English Teaching Methodology
“Theories”
August, 2012
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Behaviorism
• An approach that dominated during the first half of the XX
century (40s & 50s).
• Most influential proponent, the American Psychologist B. F.
Skinner (1957).
• Behavior can be researched scientifically.
• All human behavior is determined by the environment either
through association or reinforcement.
• Psychological arena.
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Assumptions about Behaviorism:
• Language learning is a habit at formation resembling the
formation of other habits, i.e., a language is learned in
the way other habits are learned.
• Free will is illusory and all behavior is determined by the
environment
either
through
association
or
reinforcement
• Only human beings have the capacity for language
learning. They acquire language as discreet units of
habits, independently trained, not as an integrated
system.
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This theory puts emphasis on three important factors –
stimulus, response and reinforcement. According to
Skinner the approach of the theory emphasizes several
important factors:
1. It considers the immediately observable aspects of
situational stimuli.
2. It stresses the language behavior.
3. The theory also emphasizes the verbal and
behavioral responses.
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The theory is based on the premise that effective
language behavior consists of producing responses to
the correct stimuli. The link between stimuli and
responses becomes habitual.
Positive
Reinforcement
Stimulus
Child
Response
Negative
Reinforcement
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Innatism
•Main proponent, American linguist Noam Chomsky
(1959).
•This approach was a direct challenge to the established
behaviorist theories of the time, rekindling the age-old
debate over whether language exists in the mind before
experience.
•The theory has laid out an explanation of human
language faculties that has become the model for
investigation in other areas of psychology.
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The theoretical assumptions underlying the Innatist theory
are as follows:
1. Every human child possesses innate knowledge of
language structure to detect and reproduce language.
That is, language acquisition depends on an unobservable
mechanism called Language Acquisition Device or LAD.
The LAD is supplied to human children with birth. The LAD
contains language universals, that is, the structures and
sounds common to all human languages and dialects.
2. Language learning is distinct from other cognitive
capacities.
3. Young children learn and apply grammatical rules and
vocabulary as they are exposed to them and do not
require initial formal teaching (Foley).
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Chomsky theorized that the child, from his/ her birth is exposed
to language that functions as a trigger for the LAD. The LAD has
the capability to formulate hypotheses about the structure of
the language to which the child is exposed. The child is
unconscious about this process.
The hypotheses are checked in the child’s own language
production. They are also regularly checked against the further
data or input that his/her exposure to the language provides. As
he/she finds that his/her hypotheses, do not account for all the
data he/she modifies the hypothesis and checks them again.
Through the process of checking and rechecking hypothesis, the
child broadens his/her range of hypotheses and forms an initial
grammar of the language. The grammar goes through
successive modifications and resembles the adult grammar by
employing his/her linguistic competence, the child can generate
innumerable grammatically correct sentences and rejects
ungrammatical ones.
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Behaviorism vs Innatism
1.
2.
3.
4.
For Behaviorism, language is learnt in the way other habits are
learnt. Whereas for Innatism, language develops in the same way
as other biological functions.
The behaviorist theory maintains a focus on the change in
observable behaviors. Innatism, on the contrary, focuses on an
unobservable change in mental knowledge.
The behaviorist theory asserts that any piece of information in the
mind could be accessed by any other cognitive process. On the
other hand, the Innatist theory argues that language constitutes a
species-specific and unique cognitive system, separate from other
systems of systems of cognition.
The Behaviorist theory ignores completely the inborn aspect of
human knowledge, that is, the existence of congenital potential
which makes learning possible. The Innatist perspective, holds that
children, indeed, all human beings, are innately predisposed to
unravel the complex code of language (Pinker).
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5.
6.
7.
8.
In Behaviorism situational stimuli are considered an essential
prerequisite for learning. In Innatism, exposure to language in
situations is a mere precondition for the activation of the language
acquisition device, and is irrelevant to the actual course learning
takes (Barman, Sultana, and Basu 31).
In Behaviorism knowledge is seen as constant. In Innatism,
Knowledge is seen as dynamic.
In Behaviorism learning is said to be successful when the child can
repeat what was taught. In Innatism, learning is said to be
successful when the child can generate innumerable grammatically
correct sentences and rejects ungrammatical ones through the
process of checking and rechecking the hypotheses of the
structure of the language to which she/he is exposed.
The Behaviorist view holds that children need formal teaching and
guidance to learn in a correct way. Quite the opposite, the Innatist
view maintains that young children learn and apply grammatical
rules and vocabulary as they are exposed to them and do not
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require preliminary formal instruction.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
The Behaviorist theory states that children's activity is limited to a
passive reception of the stimuli coming from the environment. They
do not make any conscious effort to organise the accumulating
experience, since they are equipped with no mechanism warranting
this process. Quite the reverse, the Innatist theory judges the child as
an active participant, not a passive and stimulus-response machine
The Behaviorist theory ignores completely the creativity of human
beings, whereas the Innatist theory views language acquisition as a
creative process.
Behaviorism has no evolutionary premise, Innatism has one. Chomsky
disciples and not a few cognitive theorists hold that all learning takes
place because it is an innate characteristic of mankind that has proven
to have evolutionary advantages (Pinker).
The Behaviorists experiment upon animals, not human beings. On the
other hand, the Innatists experiment on human child, not animals.
The Behaviorist theory does not advocate the critical period of
language learning. But the Innatists claim that language acquisition
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only functions if it is stimulated at the correct time.
14. The Behaviorists fail to recognize the logical problem of
language acquisition which the Innatists call the poverty of
the stimulus argument.
15. Behaviorism stresses on correction and considers it as an
essential part in language acquisition. On the contrary, the
Innatist view holds that correction is useless in language
acquisition.
16. The Behaviorist theory is mechanical, since neither conscious
awareness nor intent is assumed to be operative here. In
contrast, the Innatist theory is not mechanical since it does
consider the child as an inert recipient.
17. The Behaviorist theory cannot explain how the child
proceeds in his/her journey of language acquisition. In
opposition, the Innatist theory gives some rational
explanations about children’s language acquisition procedure.
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BEHAVIORISM
INNATISM
Acquisition is an outcome of experience
Acquisition is an outcome of condition
Acquisition is a stimulus response process
Acquisition is a congenital process
Children learn language by imitation
Children learn language by application
Language learning is practice-based
Language learning is rule-based
Language acquisition is the result of nurture
Language acquisition is the result of nature
Stresses on observable behavior
Stresses on internal thought processes
Human mind is a blank slate
Human mind is no tabula rasa
Knowledge exists outside of individuals
Knowledge exists inside individuals
Learning is determined by the environment
Learning is determined by the individual
Learning requires formal guidance
Learning requires no formal assistance
Considers the child as a passive recipient
Considers the child as an active participant
Language learning is a mechanical process
Language learning is a creative process
Is a theory of behavior, not of knowledge
Is a theory of knowledge, not of behavior
Language is akin to other forms of cognition
Language is a separate module
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