There are many theories on learning language. Theses theories have impacted First language and second language teaching methodology.Theories on language learning and teaching have evolved from the fields of psychology and linguistics. What follows here is a brief discussion on three major theories of language learning, namely, Behaviorist, cognitive and social interactionist theory.

1. Language Learning Theories of ELT
Sachin Labade@department of English, University of Mumbai

2. Behaviorist School
Edward Thorndike (1874-1949) B.F. Skinner (1904 -1990)
Verbal Behavior(1957)

3. Behaviorist Approach
Stimulus Response Theory (S-
R)
Premise: Learning is an orderly
and predictable series of
observable behaviour patterns,
with one of its key concpets
being ‘habit’ formation.
Two Major Classifications of
Learning
Classical Conditioning (Russian
Psychologist- Pavlov)
Operant/instrumental
Conditioning (American

5. Implications of Conditioned learning:
Edward Thorndike
Law of Effect: Most effective learning is that which
is most satisfying.
A. What is taught must relate to the needs of the
learner
B. The process of learning must be rewarding
Law of Exercise: Learning results from activity by
the learning.
Law of Readiness: The learner must be brought
to the state of readiness to learn. (Get Set of the
Go)

6. Implications for a language
teacher
Use/Practice: The more the learner is exposed to the use
of language the better the chances of learning it.
Situation: The production of language depends on the
Situation. So the teacher should introduce each new
pattern of language in meaningful situation
Efforts: Producing the correct linguistic response requires
effort and attention.
The receptive experience of language is necessary
before any productive use can begin
Confirmation: Faster learning if correct response is
confirmed
Reinforcement: Every new item learnt must be reinforced
by further practice before further learning begins.

7. Behaviorist Approach
Major strategies used in the behaviorist approach:
B.F.Skinner’s Experimental Behaviorism: “Actions followed
by an immediate positive effect (reward) tend to be
repeated, and actions followed by an immediate negative
effect (punishment) tend to be discontinued.”
The Audio-lingual Method: “Students developed correct
language habits by repetitious training, often using
technology such as tape recordings in language
laboratories.”
Asher’s Total Physical Response: “Based on the
association between language and body movement.”
There is a shaping of response and external rewards are
faded. Great for those at the non-verbal stage of language
acquisition.
Direct Teaching and Mastery Learning:" This type of
learning emphasizes explicit instructional objectives for
students and promotes the learning of facts, sequenced

8. Dissatisfaction of Behaviorism
No distinction
between human and
non human learners
Learning can not be
equated with
behaviour.
Learner cannot be
‘mere instrument’ to
be manipulated

9. Cognitivist School
An approach which is based on the belief that language learning
is a process which involves active mental processes and not
simply the forming of habits. It gives importance to the learner’s
active part in the process of learning and using language.
S Cognitive R
Function

10. Jean Piaget ( [ʒɑ̃ pjaʒɛ]; (1896 –1980)
The most influential developmental psychologist to date

12. Chomsky’s (1959 )Response to Skinner
Noam Chomsky

13. First Language Acquisition

15. Behaviorist vs. Cognitivist
Component of
Learning
Behaviorist Cognitivist
Belief about the mind: •The mind is a blank slate.
•All minds are basically alike.
•The mind is an active
organizer
•Brains vary, with multiple
intelligences and learning
styles
Goal Setting: •Teacher plans and sets goals. •Students participate in
planning and goal setting.
Motivation: •Reward is motivator. •Learning is a motivator.
Teaching Styles: •Teacher teaches his/her way;
one “best” way.
•Teacher teaches with variety;
no one “best” way.
Content of Curriculum: •Students are taught “what”. •Students are taught “what”
and “how”.
Assessment: who does it? •Teacher assesses. •Students are actively involved
in peer and self-assessment.
Assessment: what is
evaluated?
•Product is important. •Product and process are
important.
Role of Culture: •Culture is irrelevant. •Culture is the basis for social
interaction patterns: learning
(Diaz-Rico, p.49)

16. War on Error
Errors are
hindrance. Avoid by
provide “correct”
language input
Errors are
building blocks

17. Sociocultural/Social Interactionist
Theory
Based on the work of Lev Vygotsky (1978,
1986) & Jerome Bruner (1957,1961)
Social interactionists argue that the way a
baby learns a language is both biological
and social.
MAK Halliday: “Babies acquire language in
order to survive, have their needs met, and
express themselves”
Lev Vygotsky: Higher psychological
functions originate in the interaction
between individuals (inter-psychological
level) before they are transferred within the
individual (intra-psychological level)
It is through this internalization of this
mediation that individual experience

18. Basic Concepts
Mediation of human behaviour
with tools (textbook/visual
material) and sign systems
(symbolic language) Teachers
need to balance the giving and
withholding of guidance and
assistance in accordance with
students progression through a
task.
Regulation: Two Kinds:
Self- regulation (capacity for
independent problem solving)
Other-regulation (needs help in
solving problems mediated
through language)
Scaffolding: involves the expert
taking control of those portions of
a task that are beyond the
learners’ current level of
competence.

