Ardythe on Acquisition Theory (repeat post)

3 thoughts on “Ardythe on Acquisition Theory (repeat post)”

1. Jody

   April 8, 2012 at 11:45 am

   I have spent several hours now trying to figure out what cognitive approach is, where it comes from, how it is used/misused in the language acquisition debates, practices, etc. I kind of get what Kate is saying, but once again, as I read, I see a myriad of examples of cognitive approach and grammar instruction, as the basis for acquisition, co-existing quite nicely out there in the real world. When I see the examples of cognitive approach lesson plans for teaching foreign language, it’s the same old same old: “Communicative language teaching”–how to teach grammar, as the basis for language learning, in a way that is a little less boring, a little more contextualized, a little more meaningful and intentional.

   However, the paradigm, that cognitive-based teaching uses, appears to be the same old one that’s been around forever: Consciously, learn all of the pieces and how they fit together, apply those notions to speaking and writing, practice them a lot, and you will learn the language.

   How do Krashen’s hypotheses, which appear to be based on “unconscious” processing (the only intention being to understand the message) mesh with a method that calls for very conscious processes? I understand how the cognitive method differs from behaviorist thought, but don’t see how that put the cognitive method in Krashen territory.

   I remember not understanding this post the first time around and feeling like I should already know about this stuff. Reading it this time reminded me that I’d really like to understand this better. Thanks for any help you can give me. In a state of confusion, Jody

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   1. Ben Slavic

      April 8, 2012 at 2:15 pm

      O.K. I don’t even know what cognitive means. I have asked people and gotten weird answers. I agree with you Jody esp. in the second paragraph above. It’s not cognitive, it’s unconscious. That’s kind of what I read into what Ardythe says. I don’t think anyone knows what that word means. At the end of the discussion, the advice that I want to keep reminding the group about is not at all about semantics, it is here:

      …Krashen’s hypotheses [are] based on “unconscious” processing (the only intention being to understand the message).

      That’s it and it implies a ton for what we do. Sorry for the confusion Jody I hope that clears it up. I can only think that Ardythe meant that, but hopefully she will read this and respond.

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2. Jody

   April 8, 2012 at 11:55 am

   I get how the cognitive approach for inter/adv learners acquiring language in content-based classes works. (Students who already have “bics”–superficial fluency) which will never be any students I teach)

   How does it work with beginning/novice/low intermediate level students?

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