Memory, Psychology and Second Language Learning


Book Description

This book explores the contributions that cognitive linguistics and psychology, including neuropsychology, have made to the understanding of the way that second languages are processed and learnt. It examines areas of phonology, word recognition and semantics, examining 'bottom-up' decoding processes as compared with 'top-down' processes as they affect memory. It also discusses second language learning from the acquisition/learning and nativist/connectionist perspectives. These ideas are then related to the methods that are used to teach second languages, primarily English, in formal classroom situations. This examination involves both 'mainstream' communicative approaches, and more traditional methods widely used to teach EFL throughout the world. The book is intended to act both as a textbook for students who are studying second language teaching and as an exploration of issues for the interested teacher who would like to further extend their understanding of the cognitive processes underlying their teaching.Mick Randall is currently Senior Lecturer in TESOL and Head of the Institute of Education at the British University in Dubai. He has taught courses in second language learning and teaching, applied linguistics and psychology in a number of different contexts. He has a special interest in the cognitive processing of language and in the psycholinguistics of word recognition, spelling and reading.




How Learning Works


Book Description

Praise for How Learning Works "How Learning Works is the perfect title for this excellent book. Drawing upon new research in psychology, education, and cognitive science, the authors have demystified a complex topic into clear explanations of seven powerful learning principles. Full of great ideas and practical suggestions, all based on solid research evidence, this book is essential reading for instructors at all levels who wish to improve their students' learning." —Barbara Gross Davis, assistant vice chancellor for educational development, University of California, Berkeley, and author, Tools for Teaching "This book is a must-read for every instructor, new or experienced. Although I have been teaching for almost thirty years, as I read this book I found myself resonating with many of its ideas, and I discovered new ways of thinking about teaching." —Eugenia T. Paulus, professor of chemistry, North Hennepin Community College, and 2008 U.S. Community Colleges Professor of the Year from The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education "Thank you Carnegie Mellon for making accessible what has previously been inaccessible to those of us who are not learning scientists. Your focus on the essence of learning combined with concrete examples of the daily challenges of teaching and clear tactical strategies for faculty to consider is a welcome work. I will recommend this book to all my colleagues." —Catherine M. Casserly, senior partner, The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching "As you read about each of the seven basic learning principles in this book, you will find advice that is grounded in learning theory, based on research evidence, relevant to college teaching, and easy to understand. The authors have extensive knowledge and experience in applying the science of learning to college teaching, and they graciously share it with you in this organized and readable book." —From the Foreword by Richard E. Mayer, professor of psychology, University of California, Santa Barbara; coauthor, e-Learning and the Science of Instruction; and author, Multimedia Learning




The Psychology of the Language Learner


Book Description

The scope of individual learner differences is broad, yet there is no current, comprehensive, and unified volume that provides an overview of the considerable amount of research conducted on various language learner differences, until now.




International Journal of Language Studies (IJLS) – volume 10(4)


Book Description

Esmaeel Ali SALIMI, Mohammad Meisam SAFARZADEH & Abbas MONFARED: Teaching grammar: Language teachers' cognition and classroom practices (1-18); Alessandro CAPONE: Slurring in indirect-reporting (19-36); Ricardo CASAN-PITARCH: Case study on banks' webpages: The use of personal pronouns (37-58); Yuxiu HU: A longitudinal study on the extent of Mandarin influence on the acquisition of English (59-76); Abbas Ali REZAEE & Mahsa GHANBARPOUR: The measurement paradigm and role of mediators in dynamic assessment: A qualitative meta-synthesis (77-108); Ali KAZEMI: Hedging in academic writing: The case of Iranian EFL journals (109-130); and Mohammad Ali SALMANI NODOUSHAN: Working on the 'write' path: Improving EFL students' argumentative-writing performance through L1-mediated structural cognitive modification (131-152)




Cognition and Learning


Book Description

Applies theories of cognition and learning to cross-cultural education, dealing with developmental and information-processing theories and learning styles.




Theory and Practice from a Cognitive Perspective


Book Description

This book is intended as a theoretical and practical resource for both new and experienced teachers of a second language. It integrates some of the ideas from cognitive linguistics into existing classroom approaches for teaching English as a second language through a series of lesson plans developed by teachers of English from Mainland China and Hong Kong. The lesson plans provide step-by-step instructions for teachers, including resources and an explanation of the theories underpinning each step. These plans, many of which are integrated into specific English as a foreign language textbook units, encourage teachers to be creative by adding or adapting the material they have in order to engage their students. Although the main audience is English teachers, the theoretical principles covered are applicable to teachers of any foreign language and the practical examples, provided in the lesson plans, can be easily modified to teach other languages as well. Similarly, it is not just for teachers working in Chinese contexts but for anyone interested in embodied cognition as a teaching approach. I intend these pages to serve as a companion for teachers to reflect on their existing practices, to provide new ideas and to make them aware of the many factors affecting learning.




Improving Schooling for Language-Minority Children


Book Description

How do we effectively teach children from homes in which a language other than English is spoken? In Improving Schooling for Language-Minority Children, a committee of experts focuses on this central question, striving toward the construction of a strong and credible knowledge base to inform the activities of those who educate children as well as those who fund and conduct research. The book reviews a broad range of studiesâ€"from basic ones on language, literacy, and learning to others in educational settings. The committee proposes a research agenda that responds to issues of policy and practice yet maintains scientific integrity. This comprehensive volume provides perspective on the history of bilingual education in the United States; summarizes relevant research on development of a second language, literacy, and content knowledge; reviews past evaluation studies; explores what we know about effective schools and classrooms for these children; examines research on the education of teachers of culturally and linguistically diverse students; critically reviews the system for the collection of education statistics as it relates to this student population; and recommends changes in the infrastructure that supports research on these students.







Implementing Rapid E-Learning Through Interactive Materials Development


Book Description

In the past, the process of developing an interactive digital learning resource required content developers, technology experts, and learning designers to work together. As such, the process was time consuming and expensive. Now there are new tools that do not require advanced mastery of ICTs for the development of digital learning resources. Such tools allow the reduction of costs and timelines of development. The rapid e-learning method helps to decentralize curriculum digitization and empower teachers to embrace technology to develop and share resources among peers. Implementing Rapid E-Learning Through Interactive Materials Development provides a relevant theoretical foundation for the design and development of interactive learning materials using the rapid e-learning method. It draws on research, case studies, and reports from different contextual applications of the methods, challenges, and learning experiences of students. Covering topics such as goal-oriented design, quality assurance, and rapid game development, this premier reference source is an essential resource for multimedia developers, IT professionals, learning designers, educators and administrators of both K-12 and higher education, pre-service teachers, teacher educators, librarians, researchers, and academicians.