English Language Teaching and Psycholinguistics. Fundamentals of theory.

1. Theories in L2
Introductory discussion

2. What is theory
“A way of interpreting, criticizing and unifying established
generalizations”
Functions of theories:
• Understanding- understand and organize the data of
experience, short list of propositions, bring meaning to
otherwise chaotic and inscrutable.
• Transformation-change the relationship between laws
and facts, change the content and form of our
knowledge.
• Prediction – good theories stimulate research, next step
worth taking, hypothetical laws to be put to empirical test

3. Three categories of
research
Three broad categories of research (Patsy
Lightbown)based on methodological differences-
• Descriptive studies-collecting L1 and L2 speech
samples, finding consistencies or discrepancies,
comparing with target language norms etc.
• Experimental pedagogical studies- manipulating certain
variables to determine their effect on the classroom. Ex-
rule learning vs conversation based instructions
• Hypothesis testing studies- hypothesis about the
presence of a linguistic universals

4. Three assumptions
• Research is inseparable from theory
• There is no one scientific method
• There is no single scientific truth

5. Types of theories
From formal point of view:
• Deductive: top-down(set of propositions)
• Inductive: bottom-up(from sets of facts and laws toward
theory)
From the point of view of content:
Micro (miniature theories) and macro( the range of
phenomena) ex. Macroeconomics and microeconomics

6. Evaluating a theory
Three categories of validation norms (Kaplan)-
• Norms of correspondence (semantic level)-definitional
adequacy, explanatory power, operational definitions.
• Norms of coherence (syntactical level) (relationship
between propositions, corollaries and hypotheses)
• Norms of pragmatics –practical
application(ex.comprehensible input)

7. Falsifiability
Falsifiability is the capacity for some proposition, statement,
theory or hypothesis to be proven wrong. That capacity is
an essential component of the scientific method and
hypothesis testing. In a scientific context, falsifiability is
sometimes considered synonymous with testability.

8. Theories we will discuss
• Monitor model
• Interlanguage theory
• Linguistic universals
• Cognitive theory
• Acculturation theory
Etc.