BIL3343: SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

SEMESTER 2 2023/2024 (A231)

GROUP ASSIGNMENT TWO

NAME OF LECTURER: DR. NOOR ALHUSNA BINTI MADZLAN

PREPARED BY:
GROUP 3

NAME MATRIC NUMBER

SHIRLEY MARIA A/P NOEL FRANCISCO D20231105702

OOI YI JUN D20231105718

MARY HO ZHI LEE D20231105561

TAN JIA ZHEN D20231105617

COURSE GROUP: E
DATE OF SUBMISSION: 24TH JUNE 2024
 TABLE OF CONTENT

NO CONTENT PAGE

1. 1.0) Introduction 1

2. 2.0) Theory Description: A. Cognitivism 2-4

3. 2.1) Theory Description: B: Constructivism 4-5

4. 2.2) Theory Description: C. Behaviorism 5-7

5. 3.0) Potential Problems 8-9

6. 4.0) Conclusion 10

7. 5.0) References 11 - 13

8. 6.0) Appendix 14
1.0 Introduction

Given the complexity of language acquisition, ESL educators must offer learners
dynamic and engaging learning. This approach is particularly essential for learners who may
not initially possess a strong interest in language learning, as it can make the learning process
less daunting and more accessible. As traditional teaching and learning methods such as
lecturing and drilling are no longer practical in the modern classroom, new integration of
pedagogical methods must be implemented, especially in the ESL classroom. Teaching
materials such as images, videos, audio-visual aids, slides, and technologies are among the
most used materials in modern ESL classrooms. According to Michael Moore, there are four
types of digital technologies for teaching and learning, which are technologies for training
delivery, technologies for communication and cooperation, technologies for providing
content, and technologies for assessment and tracking progress (E.O.Geletei, 2024).

Utilising teaching and learning materials in the classroom is beneficial as it supports

the learning of students, promotes differentiation of instruction, increases motivation levels
of learners, promotes pleasurable learning, leads to enrichment in academic goals and
objectives, and facilitates the application of new concepts into personal lives (Kapor, 2020).
Social media and digital teaching and learning platforms have grown more popular in the
educational realm. For instance, Storybird allows its users to share, read, and create digital
stories. Next, there is Flipgrid, which encourages the practice of listening and speaking skills
as it provides a virtual discussion platform, and Quizlet, a study app that allows users to learn
by creating flashcards or tests. Finally, Kahoot, a gamification learning platform, which is
one of the most used digital platforms for ESL teaching and learning (Hayford Addo &
Solange Ojong, 2024). Social media sites like Instagram, Twitter, WhatsApp, TikTok,
Facebook, Snapchat, YouTube, and LinkedIn, include features like photo or video sharing,
networking, and content creation helped learners to be more proficient in English by making
it easier to access variety of language resources (Demir & Gokgoz-Kurt, 2024).

In this report, we will be discussing the usage of a digital application called Genially
in the ESL classroom, its relevance to the teaching and learning process of ESL, the learning
theories incorporated into the activity as well as the possible drawbacks that will be faced.
This in-class activity is designed for Form 1 students at an A2 level.

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2.0 Theory Description

A. Cognitivism

Cognitivism is a theory of learning which gives emphasis that human cognition is a

social endowment for developing intellectually (Malik, 2021). Instead of giving importance
to observable behaviour, it highlights how the mind processes information received and
converts it into knowledge. Cognitivism functions in a similar way as a computer by utilising
the mind as an information processor. Based on this learning theory, learners play an active
role in information processing, which means that in the modern classroom that uses
cognitivism in education, students are encouraged to be actively engaged in the teaching and
learning process instead of being passive recipients of information.

In response to behaviourism, the cognitivism theory finally emerged and began to

gain influence in the 1950s. The cognitivist opposed the theory of behaviourism as they
believed that the behaviourists disregarded the significance of thinking and the concept of the
behaviourists thinking that learning is merely a response to stimuli is not agreeable.
Cognitivism itself is not based on the works of a single theorist. Rather, it is formed due to
the number of contributions by various theorists and the works that they have published, like
Piaget’s theory of individual cognitive development, Vygotsky’s theory of social cognitive
growth or zone of proximal development, Festinger’s cognitive dissonance theory, Spiro’s
cognitive flexibility theory, Sweller’s cognitive load theory, Bruner’s cognitive constructivist
learning theory, and Tolman’s theory of sign learning as a bridge between behaviourism and
cognitive theory (Yilmaz Kaya, 2011). Out of all these researchers, Piaget’s theories had an
immense impact on society. According to Piaget’s work, knowledge is seen as schemata,
which means that learning occurs whenever a learner’s schemata are altered.

