Theories of Learning

• Learning is the process that leads to relatively permanent behavioral change or potential behavioral change.

Theories of Learning

• There are three main theories of learning:
  • Behaviorism: Learning as response strengthening.
  • Information processing: Learning as knowledge acquisition.
  • Constructivism: Learning as knowledge construction.

Behaviorism: Strengthening Stimulus-Response Connections

• Behaviorism views learning as the strengthening of stimulus-response connections.

Massed vs. Spaced Learning

• Spaced learning involves practicing an activity at regular intervals over a long period of time.
• Massed practice involves practicing an activity numerous times with practically no breaks; cramming is an example.
• Spaced learning repeats condensed content three times with two 10-minute breaks that include distractor activities.

Whole Method of Learning

• The whole method involves repeatedly practicing the entire skill until perfected, and is best for relatively simple skills.

Recitation

• Recitation is saying something memorized or formally reading verses before an audience.
• Reading involves sounding out and blending sounds to decode new words. A child reciting known words might skip or replace unknown words.

Serial Recall

• Serial recall requires participants to recall list items in the order they were presented, storing information about both the items and their sequence.
• Free recall allows items to be recalled in any order, unlike serial recall.

Knowledge of Results

• Knowledge of results is feedback about the correctness of responses, success in mastering material, or progress in therapy.
• It helps subjects change behavior or gain understanding.
• Providing knowledge of results enhances performance efficiency and slows performance decline over time in vigilance tasks.

Association Techniques

• Association techniques enhance memory retention and recall by linking new information to existing knowledge.

Understanding Association Techniques

• Association techniques are cognitive strategies that improve memory by linking new information to existing knowledge.
• The brain organizes information in related clusters. Techniques like mnemonics and imagery transform data into vivid mental images or structured patterns.
• The method of loci associates information with specific physical locations to enhance memory retrieval, proving useful in educational settings.

Mnemonic Method of Learning

• Mnemonic techniques are learning strategies used to remember unfamiliar words by linking them to familiar words through interactive mental images.

Mnemonic Techniques for Language Learning

• Mnemonic techniques enhance the acquisition and retention of new language vocabulary, phrases, and grammatical structures by linking new language elements to familiar concepts using memory.

Use of Mnemonic Techniques

• Mnemonic techniques structure information to increase the likelihood of retrieval, and can be key to unlocking language proficiency.
• The human brain remembers personal, vivid, or emotionally charged information better than abstract data, like new words in a foreign language.
• Learners can recall and use the language effectively by linking the sound of a new word to a familiar image or storyline.
• Mnemonic devices bridge the gap between passive recognition and active use of language.

Harnessing Visualization and Association

• Creating a mental image that represents the word or phrase you're trying to learn is visualization.
• For example, to remember the Spanish word for cat, 'gato,' one might visualize a cat wearing a hat (similar to 'hat' which sounds like 'gat') and doing a particular action to strengthen the association.
• Visual mnemonics aid in memory retention and make learning more engaging by tapping into creative thinking, making memorization more intuitive and relatable.
• Associations link new words with known words, concepts, or experiences, creating strong mental connections.
• Linking the French word for bread, 'pain,' can be associated with the sensation it might evoke, can form a memorable connection.
• Richer networks of associations provide more pathways for recall, facilitating faster and more consistent retrieval of language concepts.

The Role of Mnemonic in Language Learning Platforms

• Digital platforms can integrate mnemonic-based exercises into conversation simulations, reinforcing visual and associative memories while engaging in realistic dialogues.
• Combining technology and memory techniques transforms language practice into an interactive, multisensory experience.
• Practicing spoken skills in a contextual and memorable way anchors new language abilities more effectively than textbook study.

Intentional Use of Language

• Being intentional with language has the power to transform perceptions of behavior.
• Critical and creative thinking and learning through language occur when students reflect, speculate, create, analyze, and synthesize. Language enables students to develop metacognition.
• The main function of language is communication.
• Language learning strategies are actions consciously deployed by language learners to help them learn or use a language more effectively.

Five Functions of Language

• The Informational Function
• The Expressive Function
• The Directive Function
• The Aesthetic Function
• The Phatic Function.