What is Learning
Content
LEARNING: AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE THAT MUST BE MOVED BETWEEN THEORY
AND PRACTICE.
Over the years, the learning process has been discussed by a great number of
pedagogues who have tried to define it. Therefore, different points of view have been taken
into account to put it into practice inside the classroom. Learning has been defined in some
dictionaries as a process that implies gaining knowledge, skills, and memorizing. Although
learning works underneath the previous steps, it has been complemented by some authors
as Atkinson et al. (1993) who stated learning as “a relatively permanent change in behavior
that results from practice". It means, learning implies more than cognitive skills that are
revealed in the human brain and behavior as a result of practice.
Regarding learning, it is going to take place in the language context. There are a good
reasons and contexts for learning a language. For example, a language can be learned
because it is on the curriculum at primary or secondary level, but for others, it reflects a
kind of choice. Many people learn a language apart from academic purposes such as:
moving to another country in which their native language is not spoken, business, getting to
know a different culture, traveling abroad and so forth. In my case, I started learning
English because it was on the curriculum at elementary and high school, then, I continued
learning it in the university because I wanted to improve my knowledge and work in the
teaching area.
On the other hand, there are different contexts and class arrangements in which
English is learnt. For start, there has been a distinction between EFL (English as a Foreign
Language), ESL (English as a second Language), and ESOL (English for Speakers of
Other Languages). EFL students use English when they travel abroad or for
communicating with other people from whatever country in which English is spoken
because it is not spoken in their native country, while ESL students are usually living in the
target language community and use it inside their context. Meanwhile, ESOL students can
be addressed to both situations. It means, they are students who learn English inside a
country that can or cannot use English inside their context, but at the same time, they are
students who come from different countries. In our Colombia context, bearing in mind
Krachru’s model (1986) we are EFL students who are learning EFL and are located in the
expanding circle, but thanks to globalization we are becoming part of the outer circle.
Nowadays, it is evident with the PNB (Plan Nacional de Bilingüismo) that is going to be
implemented by the government.
Bearing in mind the class arrangements, there are certain environments such as:
schools and language schools that can be public which sometimes do not have enough
economic resources for acquiring materials or private which are better equipped. Large
classes and one-to-one teaching where students have private sessions. In-school and incompany where students are assisted and they have the opportunity to choose what they
want to learn. Real and virtual learning where students have online tutors, besides they
attend when they want, as well as, they are from any part in the world, but chat forums
have to be scheduled. I have experienced the EFL learning process in school, language
school, and virtual learning. When I become a teacher, I would like to take advantage of
technology and implement virtual learning as a resource that encourage students in their
English learning process.
According to language learning, there is a question which emerges at this point “How
languages are learned? First, I am going to discuss what learning and acquisition imply.
Learning is a systematic and conscious process. It means, we know that we are gaining
knowledge about something. This case is evident when instructions are given and we
attend to a formal institution, while acquisition is a natural process that is given in the L1
environment, we do not have any idea about what we are learning but we learn. Since my
experience, I could say that I am still learning EFL, by other side, I acquired my L1 since I
was a child by a process who Chomsky (1959) called innatism. It means, we acquire our
L1 by imitating and repetition as babies do.
In the learning process, it is imperative to provide students with a meaningful and
contextualized input. Krashen (1985) points out that language is acquired when learners
receive input from messages from which they can infer meaning. The intake cannot be
measured because it is a psychological process, but it can be proved or observed through
answers. Finally, the output is the result of the comprehension of the input. It is the product
that students give in their learning process. That is why, teachers have to be aware of their
pedagogical practice and appropriate of their context to in order to make learning process
meaningful. When I was at school, My English language teacher used to give us texts for
translating, grammar structures, and some dialogues in which I tried to put into practice
what I have learnt, but it was not enough due to the fact that sometimes it turned out boring
owing to the class entered in a cycle where I did the same. As a future teacher, I consider
that students must be furnished with real and contextualized input with the purpose to
make knowledge accessible and comprehensible for each one of them. Besides, in my
practices I have beheld that students are more motivated to learn when they are equipped
with examples of their own context.