Development in the realms of knowledge, memory, cognition, and problem-solving is

central to the theory of cognitivism. Essentially, cognitivism focuses on how learners absorb
new information, solve problems, and ultimately learn. In second language classrooms, this
theory views language acquisition as a conscious and reasoned process, heavily reliant on the
use of learning strategies. These strategies are specialised approaches to acquiring knowledge
that enhances comprehension, learning, and retention.

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 In the ESL classroom, cognitivism is used by ESL teachers to make learning
meaningful and enduring for students. An example of this is through the activities that have
been prepared for the ESL students, which are in the form of honing their receptive skills,
which are listening and reading skills. By undergoing reading and listening activities, this
approach leverages the cognitive theory’s emphasis on memory and thinking, as students
retain information and memorise vocabulary through reading and listening repeatedly. This
also ensures that ESL students can understand the language deeply. By applying cognitivist
principles, such as active learning, schema theory, information processing, and
metacognition, ESL educators can aim to foster a classroom environment that is both
effective and lasting.

In an ESL classroom designed for A2 level students, a reading comprehension

activity based on cognitivism theory can significantly enhance their understanding and
retention of language material. Before the game starts, the teacher must have a brief
discussion regarding the reading texts to activate the student’s prior knowledge and set
specific reading and listening goals. According to schema theory, prior knowledge is a
critical factor in forming a new cognitive schema to gain new knowledge (Bartlett., 1995).
Prior knowledge decreases cognitive load leading to good learning engagement (Myhill and
Brackley, 2004; Mihalca et al., 2011). It is encouraged to read the text repeatedly and take
notes as well. A second reading is beneficial to students. It helps all levels of readers with
fact recall, aids in students’ identification of what’s important in their reading, such as main
ideas and vocabulary (Erickson, 2023).

As for the listening activity, its cognitivism principles are strikingly similar to the
reading activity, where active learning also takes place in the classroom, and discussions also
ensue to activate the students’ prior knowledge. Students are also encouraged to take notes
and repeat the audio so that the information processing is clear. Effective listening is the
process of analysing the sounds, organising them into recognizable patterns, interpreting the
patterns, and understanding the message by inferring the meaning (The Intact One, 2019).
Finally, both activities are tested by using a multiple choice answer, and this tests the ESL
students’ critical thinking skills, as they have to think carefully and come up with an
appropriate inference to answer the question.

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 B. Constructivism

Jean Piaget and John Dewey created theories regarding childhood development and
education, which we now call as Progressive Education, which has led to the evolution of
constructivism. Jean Piaget is considered the father of the constructivist view of learning. As
the psychological roots of constructivism began with the development work of Jean Piaget
(1896-1980), he believed that humans learn through the construction of one logical structure
after another. One such where he proposed the cognitive development theory that describes
the four stages in human development, this theory is related to constructivism because it
emphasises on how children actively construct their understanding of the world through these
4 stages of development. Since children tend to just make sense of whatever they know from
the beginning then slowly start to construct new knowledge. Piaget’s idea where learning is
an active process where individuals construct knowledge through interaction with the
environment is a cornerstone of constructivist theory.

But for the social aspect of constructivist learning it was introduced by Lev Vygotsky
(1896-1934). He held the opinion that a child gradually internalises external and social
activities which includes communication. Vygotsky devised the notion of the zone of
proximal development to reflect on the potential difference between the child’s reasoning
when working independently against when working with a more competent person. His
findings also suggested that learning environments should involve guided interactions so that
children can reflect on their inconsistency and change their conceptions through
communication. Furthermore Vygotsky and Piaget’s theories are often contrasted to each
other in terms of individual cognitive constructivism (Piaget) and social constructivism
(Vygotsky). As both theories speak of different topics but they coincide with the same theory
which is constructivism.

John Dewey’s perspective is a blend of Piaget’s focus on the cognitive aspect of

constructivism with Vygotsky’s focus on social learning. People tend to assume Dewey and
Piaget’s theory will have a lot more in common but instead Dewey’s theory shared broader
concerns with Vygotsky whose work he never read. Both of them emphasised the role of
cultural forms and meanings in perpetuating higher forms of human thought, while Piaget
focused on the role played by logical and mathematical reasoning. Dewey’s emphasis on
inquiry sustaining learning is sparked best by ensuring a synthesis of environment. While

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most teachers at that time insisted on keeping school as a separate thing from the children’s
lives, Dewey himself did not adhere to the pressure of the separation. Dewey’s research
insists that learners need to be able to make a connection between real life experiences with
school activities to make learning possible.

