Teaching English as a

Foreign Language
Pierrene Joyce Ysabelle R. Piero
MAED-ELT

Hypothesis, Theory, and Law

A hypothesis is a limited explanation of a
phenomenon;
A theory is an in-depth explanation of the
observed phenomenon.
A law is a statement about an observed
phenomenon or a unifying concept.

www.livescience.com/21457-what-is-a-law-in-science-definition-of-scientific

Theories of SecondLanguage Learning cont...

Attention and Awareness

When new facilities (habits) are difficult to learn
because of conflicts with new facilities that
operate under similar attention sets, learning
requires the attention be focused on the new
facility directly--partial experience--to reinforce it
to a point where it can be operated accurately.

Volition and Learning

Willpower is about following through despite
inconvenience and barriers, with a clear focus
on a specific outcome.
Will power partly controls a student's attention
and largely controls his practice exercises.
Practice exercises undertaken with the will to
learn = more learning
To learn a particular language effectively,
practice with the will to learn

Motivation
Motivation is the urge to do something.
Language learning is related to human
motivation moderated and partly controlled by
the will. High motivation increases learning.
Motivation and will can be manipulated in part
by external controls thus resulting to practicing
without the will to learn and less learning
When a person is shown that language learning
is relevant to his motivation, the result will be
more learning

Memory Span and Monitor Function

Memory span increases through experience;
this will accumulate until the student reaches the
range considered normal for native speakers,
however there is a limit to it.
Learning occurs in the ability to notice that some
error has been made even though the error is in
a unit which normally operates below the level of
awareness (monitor function)

Availability of response and recall time

Learning occurs in the form of decreased
reaction time between a stimulus and overt
speech and between exposure to an utterance
and perception of it and its content
A result of learning is when each fresh
experience reduce the recall time.

Individual Differences
Language learning proceeds at different rates
for different persons under seemingly the same
condition

Language Learning and Order of Skills

Listening and
experience

speaking

Reading and
experience

writing

total

language

partial

language

Hypothetical Laws of Language

Learning
Law of exercise, contiguity and intent
Law of familiarity of response
Law of geometric increase of of permanence
Law of recall under similar set
Law of motivation through urge to communicate

Law of exercise, contiguity and intent

The law of exercise stated that behaviour is more
strongly established through frequent connections of
stimulus and response.
Law of Contiguity emphasizes that the only condition
necessary for the association of stimuli and responses is
that there be a close temporal relationship between
them. It holds that learning will occur regardless of
whether reinforcement is given, so long as the
conditioned stimulus and the response occur together.
Expressions, content

Law of familiarity of response

The law of familiarity states that things that form
patterns that are familiar or meaningful are likely to
be grouped together (Goldstein, 2011).
Familiar C stimulus --> familiar E response (e)
Unfamiliar stimulus --> unfamiliar E response
(e)
Unfamiliar C stimulus --> familiar E response
(e)

The Law of Familiarity determines that the more I

spend time with and get to know anything, and the
more something becomes just a normal part of life
the less I am excited about it or the less I am to give
it the attention it deserves.

Law of Geometric Increase of

Permanence
The length of time that a response may be
remembered (recalled at will), increases by a
ratio of two or three times the length of time
preceeding its previous correct exercise with
intent to learn

Law of Recall under Similar Act

Partial experiences produce learning under
partial speech set
Recall under total speech set for communication
is not exercised with partial experience.

Law of Motivation Through urge to

Communicate

The exclusive use of the foreign language as the

vehicle of all communication increases learning

Principles of Language Teaching

Principle

Speech before writing

Basic Sentences
Patterns as Habits
Sound System for Use
Vocabulary Control
Teach the Problems
Writing as Representation of Speech
Graded PatternsL

Principle

Language Practice Versus Translation

Authentic Language Standards
Practice
Shaping of Responses
Speed and Style
Immediate reinforcement
Attitude toward target culture
Content
Learning as the Crucial outcome

Principle 1: Speech before Wrting

Teach listening and speking first, reading and

writing next

Principle 2: Basic Sentences

Memorizing basic sentences accurately

students have shorter memory

span in a foreign language
use conversations

Principle 3: Patterns as Habits

Establish habits through pattern and practice

Principle 4: Sound System for Use

teach sound system structurally

Principle 5: Vocabulary Control

keep the vocabulary load to a minimum while

the students are mastering the sound system
and grammatical patterns
words, no matter how many, do not constitute
meaning

Principle 6: Teaching the Problems

problems are those units and patterns that show

structural differences between the first language
and second language

Principle 7: Writing as Representation of

Speech

Teach reading and writing as manipulations of

graphic representations of language units and
patterns that students already know

Principle 8: Graded Patterns

Teach patterns gradually, in cumulative graded

steps
To teach language is to impart a new system of
complex habits, and habits are aquired slowly

Principle 8: Graded Patterns

Sup. 1: sentences, not words

Sup. 2: introduce subsentence elements
Sup. 3: Add each new element to previous ones
Sup. 4: Adapt the learning difficulty to the
capacity of the students

Principle 9: Language Practice Versus

Translation

translation is not substitute for language practice

Principle 10: Authentic Language Standards

Teach the language as it is, not as it ought to be.

The language style to be taught is that of
educated native speakers

Principle 11: Practice

the quantity and permanence of learning are in

direct proportion to the amount of practice.

Principle 12: Shaping of Responses

When a response is not in the repertory of the

student, shape it through partial experiences
and props
Two treatments:
partial practice
props

Principle 13: Speed and Style

a distorted rendition is not justified as the end

product of practice

Principle 14: Immediate Reinforcement

Let the student know immediately when his

response has been successful.

Principle 15: Attitude Toward Culture

impart an attitude of identification with or

sympathetic understanding of the people who
speak the second language rather than a merely
utilitarian attitude toward the language or a
disinterested or negative attitude toward the
people or the language

Principle 16: Content

Teach the meaning content of the second

language as it has developed in the culture
where the language is spoken natively
A language is the most complete index to culture

Principle 17: Learning as the Crucial Outcome

Teach primarily to produce learning rather than

to please or entertain

Conditions and Variables

Student
age, educational level, capacity,
handicaps, level of proficiency, goals,
linguistic and cultural background
Materials
The Teacher
Linguistic and Cultural Setting

Student Age
Pre-school
Primary School children - play and memorization
Secondary school pupils
Adults

Student Educational Level

Language teaching must obviously differ
for literate and illiterate students

Student Capacity
Individuals differ in ability to learn a
second language

Handicaps
principles have to be modified or
suspended in cases when students have
physical or mental handicaps

Level of Proficiency
rate of learning is inversely proportional to level
of proficiency

Goals
The principle of teaching applies with greater
force when the goal is to teach the language
than when when it is touse the language as a
tool in reading or in travel

Materials
Aid and equipment must vary

The Teacher
native speaker
may have studied English as a second language

Linguistic and Cultural Setting

the setting influences what can be taught
and what needs to be taught.