association between
stimuli and reflex
 Experiments: A dog salivate to the sound
of a bell
＊reflex- unconditioned response
＊conditioned response

＊ Behaviorism (Watson, 1913)
Skinner’s Operant Conditioning
Respondent conditioning vs.
operant conditioning
 Law of Effect (Thorndike)
 Reinforcer vs. punishment 賞與罰
 Programmed instruction 編序教學法
 Audiolingual Method 聽說教學法

Ausubel’s Subsumption Theory
Rote learning vs. meaningful learning
 Subsumption
 Short-term memory vs. long-term
memory

Systematic forgetting

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Proactive and retroactive inhibition
Cognitive pruning procedures
Example: Children’s concept of hotness
Language attrition
Subtractive bilingualism
Subsumption theory :the rejection of
conditioning models
Systematic forgetting: important
implications for language learning and
teaching
Rogers’s Humanistic Psychology
＊ Constructivist
＊ Putting more focus on affection than on
cognition
＊ 19 formal principles of human behavior
from a phenomenological perspectives
＊ Internal forces: individual’s self-concept;
personal sense of reliability
＊ Nonthreatening environment
＊ Fully functioning persons
Rogers’s Humanistic Psychology

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1.
2.
3.
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Focus on learning rather than teaching
Fully functioning person
Teachers: facilitators of learning
Flows of humanistic Psychology
Nondirective approach
Nonthreatening environment
The positive effects of competitiveness
Empowerment of students in classrooms
(Freire, 1970)
Types of Learning
Eight types of learning (Gagné, 1965):
1.Signal learning: standard conditioning
2.Stimulus-response learning
3.Chaining
4.Verbal association
5.Multiple discrimination
6.Concept learning
7.Principle learning
8.Problem solving

Types of Learning

Question: Which types of learning do you
think is the most important ability that
one should be well-developed? Why?
Transfer, Interference, and
Overgeneralization
Several manifestations of one principle of
learning
 The interaction of preciously learned
materials with a present learning event

Transfer and Interference
Positive transfer
 Negative transfer: interference
 Native language interference on the target
language
 The facilitating effects of native language

Interference and Overgeneralization


1.
2.
3.
4.

Generalization
Overgeneralization
＊Flied
＊goed
＊ John doesn’t can’t fly.
＊ He told me when should I get off the
train.
special constraints of rules
Transfer, overgeneralization, and
interference
Transfer
positive(+)
negative (-)
Overgeneralization Interference
(L1→ L1)
(L2→ L2)
(L1→ L2)
(L2→ L1)
Inductive and Deductive Reasoning
Inductive reasoning
• Deductive reasoning
• Grammar Translation methods
• The superiority of an inductive approach
• inductive and deductive dichotomy
(Peter, 1981)
Gestalt learning: the whole before the parts
•
Aptitude and Intelligence

Question : Is there any ability or talent
that we can call for foreign language
aptitude?
Aptitude
The Modern Language Acquisition Test
(MLAT: Carroll and Sapon, 1958)
 Pimsleur Language Aptitude Battery
(PLAB: Pimsleur, 1966)
 Critiques about aptitude test
 Suggestions for using aptitude test

Intelligence
Traditional measurement of linguistic and
logical-mathematical abilities
 Multiple intelligence (Gardner, 1983)
1. linguistic
2. logical-mathematical
3. musical
4. Spatial
5. Bodily-kinesthetic
6. Naturalist
7. Interpersonal
8. Intrapersonal intelligence

Intelligence
Three types of smartness (Sternberg, 1988)
1. componential ability for analytical thinking
2. Experiential ability
3. Contextual ability
 Emotional intelligence (Goleman, 1995)
1.The emotional mind is far quicker than the
rational mind
2.equals to interpersonal and intrapersonal
intelligence

Relationship between Intelligence and
Second Language Learning
Musical intelligence: intonation and
pronunciation
 Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence: phonology
 Interpersonal intelligence: communication
 Experimental and contextual abilities
(Sternberg)
 Emotional intelligence (Goleman)

Pedagogical Implications of Intelligence
Applying multiple intelligence to teaching
English
 Language : the foundation of intelligence
itself
 Multiple intelligence and meaningful
learning experiences

Community Language Learning
Based on Carl Roger’s Learning Theory
 the teacher’s role: the counselor
 advantages of CLL
1. Overcoming the threatening of affective
factors
2. offering insights to teachers
 Disadvantages of CLL:
1. the need of directed and deductive learning
2. rely on the translation success of the
counselor

Conclusion
 Each
aspect is important, while
no consistent amalgamation of
theory works for every context of
second language learning
Thank you for your listening.