COGNITIVE APPROACH
Cognition in a broader sense refers to any mental activity that includes thinking,
remembering, and even using language. The application of the cognitive approach in teaching
and learning process should focus first on the understanding of the information and concepts. In
the context of language teaching, the structure of the target language must be introduced first
prior to its usage, and the teacher will do the instruction, followed by the student’s practice.
On one hand, the cognitive approach mainly focuses on the internal works of the mind
to influence the behavior of the learner. It aims to study the impact of the learner’s thought
processes on their behavior. This approach suggests that how one thinks largely determines how
one feels and behaves, and these factors are necessary in language learning. Furthermore, this
approach emphasizes mental processes like attention, memory, and problem-solving. Language
assessments in this approach is done through working memory, attention, and metalinguistic
awareness.
On the other hand, this approach introduces the idea of schema. According to
Featherstone, 2019, that schemas are described as patterns of repeated behavior which allow
learners to explore and express developing ideas and thoughts through their play and exploration.
The repetitive actions of schematic play allow learners to construct meaning in what they are
doing. Learners learn best through opportunities to engage in active learning through hands on
experiences. These opportunities allow learners to problem solve, question, predict, imagine,
speculate, and develop independent choices as they make decisions in an area, they are familiar
with.
Moreover, people tend to use schema to help them interpret new information. In this case,
when learners can understand the connections between concepts of the target language and are
able to break down information and able to rebuild with logical connections, then their
understanding and retention will increase. This approach is essential not only in language teaching
but across the curriculum.
As a whole, this approach emphasizes the importance of constructing knowledge through
active participation and interaction with the environment, which can be applied to literature
teaching and assessment.
From the view of cognitive method, teaching should be centered around student’ mental
process rather than the external behavior and it is teachers’ role in guiding individual to focus on
their internal learning process and learning style should be noted. Cognitive strategies include
repetition, organizing new language, summarizing meaning, guessing meaning from context,
using imagery for memorization, all these strategies involve delivering manipulation of language
to improve learning. Also, cognitive activities include making mind maps, visualization,
association, mnemonics, using clues in reading comprehension, underlining key words, scanning,
self-testing, and monitoring (Lem, 2022).
AFFECTIVE – HUMANISTIC APPROACH
This approach requires learner involvement, as it is more student-centered. It is an
approach to teaching that is carefully crafted to reach learners and to make them feel a sense of
accomplishment, and to create opportunities for learners to feel a sense of achievement. In
addition, the idea of progression will be integrated which means teaching from simple to more
complex is an apt way to achieve the goal of this approach. According to Lem, 2022, in his journal
entitled, “Emotion and its relation to cognition from Vygotsky’s perspective,” he proposed that it
is essential to attend to emotional needs of the learner in addition to its intellectual needs. It is
also encouraged to have the concept of scaffoldings, which means that the teacher should provide
adequate support such as building connections between the native language of the learners to
the target language.
Consequently, emotion is recognized as a pervasive phenomenon linked to our thinking,
decisions, behaviors, and development. The task of defining emotion and drawing its boundaries
has proven to be challenging and has resulted in different perspectives and conclusions (Lem,
2022). According to Widyastuti et.al, 2020, that the emotional condition as well as the
communication among students and between students and the lecturer are the key points in
building a conducive atmosphere for a successful teaching and learning process.
COMPREHENSION BASED APPROACH
This approach focuses on the actual language input and lowering the affective filter that
sometimes inhibits students acquiring language. It stresses on helping the learners in making
meaning clear and supporting them to gain confidence so that they are willing to produce the
target language. Furthermore, this concept suggest that the learners must understand the
language rather than speaking. Students learn the language through comprehensible input and
that teaching should focus on helping students to comprehend the language.
In addition, comprehending the target language is possible with the aid of total physical
response (TPR). According to Rambe, 2020, that this method attempts to adapt the process of
infants' first language acquisition, into the teaching of second and foreign language. This claims
that learners acquire their first language by listening to their parent’s commands, comprehending,
executing, and then uttering the words. Therefore, there will be a greater chance that learning
the target language will come in handy.
Moreover, the classroom setting for this method will be more of a teacher-centered since
the teacher will help the learners in developing the desire to learn the language for the joy of
learning and not for external motivations. Learners should also begin in listening to meaningful
speeches and respond to it nonverbally and they should not speak until they feel to do so. Also,
many hours of listening activities in the early stage of acquisition are highly encourage.
One of the advantages of this approach is when the learner eventually understands the
meaning and the application of the words, the language will sound more effortless when the
learner speaks it in contrast to other forms of language learning, which may result in more stilted
efforts. On the other hand, some learners who are not very confident might decide to wait until
they feel that they have totally grasped the concepts of the language, including the correct
pronunciation, before attempting to speak the language.
According to Lightbrown, Horst et.al, 2015, an exceptionally good way to promote second
language acquisition is to give learners opportunities for pleasure reading and based on their
review of the research with first language development, they proposed that those who read more
will have larger vocabularies and eventually become a better speller.
COMMUNICATIVE APPROACH
Using language in real-life situations, facilitating communication in class, and providing
opportunities for learners to practice language skills. This approach emphasizes the need to
develop communicative competence in second language learning. It identifies four key areas of
language testing, including language knowledge, strategic competence, discourse competence,
and sociolinguistic competence (Roberts, 2014).
As mentioned, this approach emphasizes real-life communication skills, such as making
requests, accepting offers, and expressing feelings and preferences. The goal of communicative
approach is not just for communication but for communicative competence, which is the ability
not only for grammatically correct sentences but also to know when and where to use them. This
approach resulted in the inclusion of vocabulary and activities for expressing one’s feelings and
language learning, for sharing one’s values and viewpoints with others and for developing a better
understanding of their feelings and needs.
REFERRENCES
Sally Featherstone. ISBN 978-1-905019-95-3
Widyastuti, I., et. al. (2020). Affective-Humanistic Approach in Online Learning Practices. In D. S. Setiana,
A. Setiawan, D. Supriadi, K. H. Najib, T. Ardhian, N. A. Handoyono, I. Widyastuti, & L. Tiasari (Eds.),
International Conference on Technology, Education and Science (pp. 152-155). Yogyakarta
Article in English Education English Journal for Teaching and Learning · June 2019 ENGLISH EDUCATION
English Journal for Teaching and Learning Vol. 07 No. 01 June 2019 page 45 - 58 http://jurnal.iainpadangsidimpuan.ac.id/index.php/EEJ