Brain-Based Aspects of Cognitive Learning Approaches in Second Language Learning

Abstract

Language learning process is one of the complicated behaviors of human beings which has called many scholars and experts 'attention especially after the middle of last century by the advent of cognitive psychology that later on we see its implication to education. Unlike previous thought of schools, cognitive psychology deals with the way in which the human mind controls learning. Although it was great development on the way of understanding the nature of learning, cognitive psychologists were criticized by other approaches that this caused mush evolution in cognitivism. On the other hand by the rapid growth of technology our understanding of brain has increased, therefore we know its functions and structures even while working. Neuroscience and its implications to educational domain has been increasing time to time, it means neuroscience and education never were so close to each other. Meanwhile, Brain-based researchers can confirm many learning theories that introduced during the educational great efforts of cognitive and non-cognitive approaches. This paper argues in favor of application of those approaches to language classrooms utilizing as guarantee some of the main perception from brain-based learning theories.

Opinions of Egyptian Secondary School Teachers on Effectiveness of Hendy's 4Cs Model in Engaging Learning-Disabled Students

“…Practically, a study by Moghaddam and Araghi [18] tried to demonstrate the connection between new findings of the brain function and cognitive approach to the language learning practices. The findings explained that students would be able to understand according to their own abilities and to interact effectively with teachers.…”

“…Meaningful learning occurs when new experiences are explored and related to what learner already knows. According to Ausubel, meaningful learning may be explained as a process of relating and connecting new material to old ones as a hierarchical fashion [18].…”

Guest editorial

“…For many years it has been accepted that the role of language is significant throughout all thinking and learning processes (Vygotsky, in Kozulin, 1990), communication (Moghaddam and Araghi, 2013), and how society evaluates professionalism (Wilson et al , 2015). But, is this the reality in practice among teachers in schools and higher education institutions?…”

Cognitive Mechanism of Language Transfer: Brain Potential Data Analysis in English Comprehension

“…Although cognitive linguistics takes a specific language as its object, it explores the commonness of languages in order to find out the universal laws of human cognition and languages. Different languages are merely the choice and utilization of common laws under certain cultural constraints (Moghaddam and Araghi, 2013). Cognitive linguistics has found that basic categories and prototypes play an important role in the formation of concepts, metaphor and metonymy are important mechanisms of word meaning evolution and grammaticalization, language similarity and others have a general sense of the hypothesis, which has been tested in many languages.…”