With regard to learning, there have emerged lots of theories that have tried to prove
how learning is given. For a start, there is behaviorism as Watson (1928) explained which
sees students as empty boxes who need be filled up and works under stimulus-response
steps. Cognitivism as Piaget (1936) stated learning is seen as a mental/ neurological
process. Constructivism’s ideas as Piaget (1070/1972) defined, were based on learning as
an active and contextualized process of constructing knowledge rather than acquiring.
Social-cultural as Vygotsky (1978) stated that humans learn best in group activities taking
into consideration their social context. I have experienced some of the previous theories
as an EFL learner. I could say that when I was at school the most influenced were
cognitivism and constructivism. I did not experienced social-cultural because at school and
home taught me to be individual and did not allow me to work in group. Currently, students
prefer working underneath social-cultural theory owing to knowledge is built among
themselves, as well as, they are involved with the new technologies that are taking more
power in the educational context. In that sense, students share, learn and build their
concepts in a meaningful way.
With reference to learning, teachers must bear in mind that learners are not equal. It
means, they have differences regarding age, level, abilities, knowledge, preferences such
as: learning styles, learning preferences, learning strategies, as well as, affective factors,
aptitude, motivation for learning, and so on. I have experienced all these learner’s
differences since primary school. First, I want to say that nobody has the same age when
leaning EFL, thus, their level proficiency can differ from one to another because they have
not been studying English during the same time, moreover, they do not learn in the same
way.
Regarding Gardner’s work (1983) about multiple intelligences, he pointed out that
everybody has different abilities to learn. In my practices, I have beheld that in some cases
teachers do not recognize when their students have different capacities for learning and
they do not exploit their students’ potential doing that students lose their talent. In addition,
students have different learning styles such as: visual, auditory, verbal, physical, logical,
social and solitary. I have observed that some teachers do not take care of diversity in their
classrooms. Teachers should take advantage of diversity in learning styles, as well,
learning strategies, and multiple intelligences in order to make the environment more
suitable and motivate their students in a dynamic way to avoid fall down in the traditional
system; for that reason, some students believe English class no much important where the
atmosphere is boring owing to their teachers do not implement didactic materials that
explore their preferences.
In brief, learning is a word that involve a huge variety of terms and factors that teachers
must bear in mind in their practices. Learners are not only individuals that have to gain
knowledge. They are human beings who are aware of their own learning and need a
mentor who guide that process. Unfortunately, some teachers assume that if they are
teaching their students are learning, but in most of the cases it does not happen. It means,
teachers should explore all possibilities to make knowledge comprehensible to each one of
their students. Learning not only involves memorizing, repeating or a change in the
behavior, it is a conscious process that needs teachers get involved in research in order to
improve theory through practice. Finally, theories of learning have emerged and changed
students and teachers’ role, but also, the way how learning is approached. It is in our
hands how where and when we apply each one of them, taking into consideration that any
student is equal to another.
REFERENCES.
Atkinson, R.L., Atkinson, R.C., Smith, E.E., and Bem, D. J. (1993). Introduction to
Psychology. (11th ed.). Fort Worth, TX, U.S.A: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.
Chomsky, N. (1959). A review of B.F Skinner's Verbal behavior. In readings in the
Psychology of Language. Prentice Hall.
Gardner, H. (1983). Frames of Mind. New York: Basic Book Inc.
Kachru, B. B. (1986). The alchemy of English: The spread, functions and models of nonnative Englishes. Oxford: Pergamon Press..
Krashen, S.D. (1985). The Input Hypothesis: Issues and Implications. New York: Longman
Piaget, J. (1936). Origins of intelligence in the child. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul.
Piaget, J. (170/1972). The Principles of Genetic Epistemology. London: Routledge & Kegan
Paul.
Vygotsky, L., S. (1978). Mind in society: the development of higher psychological
processes. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press
Watson, J. (1928). The ways of behaviorism. New York, NY: Harper and Brothers Pub.
