COGNITIVE INFLUENCES ON LANGUAGE LEARNING

COGNITIVE INFLUENCES ON LANGUAGE LEARNING

1. Intelligence or the "G" factor. For general learners.

   • GARDNER (1985) Types of intelligence: -Logico-mathematico. -Linguistic. -Spatial. -Musical. -Bodily-kinesthetic. -Interpersonal. -Intrapersonal. -Naturalistic. -Spiritual.
   • Intelligence influence the acquisition of some skills used in the formal study of L2, but does not influence the acquisition of oral fluency skills
   • Intelligence as a strong factor only in a classroom with formal instruction.

2. Language Aptitude

   • The "natural ability" wihch we have to learn language it is believed to be in part related to general intelligence.
     • HENMON and SYMONDS design aptitud test; these test showed serious deficiencies; they reveal that do not exist a correlation between language aptitud and the learner´s language proficiency.
     • COMPONENTS OF LANGUAGE APTITUDE (CARROLL AND SAPON)
       • -Phonemic os Phonetic coding ability. -Grammatical Sensitivity. -Introductive language learning ability. -Rote learning ability.
         • REFERENCES IEXPRO UNIVERSITY. (n.d.). Individual Factors in the Learner´s Development. Anthology.
           • ASERET SORIA PARAMO FECHA DE ENTREGA: 08/11/2020
     • ELLIS (1985) and KRASHEN (1981); The ability to communicate meanings should be included in any aptitud test as it is an important component of SLA.
       • KRASHEN: The aptitude factor related only to acquisition; it was not connected with formal instruction.
       • SKEHAN: The aptitude was relevant to both naturalistic learning nd to formal teaching situations.
   • BRISTOL LANGUAGE PROJECT (WELLS 1981, 198) Study conducted when children started the study of a foreign language at secondary school.
     • Aptitude was related to L1 learning ability rather than to foreign language achievement, aptitude scores seemed to be predictable from: social class, vocabulary development, parental education and an innate language learning ability.
   • CONCLUSION: -Aptitude is an important factor in SLA, but we need a clear and more concrete definition. -Aptitude tests should be devised with the purpose of measuring not only grammatical, memory and analytical language abilities. -It may be possible to develop aptitude by means of adequate instruction. -If learners are specially gifted for learning of English, their learning will progress more rapidly. -Aptitud is connected with other variables: age, intelligence, motivation, etc.

3. Cognitive Style

   • The manner in which the learner perceivers, monitors, conceptualises and recalls linguistic information.
   • Created by BROWN(1973) as a combination of affect and cognition; following specific variables as characteristic of it:
     • -Refective-Impulsive thinking. -Broad-Narrow categorizing. -Skeletonizing-embroidering. -Belief Congruence-contradiction. -Interference-Prone.
   • CS, focus in particular on the duality field dependence/independence. Witkin designed a test known as the Group Embedded Test (GET); with the purpose of measuring the field dimension.
     • FIELD INDEPENDENCE: 1.-Impersonal orientation. 2.-Analytic. 3.-Independent. 4.-Not So Socially aware.
     • FIELD DEPENDENCE: 1.-Personal Orientation. 2.-Holistic. 3.-Dependent. 4.-Socially Sensitive.
   • REID (1987) and WILLING (1987) Distinguish other types or modalities of learning styles.
     • REID: -Visual Learning. -Auditory Learning.. -Kinaesthetic Learning. -Tactile Learning.
     • WILLING: -Concrete Learning Style.. -Analytic Learning Style. -Communicative Learning Style. -Authority-orientated Learning Style.

4. Learning Strategies

   • OXFORD and CROOKALL: Steps taken by the learner to aid the acquisition, storage and retrieval of information. (1989:404)
   • ELLIS: LS, are the particular approaches or techniques that learnerners
   • Characteristics or features of languages learning strategies
     • Language Learning Strategies.... contribute to the main goal; allows learners to become more self-directed and autonomous; expand the role of teachers; are problem-oriented; are specific actions taken by learner; support learning, directly and indirectly; can be taught; are flexible; are influenced y a variety of factors: age, sex, motivation level, etc.
   • O´MALLEY(1985a), ELLIS (1985), WENDEN and RUBIN (1987), WILLING (1988), OXFORD and CROOKALL (1989); Established the classification of language learning strategies.
     • -Cognitive Strategies. -Memory Strategies. -Compensation Strategies. -Metacognitive Strategies. -Social Strategies. -Affective Strategies. -Communication Strategies.