ENGLISH FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES

1. Theories of learning

2. Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day.
Teach a man how to fish and you feed him for a
lifetime.
(Chinese proverb)
DR.M.POONKODI
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH KARUNYA UNIVERSITY

3.  Language can only be properly understood as a
reflection of human thought processes i.e in
understanding the structure and processes of the
mind
[not in the analysis of the nature of language]
 Language learning is conditioned by the way in
which the mind observes, organises and stores
information
 This is the key to successful language learning and
teaching.

4.  Like the development of language
descriptions
to see the importance of each for language
teaching, it is best to consider the theories
relating to language and learning separately.
 In the past not much theories to teach and
enable learning
 One theory called as Direct method was used
to teach until the end of 19th century

5.  The direct method of learning English is fairly simple. In consists,
primarily, of just five parts.
 Show – The student is shown something so that they understand
the word. For example, they might be shown realia or other
visual aids such as flash cards for nouns. The teacher might use
gestures to explain verbs, and so on.
 Say – The teacher verbally presents the word or sentence, taking
care to pronounce the word correctly.
 Try – The student then tries to repeat what the teacher is saying.
 Mould – The teacher corrects the students and ensures that they
are pronouncing words correctly.
 Repeat – Finally, the students repeat the word a number of
times. Here the teacher uses a number of methods for repetition,
including group repetition, single student repetition and other
activities designed to get the students to repeat the word.

6.  Theories emerged only after psychology
developed
 Pavlov (USSR)and Skinner(USA)
Learning is a mechanical process of habit
formation and proceeds by means of
frequent reinforcement of stimulus-response
sequence

7.  Typically, the audio-lingual method includes drills and
pattern repetition. There are four parts to this method.
 Repetition – the students repeat what the teacher says.
Example: Teacher – “I walk to school”. Students – “I
walk to school”.
 Inflection – the teacher says a word, the students say
another form of one of the words back to the teacher.
Example: Teacher – “I walk to school”. Students – “I
walked to school”.
 Replacement – the teacher says a sentence and the
students replace on of the words for a different word.
Example: Teacher – “I walk to school”. Students – “I run
to school”.
 Restatement - the teacher says a sentence and the
students rephrase the sentence. Example: Teacher –
“Tell me to walk to school”. Students – “Walk to
school”.

8.  Never translate
 Deal in sequence: hear, speak, read, write
 Repeat
 Correct errors immediately
 Basic method is pattern practice

9. Chomsky –against behaviourism
Vague concept of generalisation
Infinite range of possibilities are there so how
human mind could cope with finite range of
experience

10.  Thinking as a rule -governed activity
 Finite ; fairly small;set of rules-no stimulus
 Not forming habits but forming rules
 Rules to form a process ; evolve an
hypothesis
 Hypothesis is modified by subsequent
experience
 Uses individual stimuli to find out underlying
pattern of system

11.  Use the system in a novel situation to predict,
respond etc
 Thinking process led to cognitive theory

12.  To learn by using rule requires thinking
 Apply mental powers to distil workable
generative rule from the mass of data
presented
 Analyse the situation where application
would be useful and appropriate
 Learner I
 Interprets the data and learns
 We learn by thinking and make sense of what
we see, hear and feel

15. 1. What is a cold blooded/warm blooded animal?
2. How does the weather affect the diffusion of
gases in animals body?
3. What happens when a creature is small in a
cold/hot region?

16.  Learning is an emotional experience
 He must be affected with an intention to
think and learn in a cognitive way.
 They must be motivated to read
 Instrumental motivation ( need)
 Integrative motivation (want)

18.  Reflection of external need
 Need may derive from varying sources
 Need to pass exams
 Need to sell
 Need to speak with others
 Need to read texts

19.  Derives from ones own desire
 Internally generated want

20.  Learning is a conscious process
 Acquisition is an conscious process

21.  Picture mind as a net work connections
 Individual houses, towns and villagers
represent items or bundles of knowledge
 All these would be useful when
interconnected to main networks by roads
 Learner’s mind is the development agency

23.  The agency wants to develop the settlement
potential
 Communication links must be established
 X could be linked only when Y and Z are
connected
 Bridge

24.  THANK YOU