19. The zone of Proximal
Development (ZPD): It is the
distance between the actual
developmental levels as
determined by independent
problem solving and the level of
potential development as
determined through problem
solving under adult guidance or
in collaboration with more
capable peers. (Vygotsky)
More than the successful
completion of the task,
emergence of the higher
cognitive process as result are
important.
Private/Inner Speech: When
the control of a task moves to
the stage of self-regulation we

20. Learner viewed not as “receptable”
or an individual “acquirer” rather an
“active participant in teaching and
learning”
L2 learning : a matter of problem
solving in a master-apprentice
relationship
L2 learning: process of group
socialization
L2 instruction not just

21. Learning Theories & their impact on Second
Language Learning
Behaviorism & SLL
• Speech habits through correct responses
• Teachers should try and ask only questions that
students could respond correctly.
• Analogy provides a better foundation for FL learning
(assumption)
• Leads to the implementation of audio-visual
techniques and practice of oral skills in a controlled
environment
• The instructional approach emphasizes the
formation of habits through practice, memorization,
and repetition of grammatical structures in isolation.

22. Contrastive Analysis Hypothesis (C.A.H)
• L1 habits constantly affect L2 habit formation
Process
• Lado (1957) : Transfer is key concept in C.A.H
Transferred L1 habits either facilitate or inhibit the
L2 habit formation
• Similarities make L2 acquisition easy and differences
difficult
• However, research shows that not all similarities
guarantee error free acquisition, nor do all contrasts
lead to learning difficulties.
• CAH does not account for developmental errors that
are learner internal and rule-based.

23. Cognitive Learning Theory and SLL
• The best way to understand both L1 and L2
learning is through understanding the processes
used by the learner to learn new information and
skills
• SLL is the acquisition of a complex cognitive skill
• Sub skills involved:
• Application of grammatical rules
• Choosing the appropriate vocabulary
• Following the pragmatic conventions governing
the use of a specific language

24. • Language learning through the gradual automitization
of skills through stages of reconstructing and linking
new information to old knowledge.
• Two Models:
a. Information Processing model (Mclaughlin:1990)
Repeated activation of nodes in short term memory
make them automized and stored in the long term
memory
Automized processes are difficult to change or delete.
Fossilization is then the automizaiton of a controlled
process before that it is native-like.
Two Models

25. • Mental connections become stronger with every
exposure to linguistic input.
• Presence of one linguistic element will activate its
match
• Repeated activation of strengthens connections and
learners learn the SL
• Critics believe that repetition is the key and not
connection (extension of B)
• Internal representations that are constructed
between inputs from and the outputs to the
environment and with the specific mental processes
that are involved in the construction of these
representations.
b. Connectionism

26. Influence on teaching of reading and writing of L2
• Literacy is seen as an individual psycholinguistic
process
• Writing instruction shifted emphasis from the
mimicking of correct structure to the
development of a cognitive, problem solving
approach
• Focused on heuristic exercises and
collaborative tasks organized in staged
processes such as idea generation, drafting and
revising.

27. Socio-cultural Theory and SLL
(Social) Interaction:
Working collaboratively with the interlocuter,
appropriating and constructing knowledge through
the collaborative activities. Interactive classroom.
The more the culture of L2 in the classroom the
more students increase their communication skills
Interaction between modestly advanced students
and students at lesser stages of dev can be a
motivating experience
Culture: Learning about the culture is prerequisite
for SLL (Had Food?- How Are you?) Traditional
models of SLL don’t account for the cultural
learning.

28. As the learner is ‘participant’ she/he
understands language use in context
Useful in understanding language as
socialization
Scaffolding: Providing assistance to
one another reach a higher level of
performance (L2 teacher: mediator)
For example: in grammar class the
task of clarification and confirmation at
the beginning
Private talk as mediator: (practicing

29. Challenges and Limitations

30. Task
Point Behaviorist
Approach
Cognitivist/Mentalistic
Approach
Social Interactionist
Approach
Control
Error
Exposure
Grammar
Practice
Role of the
learner
Role of the
teacher
The language
syllabus
Grading of items
Any other