LEARNING AND TRAINING

How do human beings learn? Are there certain basic principles of learning that apply to all learning acts? Is one theory of learning "better" than another? If so, how can you evaluate the usefulness of a theory? These and other important questions need to be answered in order to achieve an integrated understanding of second language acquisition. Before tackling theories of human learning directly consider the following situation as an illustration of sorting out cognitive considerations in any task in which you are trying to determine what it means to conclude that an organism has learned something. Suppose you have decided to train your somewhat untalented pet dog to catch Frisbee in midair at a distance of, say, 30 yards or so. What would you need to know about your dog and how would you go about the training program? Consider the following four steps:

◦Specify entry behavior

◦Formulate the goals

◦Devise methods of training

◦Evaluation procedure

Human beings learning a second language

•Having a comprehensive knowledge of entry behavior of a person. (what the students already know? Their motivation, limitations?)

•Knowing the objective (goals) that you wish to reach (outcome of the lesson, learning objectives)

•Deduce a possible methods of learning

•Conducting an evaluation procedure (test, quizzes, exams)