Piaget's theory of constructivism holds that learning is an active process where children learn by exploring their environment. He described the processes of assimilation, where children integrate new information into their understanding, and accommodation, where children adjust their understanding based on new information. Vygotsky's social constructivism emphasizes the social environment and interactions with others as important for learning. Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences proposes that intelligence is comprised of different abilities rather than a single measure. The document discusses various language teaching approaches, including audio-lingual based on behaviorism, cognitive focusing on rule acquisition, and comprehension-based emphasizing meaningful input. It stresses the importance for teachers to be aware of learning theories and to combine approaches to meet

1. Anneli Menjivar
L6EN10 – Portfolio task 3
2013-10-09
Portfolio 3 – Language learning theories and teaching approaches.
Piaget: Constructivism
Constructivism can be explained by saying that learning is an active process. Piaget meant
that children learn by exploring their environment, for example can exploring refer to playing
sand and water, building things with toy bricks and when children are having conversations
with each other or with adults (Pinter A, 2006, s 5).
Piaget had a view that children are their own active constructors of their knowledge of the
world. He explained his thoughts by explaining his thoughts of children’s process of
assimilation and accommodation. According to Piaget children always is assimilating
information to make their understanding of the world around them easier to understand. An
example from the book teaching you language learners is that a child that knows that birds
and chickens are hatched from eggs also thinks that pigs is hatched to eggs. It is not until the
child gets to know the truth about piglets that the child can adapt or change his or hers way of
thinking to accommodate the new information. This process is called accommodation.
Assimilation and accommodation is two sides of the same process when children are learning
(Pinter A, 2006, s 6).
Constructivism thinks that children have four universal stages of development that children go
thru. Piaget theory said that each child follows these stages in exactly the same order, they
“pass” the stages as they become older. Piaget considers the stages important and useful for
teachers to be familiar because children will have different interests and need in different
ages. The Different stages are Sensori-motor stage, Pre-operational stage, concrete operational
stage and Formal operational stage. They are developed in the ages 0-2, 2-7, 7-11, 11- (Pinter
P, 2006, s 6, 7).
Pinter argued that the age stages would not work; he means that every child is unique from
another child. Pinter has developed children in to younger learners and older learners.
Younger learners are for example children at pre-school or in the first couple of years of
schooling, the pupils have a holistic approach to language, the pupils also have limited
reading and writing skills even in their first language, the pupils are more concerned about
themselves then others and they still enjoy fantasy, imagination and movement. Older learners
are the pupils that are well established at school, the pupils that are showing a growing level
of awareness about them, they also have developed skills as writing and reading and they are
beginning to show interest in real life issues (Pinter P, 2006, s 2).
Vygotsky: Social constructivism
Lev Vygostky is associated with the social environment, the cultural context, and the
influence of peers, teachers and parents that are engaged in interactions with children. He
meant that all of this is important for children’s learning and development. Vygostky where
very interested in how the individual child was capable to learn and achieve with the help of
example teachers and parents (Pinter P, 2006, s 10).

2. Anneli Menjivar
L6EN10 – Portfolio task 3
2013-10-09
Pinter writes that all children era unique learners. What Pinter wants to say with this is that
children are different from each other; some children like to sing and dance, when other
children like to draw and write. Children are also different and unique in the way that they all
have different ways to learn something. The intelligence of the children is different; this is
why children often are at different levels at school (Pinter P, 2006, s 13). At school it is
important that the teacher is aware of that pupils learn in different ways, some pupils like to
read their information when other likes to hear and write the information. Pupils also have
stronger and weaker aspects in their intelligence, like any other person (Pinter P, 2006, s 14).
The audio – lingual approach – Skinner
This approach features from structural linguistics and behavioral psychology. In a classroom
where it is audio and lingual approach the lessons often begins with dialogues, mimicry and
memorization are also used. The skills are sequenced in listening and speaking, the skills
writing and reading are postponed. The teacher in the classroom must be competent only in
the language structure, vocabulary and the teacher must also be aware that the pupils are
learning from the activities, this approach work a lot with preventing that the pupils will have
some errors (Murcia C, M, 2002, s 7).
The cognitive approach – Chomsky
Noam Chomsky is famous for thinking that children often produce language that they could
not have heard in natural interaction with others. What Chomsky wanted to show with this
argue was that children often make constant effort to hypothesize about the structure if the
language (Pinter P, 2006, s 19, 20). Chomsky proposed the Universal grammar which can be
explained as a device with representations of abstract facts about human language. He said
that all humans is born with the universal grammar and that a child born into a English
speaking family will by the help of his/hers universal grammar, recognize that English is
where the word order is: subject, verb, object. For example an Irish human would say “sleep
daddy” (verb, subject, object) but a baby born in a English family would say “sleep daddy”
(Pinter P, 2006,s 20).
In the cognitive approach language learning is seen as rule acquisition, not habit formation.
This means that learning English grammar requires tackling patterns that often have a
multifunctional purpose, for example the word “get” which can be used in “get up” get
someone and ice-cream”. Children will in their first year speaking will have these words as a
single purpose and gradually add other functions for the word (Pinter P, 2006, s 20).
The comprehension-based approach – Kraschen
The comprehension approach means that language acquisition occurs if and only if the learner
comprehends meaningful input. This is an approach that a lot of teachers may use (Murcia C
M, 2002, s 9). According to Krashen listening comprehension is very important and is also
viewed as the basic skill for that will allow speaking, reading and writing. By learning the
languages rules for speaking the pupil will be more monitor of he/hers own language.

3. Anneli Menjivar
L6EN10 – Portfolio task 3
2013-10-09
Something very important for the comprehension approach is pupils errors correction, this
approach sees it like something unnecessary, because the most important thing is that pupils
can comprehend and make themselves understood (Murcia C M, 2002, s 8).
The theory of multiple intelligence – Gardner
Howard Gardner claims that intelligence does not have a unitary character, instead he refers
that they are many ways to learn in different children. Teachers that are aware of this
framework can teach meaningful things to all children with all the different intelligences
(Pinter P, 2006, s 13).
It is important to always have in mind that children have stronger and weaker aspects of their
multiplied intelligences and preferred learning styles. The different learning styles is for
example linguistic learners, logical-mathematical learners, bodily—kinaesthetic learners,
naturalists learners (Pinter P, 2006,s 14).
For me as future teacher it is important to be aware of the theories and of the approaches. In
the constructivism theory I agree that children learn by exploring on their own, and that we as
teachers have the important job to always encourage their development. Piaget´s universal
stages also have a point, but for me it is obvious that we as humans have different stages in
our lives, not only as children.
Vygotsky´s theory is very important for me as a future teacher, it is important to remember
that children are unique learners.
The different approaches I would like to combine with each other, if I will be able to do that I
think I could have the chance to help every pupil. Some pupils like grammar when some
pupils likes speaking to understand the language they will be learning.

4. Anneli Menjivar
L6EN10 – Portfolio task 3
2013-10-09
Litteraturlista
Celce-Murcia, Marianne (2002). Language teaching approaches: An overview.
London.
Heinle & Heinle Thomson Learning.
Pinter, A. (2006). Teaching young language learners.
Oxford: Oxford University Press.