. Language theories and syllabus

Epistemology and theories of learning

Nelcy Viviana Becerra Lopez

Presentation

Learning Theorics

theories of teaching.

Syllabus

Thank you

The objectivist epistemology

Objectivists believe that there exists an objective and reliable set of facts, principles and theories that either have been discovered and delineated or will be over the course of time. This position is linked to the belief that truth exists outside the human mind, or independently of what an individual may or may not believe. Thus the laws of physics are constant, although our knowledge of them may evolve as we discover the ‘truth’ out there.

Behaviourism

Although initially developed in the 1920s, behaviourism still dominates approaches to teaching and learning in many places, particularly in the USA. Behaviourism is an objectivist learning theory. Behaviourist psychology is an attempt to model the study of human behaviour on the methods of the physical sciences, and therefore concentrates attention on those aspects of behaviour that are capable of direct observation and measurement.

Cognitivism

An obvious criticism of behaviourism is that it treats humans as a black box, where inputs into the black box, and outputs from the black box, are known and measurable, but what goes on inside the black box is ignored or not considered of interest.

Constructivism

Conectivism

AIn connectivism it is the collective connections between all the ‘nodes’ in a network that result in new forms of knowledge. According to Siemens (2005), knowledge is created beyond the level of individual human participants, and is constantly shifting and changing. Knowledge in networks is not controlled or created by any formal organization, although organizations can and should ‘plug in’ to this world of constant information flow, and draw meaning from it.

Theories of teaching in language teaching”

OPERATIONALIZING LEARNING PRINCIPLES

SCIENCE-RESEARCH CONCEPTIONS

This approach involves developing teaching principles from research on memory, transfer, motivation, and other factors believed to be important in learning. Mastery learning and programmed learning are examples of science-research conceptions of teaching in general education. In TESOL, Audiolingualism, Task-Based Language Teaching, and Learner Training represent applications of learning research to language teaching.

Science-research conceptions of language teaching are derived from research and are supported by experimention and empirical investigation. Zahorik includes operationalizing learning principles, following a tested model, and doing what effective teachers do, as examples of science-research conceptions.

+ ifo

THEORY-PHILOSOPHY CONCEPTIONS

FOLLOWING A TESTED MODEL OF TEACHING

The next approach to theories of teaching Zahorik terms “theory-philosophy conceptions.” “Their truth is not based on a posteriori conditions or on what works. Rather, their truth is based on what ought to work or what is morally right” (Zahorik, 1986, p. 22).

This approach involves applying the results of empirical or experimental research to teaching. In this approach, “a view of good teaching is developed through logical reasoning and previous research; good teaching is defined in terms of specific acts” (Zahorik, 1986, p. 21). A

The Concept of Syllabus Design and Curriculum Development

Characteristic

Syllabus

Different types of language syllabus

1. Grammatical: A list of grammatical structures, such as the present tense, comparison of adjectives, relative clauses Functional–notional: Functions are things you can do with language, as distinct from notions you can express: examples are ‘identifying’, ‘denying’, ‘promising’ Process: This is the only syllabus which is not pre-set. The content of the course is negotiated with the learners at the beginning of the course and during it, and actually listed only retrospectively .

A syllabus a requisite document for teaching in that it serves to outline the basic elements of a course including what topics will be covered, a weekly schedule, and a list of tests, assignments, and their associated weightings.

The syllabus of the language school where I teach is very comprehensive: it includes grammar, vocabulary, functions, notions, situations; and gives references to material I can use. I use it all the time and could not do without it.

Thank you!