AND PRACTICE.
Over the years, the learning process has been discussed by a great number of
pedagogues who have tried to define it. Therefore, different points of view have been taken
into account to put it into practice inside the classroom. Learning has been defined in some
dictionaries as a process that implies gaining knowledge, skills, and memorizing. Although
learning works underneath the previous steps, it has been complemented by some authors
as Atkinson et al. (1993) who stated learning as “a relatively permanent change in behavior
that results from practice". It means, learning implies more than cognitive skills that are
revealed in the human brain and behavior as a result of practice.
Regarding learning, it is going to take place in the language context. There are a good
reasons and contexts for learning a language. For example, a language can be learned
because it is on the curriculum at primary or secondary level, but for others, it reflects a
kind of choice. Many people learn a language apart from academic purposes such as:
moving to another country in which their native language is not spoken, business, getting to
know a different culture, traveling abroad and so forth. In my case, I started learning
English because it was on the curriculum at elementary and high school, then, I continued
learning it in the university because I wanted to improve my knowledge and work in the
teaching area.
On the other hand, there are different contexts and class arrangements in which
English is learnt. For start, there has been a distinction between EFL (English as a Foreign
Language), ESL (English as a second Language), and ESOL (English for Speakers of
Other Languages). EFL students use English when they travel abroad or for
communicating with other people from whatever country in which English is spoken
because it is not spoken in their native country, while ESL students are usually living in the
target language community and use it inside their context. Meanwhile, ESOL students can
be addressed to both situations. It means, they are students who learn English inside a
country that can or cannot use English inside their context, but at the same time, they are
students who come from different countries. In our Colombia context, bearing in mind
Krachru’s model (1986) we are EFL students who are learning EFL and are located in the
expanding circle, but thanks to globalization we are becoming part of the outer circle.
Nowadays, it is evident with the PNB (Plan Nacional de Bilingüismo) that is going to be
implemented by the government.
Bearing in mind the class arrangements, there are certain environments such as:
schools and language schools that can be public which sometimes do not have enough
economic resources for acquiring materials or private which are better equipped. Large
classes and one-to-one teaching where students have private sessions. In-school and incompany where students are assisted and they have the opportunity to choose what they
want to learn. Real and virtual learning where students have online tutors, besides they
attend when they want, as well as, they are from any part in the world, but chat forums
have to be scheduled. I have experienced the EFL learning process in school, language
school, and virtual learning. When I become a teacher, I would like to take advantage of
technology and implement virtual learning as a resource that encourage students in their
English learning process.
According to language learning, there is a question which emerges at this point “How
languages are learned? First, I am going to discuss what learning and acquisition imply.
Learning is a systematic and conscious process. It means, we know that we are gaining
knowledge about something. This case is evident when instructions are given and we
attend to a formal institution, while acquisition is a natural process that is given in the L1
environment, we do not have any idea about what we are learning but we learn. Since my
experience, I could say that I am still learning EFL, by other side, I acquired my L1 since I
was a child by a process who Chomsky (1959) called innatism. It means, we acquire our
L1 by imitating and repetition as babies do.
In the learning process, it is imperative to provide students with a meaningful and
contextualized input. Krashen (1985) points out that language is acquired when learners
receive input from messages from which they can infer meaning. The intake cannot be
measured because it is a psychological process, but it can be proved or observed through
answers. Finally, the output is the result of the comprehension of the input. It is the product
that students give in their learning process. That is why, teachers have to be aware of their
pedagogical practice and appropriate of their context to in order to make learning process
meaningful. When I was at school, My English language teacher used to give us texts for
translating, grammar structures, and some dialogues in which I tried to put into practice
what I have learnt, but it was not enough due to the fact that sometimes it turned out boring
owing to the class entered in a cycle where I did the same. As a future teacher, I consider
that students must be furnished with real and contextualized input with the purpose to
make knowledge accessible and comprehensible for each one of them. Besides, in my
practices I have beheld that students are more motivated to learn when they are equipped
with examples of their own context.
