PFLT LECTURE 8 Educational Psychology Schools of thought

PFLT. LECTURE 8 Educational Psychology. Schools of thought in psychology: humanism and social interactionism in Foreign Language Teaching. 1. Humanistic approaches: a. Erickson’s stages of development b. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs c. Roger’s unconditional positive regard 2. Implications of the humanist approaches in FLT. 3. Social interactionism. a. L. Vygotsky’s concept of mediation. b. Social constructivist model

HUMANISTIC APPROACH : The importance of the inner world of the learner. The place of individual’s thoughts, feelings emotions at the forefront of all human development.

The only man who is educated is the man - Who has learned how to adapt and change - Who has realized that no knowledge is secure - Who has realized that only the process of seeking knowledge gives a basis for security. (Rogers)

TEACHERS’ BEST PREPARATION FOR a) an evolving society is helping children face the future with confidence in their own abilities and with a faith that they are worthwhile and important members of whatever culture they might find themselves in. b) Humanistic education starts with the idea that students are different, and it strikes to help students become more like themselves and less like each other.

ERIKSON. Suggested that every individual proceeds through 8 stages from birth to old age, each of which poses a particular challenge of crisis. If this challenge is handled well with the help of other significant people in their lives, then individuals can move relatively smoothing onto the next stage and will be in stronger position to meet future challenges.

Erikson’s Stages of Psychosocial Development.

EARLY SCHOOL YEARS a sense of industry as basic educational skills cooperative learning ( +) a sense of inferiority if learning experience is connected with failure (-) Competitive situations Rule: If you teach a language to younger learners foster a spirit of cooperation and develop desire to work.

ADOLESCENCE Search for identity (+) the key to challenge (-) Role of confusion, aimlessness, anti-social behavior. Rule: secondary school teacher the sense of personal identity by encouraging learners to make decisions for themselves and helping to express their own individuality.

Maslow’s ideas help teachers to recognize that children may be having difficulties with learning in school because their basic needs are not being met at home or in the classroom. Important for a teacher: - To establish secure environment where learners feel that they belong and where they can build up self-respect by receiving respect from others. - To encourage students to think (cognitive needs) and be creative and different from others (aesthetic needs) - Classroom tasks should be challenging and encourage curiosity to help learners realize full potential.

CARL ROGERS. Suggested that significant learning will only take place when: 1. Subject matter is perceived to be of personal relevance to the learner 2. It involves active participation by the learner 3. It involves self-initiation and feelings as well as cognition 4. It involves creativity, independence, self-reliance and self evaluation. 5. External criticism is kept to a minimum 6. There’s an atmosphere of ‘unconditional positive regard’ (see the learners as clients with specific needs to be met)

IMPLICATIONS OF HUMANISTIC APPROACH IN FLT: MESSAGES FOR A LANGUAGE TEACHER. - Create a sense of belonging Make the subject relevant to the learner Involve the whole person Encourage a knowledge of self Develop personal identity Encourage self-esteem Involve the feelings and emotions Minimize creativity Develop a knowledge of the process of learning Encourage self-initiation Allow for choice Encourage self-evaluation

SOCIAL INTERACTIONISM Lev Vygotsky: main ideas 1. Learning occurs through social interactions within a social environment. 2. He emphasized the holistic approach in learning a language. 3. Meaning is the central aspect of any unit of study. 4. Mediation – the secret of effective learning social interaction between 2 or more people with different levels of skill and knowledge.

MEDIATION Helping learners to move into and through the next layer of knowledge and understanding. Who ? – mediator a parent, a teacher, a peer. Where? – to the zone of proximate development (layer of skill or knowledge which is just beyond that with which the learner is currently capable of coping) How? – working together with mediator (social interaction) The role of mediator is a key factor in effective learning and transmitting culture (teacher selects and shapes learning experiences and children’s responses to them)

SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIVIST MODEL Learning process is influenced by teachers, learners, tasks, context. None of them exists in isolation. It is dynamic, ongoing process. Context (S) Teacher task learner

INTERPRETATION: 1) Teachers select tasks which reflect their beliefs about teaching and learning. 2) Learners interpret tasks in ways that are meaningful and personal to them as individuals. 3) The task is interface between a teacher and learners. 4) A change in any part of the model will influence other parts.

SEMINAR: Reports: 1) Lev Vygotsky ‘Language and Thought’. 2) Application of educational psychology to education. 3) Behavioristic approach in FLT. Literature: Psychology for teachers Ch. 2 pp 30 -44