Mind map

Cognitive influences on Language Learning

Ernesto Rosales Spanish

Map content

All conditions, strategies or processes learners have acces to while learning a foreign language (IEXPRO, 2020, p.5)
- There are 4 factors related , two of them are:
  - INTELLIGENCE OR "G" FACTOR
    - GARDENER 1985
      - Claimed the existence of MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES
        Logico-mathematic/ Linguistic/ Spatial/ Musical/ Bodily-Kinesthetic/ Interpersonal/ Intrapersonal/ Naturalistic/ Spiritual.
    - It is present in all learners
      - Measured by IQ tests
    - Represents an important factor in SLA (under formal instruction)
    - GENESEE (1976) & EKSTRAND (1977) show that:
      - Intelligence may influence acquisition of some L2 skills
        Reading, writing,, language analysis and vocabulary study.
      - Oral fluency and skills are less likely influenced by intelligence
  - APTITUDE
    - Natural ability people have to perform different actions, such as SLA.
      - CAROLL & SAPON
        Created the Modern Language Aptitude Test
        Identified 4 main components:
        Phonetic/ Phonemic coding ability
        Grammatical sensitivity
        Inductive language learning ability
        Rote learning ability
      - BIALSTOK, FROHLICH (1978), KRASHEN (1981) maintained that:
        Aptitude can´t be trained as they consider it unmodifiable in SLA
      - SKEBA (1989) believed that:
        Aptitude factor has to involve adapting classes according to the learners´characteristics (learner centered).
    - It´s different from intelligence
The other 2 factors related are also:
- COGNITIVE STYLE
  - It is how learners perceive, "monitor, conceptualise and recalls linguistic information" (IEXPRO, 2020, p. 11)
    - BROWN (1973)
      - It is a combination of cognition and affect
        Identified 4 variables:
        Reflective-impulsive thinking.
        Broad-narrow categorizing
        Skeletonizing-embroidering
        Belief congruence-contradiction
    - WITKIN (1962, 1971)
      - Designed a test (Group Embedded Test)
        Used to identify and measure
        Field dependent people
        People who can´t difference between figures from the gorund (holistic view)
        Field independent people
        People capable to separate figuires from the ground & essential from inessential elements. (analytic view)
    - SKEHAN
      - Field dependent person: Person oriented, sensitive towards other people.
      - Field independent: Less sensitive, object oriented, cerebral.
    - REID (1987)
      - WILLING (1987)
        OTHER LEARNING STYLES
        Concrete, Analytic, Communicative, Authority-oriented.
      - OTHER LEARNIG TENDENCIES
        Visual, Auditory, Kinaesthetic, Tactile.
- LEARNING STRATEGIES
  - Techniques used by learners to acquire and learn an L2
    - Some features
      - Contribute to communicate, let learners be autonomous, can be taught, present in all learners, support learning, are often conscious and observable.
    - O´MALLEY (1985), ELLIS 1985), WENDEN & RUBIN (1987), WILLING (1988), OXFORD & CROOKHALL (1989)
      - Identified several learning strategies:
        Cognitive
        Ways to understand linguistic system.
        Memory
        Help to store information.
        Compensation
        Compensate for missing knowledge.
        Metacognitive
        Learning to learn.
        Social
        Social actions involved in learning process.
        Affective
        Learners´emotions & attitude towards the language.
        Communication
        Oral production.
    - Strategy training
      - Elements that could help teachers develop trough practices.
        Can also happen OUT-OF-CLASS
        The contact learners have with the L2, outside the classroom.