Human learning.

1. HOW HUMANS LEARN IN
GENERAL AND HOW THEY
LEARN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE
STUDENT: AURA VILLA
TEACHER: DOLORES ORTEGA

2. INTRODUCTION:
The cognitive domain of humans behavior is of key importance in the
acquisition of both: a first and a second language.
• The processes of perceiving, attending, storing and recalling are
central to the task of internalizing a language.

3. THEORIES OF LEARNING:

4. AUSUBEL´S MEANINGFUL LEARNING THEORY
• Ausubel's believes that learning of new knowledge relies on what is
already known. That is, construction of knowledge begins with our
observation and recognition of events and objects through concepts
we already have. We learn by constructing a network of
concepts and adding to them.
• Ausubel also stresses the importance of reception rather than
discovery learning, and meaningful rather than rote learning.

5. ROGER`S HUMANISTIC PSYCHOLOGY
• Roger is not as concerned about the actual cognitive process of
learning because he feels if the context for learning is properly
created, then human beings will, in fact, learn everythign they need
to.

6. TYPES OF LEARNING:
• 1. Signal learning
• 2. Stimulus-Response learning
• 3. chaining
• 4. Verbal asociation
• 5. Multiple Descrimination
• 6. Concept learning
• 7.Principle learning
• 8. Problem solving

7. SECONG LANGUAGE LEARNING
• The Second Language learning in general occurs in the total language
process that can be further efficiently categorized and sequenced in
congnitive terms by means of the eight types of learning

8. Transfer, Interference and Overgeneralization
• Transfer: It has to do with the carryover of previous knowledge to
subsequent learning. Ex: positive and negative transfer
• Interference: A previous ítem is incorrectly transfered or ossociated
with an ítem to be learned
• Overgeneralization: Meaningful learning is generalization. It is a
process thas occurs as the second language learner acts within the
target language, generalizing a particular rule or item in the second
language.

9. Inductive and Deductive reasoning
• Inductive reasoning: one stores a number of specific instances and
induces a general law that governs the specific instances.
• Deductive reasoning: is a movement from a generalization to specific
instances.
Classroom learning tends to rely more tan it should in deductive
reasoning

10. Aptitude and Intelligence
• Aptitude: some people have a better aptitude to learn a second language.
Risk-taking, behaviour, memory efficiency, intelligent guessing, and
ambiguity tolerance are some aptitudes cited.
• Intelligence: according yo Howard Gardner (1983) there are seven forms of
intelligence:
• 1. Linguistic
• 2. Logica-mathematical
• 3. Spatial
• 4. Musical
• 5. Bodily-kinesthetic
• 6. Interpersonal
• 7. Intrapersonal

11. According to Robert Sternberg (1985-1988)
• There are three types of smartness:
1. componantial ability for analytical thinking
2. Experiantial ability to engage in creative thinking, combining
disparate experiences in insightful ways.
3. Contextual ability: “Street smartness” that enables people to “play
the game” of manipulating their environment.

12. Methods of Learning
1.Audiolingualism
2. Suggestopedia
3. The silent way
4. Total physical response
5. The natural approach

13. Conclusion
We acquire language when the comprehensible input is at the right
level for the learner.
Comprehensible input is the exposure to interesting and
understandable listening and reading material. We acquiere language
when we understand messages.