With regard to learning, there have emerged lots of theories that have tried to prove
how learning is given. For a start, there is behaviorism as Watson (1928) explained which
sees students as empty boxes who need be filled up and works under stimulus-response
steps. Cognitivism as Piaget (1936) stated learning is seen as a mental/ neurological
process. Constructivism’s ideas as Piaget (1070/1972) defined, were based on learning as
an active and contextualized process of constructing knowledge rather than acquiring.
Social-cultural as Vygotsky (1978) stated that humans learn best in group activities taking
into consideration their social context. I have experienced some of the previous theories
as an EFL learner. I could say that when I was at school the most influenced were
cognitivism and constructivism. I did not experienced social-cultural because at school and
home taught me to be individual and did not allow me to work in group. Currently, students
prefer working underneath social-cultural theory owing to knowledge is built among
themselves, as well as, they are involved with the new technologies that are taking more
power in the educational context. In that sense, students share, learn and build their
concepts in a meaningful way.
With reference to learning, teachers must bear in mind that learners are not equal. It
means, they have differences regarding age, level, abilities, knowledge, preferences such
as: learning styles, learning preferences, learning strategies, as well as, affective factors,
aptitude, motivation for learning, and so on. I have experienced all these learner’s
differences since primary school. First, I want to say that nobody has the same age when
leaning EFL, thus, their level proficiency can differ from one to another because they have
not been studying English during the same time, moreover, they do not learn in the same
way.
Regarding Gardner’s work (1983) about multiple intelligences, he pointed out that
everybody has different abilities to learn. In my practices, I have beheld that in some cases
teachers do not recognize when their students have different capacities for learning and
they do not exploit their students’ potential doing that students lose their talent. In addition,
students have different learning styles such as: visual, auditory, verbal, physical, logical,
social and solitary. I have observed that some teachers do not take care of diversity in their
classrooms. Teachers should take advantage of diversity in learning styles, as well,
learning strategies, and multiple intelligences in order to make the environment more
suitable and motivate their students in a dynamic way to avoid fall down in the traditional
system; for that reason, some students believe English class no much important where the
atmosphere is boring owing to their teachers do not implement didactic materials that
explore their preferences.
In brief, learning is a word that involve a huge variety of terms and factors that teachers
must bear in mind in their practices. Learners are not only individuals that have to gain
knowledge. They are human beings who are aware of their own learning and need a
mentor who guide that process. Unfortunately, some teachers assume that if they are
teaching their students are learning, but in most of the cases it does not happen. It means,
teachers should explore all possibilities to make knowledge comprehensible to each one of
their students. Learning not only involves memorizing, repeating or a change in the
behavior, it is a conscious process that needs teachers get involved in research in order to
improve theory through practice. Finally, theories of learning have emerged and changed
students and teachers’ role, but also, the way how learning is approached. It is in our
hands how where and when we apply each one of them, taking into consideration that any
student is equal to another.
REFERENCES.
Atkinson, R.L., Atkinson, R.C., Smith, E.E., and Bem, D. J. (1993). Introduction to
Psychology. (11th ed.). Fort Worth, TX, U.S.A: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.
Chomsky, N. (1959). A review of B.F Skinner's Verbal behavior. In readings in the
Psychology of Language. Prentice Hall.
Gardner, H. (1983). Frames of Mind. New York: Basic Book Inc.
Kachru, B. B. (1986). The alchemy of English: The spread, functions and models of nonnative Englishes. Oxford: Pergamon Press..
Krashen, S.D. (1985). The Input Hypothesis: Issues and Implications. New York: Longman
Piaget, J. (1936). Origins of intelligence in the child. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul.
Piaget, J. (170/1972). The Principles of Genetic Epistemology. London: Routledge & Kegan
Paul.
Vygotsky, L., S. (1978). Mind in society: the development of higher psychological
processes. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press
Watson, J. (1928). The ways of behaviorism. New York, NY: Harper and Brothers Pub.
