Cognitive Theory (Rational Approach)

            Introduction


Language is a construct human work in every day to express a wide range of emotions, ideas, concepts and actions. There are many major and minor theories of language learning. All the theories are psychological. There are several psychological theories regarding language learning. Some of these theories are-
1. Language Acquisition Device (LAD); 
2. Theory of Acculturation Model;
3. The Behaviourist Theory;
4. The Cognitive Theory. 
Noam Chomsky proposes that there is a theoretical language device somewhere in our brains that is responsible for learning a language. According to him in LAD, every child has the instinctive mental capacity that helps it to acquire second language. For this, Noam Chomsky is universally appreciated. 
Theory of Acculteration Model was introduced by John Schumann. This theory describes the process by which immigrants pick up a new language while being completely immersed in that language.

  Cognitivism of Learning Language


Cognitivism is one of the major psychological theories of language learning which emphasizes human cognition or intelligence as a special endowment enabling man from hypothesis and develop intellectuality, is also known as cognitive development. Cognitive theory mainly stresses on the acquisition of knowledge and growth of mental structure. It tends to focus on conceptualizing the students learning process - how information is received, processed and organised. It promotes to the existing information. 
Cognitive revolution replaced behaviorism in 1960 as the dominant paradigm. When someone calls us, we immediately hear it, then we can give the response from his or her calling from the phenomenon, unconsciously there is a process happens in our brain and thoughts and this process is called cognitive theory or cognitivism. According to the Morgel (1998), "Cognitivism is a process based on the thought behind the behaviour". Being a school of psychology of learning, cognitivists stand for rational approach.
Behaviourists provided two aspects- stimulus and response but cognitivist views that there is something which mediates (function as a link) between stimulus and response this is called cognitive function.

            S  -  Cognitive Function -  R

The learner does not just behave in a mechanical manner on the contrary he uses his mind too which is cognitive map. This cognitive map (mind) enables the learner to analyse and interpret the new experience. That is why the views are called Rationalist approach. A response to behaviourism, people are not programmed animals that merely respond to environmental stimuli; people are rational beings that require active participation to learn and whose actions are consequences of thinking changes in behaviour are observed but as an indication of what is occurring in learner's head.

   Key Principles of Cognitivism


  1. It is based on the productivity of human mind and its function in language learning process.
Our mind is the most productive mind. If somebody want to learn he not only observe the behaviour but also try to understand by thinking using his mind. This theory give more importance to the human mind. When we know the language we are unconscious and if we don't know we became conscious.

  2. It firmly believes that there is a link between stimuli and response which is called cognitive function, is only the result of human mind. 
Behaviourist believes in response and stimulus but cognitivist opposes this theory and added that there is a link and we thought through the mind before giving response. This cognitive function is the result of our thought which is a part of our mind.

  3. This theory advocates (promotes) the learning based on perception and insight information. 
After receiving the information we will process the information and then organise it in a proper way and think on it.

  4. This theory puts the learner at the centre of the learning process.
It is the key principle of this theory. The learner is not given much importance but this theory consider learner as an eminent part so the learner is put at the centre. Only behaviour is not important. The Behaviourist does not put learner in the centre. Cognitivist says that : the human is supposed to be the important phenomenon in learning process and behaviourist neglected it.

  5. The learning is in the nature of problem solving. The new experience constitutes the problem which the learner tries to solve on the basis of previous learning.
As Noam Chomsky said that we have instinctive mental capacity, if we start to learn the second language we know something about it. We have some pre -existing knowledge through this we try to learn another language. We can use pre- existing knowledge he/she can solve the problem.

  6.  It provides the exposure to experience.
 This theory provide exposure to the learner and he saw the experience. If we can compare the stimulus to exposure and response to experience it is quite similar but with a slight difference that behaviourist doesn't give importance to human mind. But this theory give importance to human mind.

  7. This theory supports the view of Chomsky that the language learner learns a complex and abstract set of rules. The learner possesses some kind of mechanism. With the help of some rules the learner can produce innumerable utterances (sentences).
It tries to apply this set of rules. Everybody has the different set of rules in their mind. We have some kind of mechanism in the mind according to that we can use the abstract set of rules. This complex or set of rules we can use the innumerable utterances.

  8. This theory believes that the understanding of the environment is more important than environment. The learner is able to develop its inborn qualities of reasoning. 

   Advantages of Cognitivism


  • Cognitive view takes the learner to be an active processor of information.
  • Cognitive strategies are one type of learning strategies that learners used in order to learn more successfully. This include repeatation, guessing meaning from the context, memorization etc.
  • It is an organised internal competence which can lead the students in their learning process i.e; thinking process,  problem solving, decision making. 
  • It enables the students to think systematically and critically. 
  • It will make their thinking process unique.
  • It has many practical applications. Therefore, this is very useful approach with many contribution to psychology and society as a whole.
  •  The cognitive approach heavily relies on experiments as its main research method. Studies taking the cognitive approach are somewhat scientific and have good internal validity as extraneous variables are controlled.
  • It promote to view that people are rational being so they are actively participated in learning. 


 Disadvantages of Cognitivism


  •  Cognitive approach refers to cognitive processes that we cannot directly observe. It relies heavily of inference. 
  • It ignores other factors towards behaviour that have been shown to affect behaviour.
  • It may be useful for advanced learner but not for beginners.
  • It may fail to provide the scientific reason to provide the function of learning.
  • It is based on control experience.

          Conclusion


Cognitive theory is a language learning psychological theory that attempts to explain human behaviour by understanding the thought process. It is emphasized in the conscious thoughts. Cognitive theory stresses on the important of process that is happening inside the human's mind. Overall, the goal of cognitivism is to enable the students to be active in teaching learning process.

                       


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