As for the application of this theory onto the game, we have integrated the use of
constructivism into the activity. To put things in a more specific manner, the scaffolding
aspect of constructivism is used. Clues are placed strategically at the bottom of each
question. These clues will appear when students answer the questions incorrectly and they
will direct students to the correct paragraph to find the correct answer. One of the main
benefits of scaffolded instruction is that it provides for a supportive learning environment
(Northern Illinois University, 2012). Students will have an easier and relaxed environment
while answering these questions, as they can refer back and forth from the text and gather
more information to try once again. This teaching style provides the incentive for students to
take a more active role in their own learning. Students share the responsibility of teaching
and learning through scaffolds that require them to move beyond their current skill and
knowledge levels. Through this interaction, students are able to take ownership of the
learning event (Northern Illinois University, 2012). The scaffolding technique is also used in
Activity 1 (Shown in Appendix Diagram 1.1), where students are given a tip to find the
paragraph containing the answer if they answered wrongly. Guided support is necessary to
allow ESL students to correct their mistakes.

C. Behaviorism

Behaviorism focuses on the clearly visible and quantifiable components of learning.

This learning theory suggests that learners need to be actively involved and receive prompt
reward or encouragement in order to reinforce their learning. External stimuli advance the
desired behaviour. Hence, its primary foundation lies in the associations between stimuli and
responses, whereby an appropriate stimulus induces a desired response.

Behaviorism emerged in the 19th century as a response to introspective psychology,

which was heavily dependent on individuals' subjective reports. J.B. Watson and B.F.
Skinner dismissed the introspective techniques as subjective and unmeasurable. These

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psychologists aimed to study events and behaviours that can be observed and measured.
They stated that science ought to consider solely observable indicators. They contributed to
elevating the significance of psychology by demonstrating its potential for precise
measurement and comprehension, rather than relying solely on subjective beliefs. Watson
and Skinner thought that the upbringing and environment of a group of infants would have
the most impact on their behaviour, rather than their genetics or parents. While J.B. Watson
coined the term “behaviourism” in 1913, one of the most renowned experiments in
behaviourism is Ivan Pavlov's dog experiment conducted in the year 1887. A cluster of
canines would listen for a bell and then receive food. After some time, upon hearing the bell,
the dogs would start drooling in anticipation of the food, even before it was in sight. This is
precisely the argument of behaviourism, stating that our actions are driven by the things we
experience and our surroundings. Understanding behaviourism is largely dependent on
grasping the sequence of stimulus-response. An example of a stimulus is when a bell rings,
leading to a dog salivating or receiving a pellet of food as a response. According to
behavioural learning theory, intricate behaviours can be broken down into stimulus-response
components. For many years, behaviourism dominated psychological thought. Although it is
no longer frequently cited and implemented, behaviourism is still a prominent theory that
forms the basis of a large portion of psychological theory.

Behaviourism in education, also known as behavioural learning theory, is a part of

psychology that examines how individuals learn by interacting with their surroundings. It is
founded on the principle that all behaviours are learned through a process of reinforcement
and punishment known as conditioning. The behaviourism learning theory assumes that the
children themselves have no innate ability to learn the language whatsoever and they only
rely on operant conditioning to start forming and improving their understanding and the use
of it. This theory also believes that children are born ‘tabula rasa’ as a “blank state”. The
major principle of behaviourist theory rests on the analyses of human behaviour in
observable stimulus-response interactions and the association between them. The
behaviourism theory in the context of second language acquisition is that the learners are
learning through the lens of conditioning. The belief of behaviourism is that learning only
occurs when there are changes spotted in behaviour and observable as evidence of change.

The application of behaviourism towards the game that was created for ESL students
at an A2 learning level is that, this foundational learning theory emphasises observable

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behaviours and stimulus-response conditioning. Positive and negative reinforcement can be
motivators for students (Western Governors University, 2020). The stimulus-response theory,
proposed by Edward Thorndike in 1905, suggests that behaviour is influenced by the
consequences of one's actions. It posits that individuals learn through trial and error, with
behaviours leading to positive outcomes being reinforced and those leading to negative
outcomes being diminished (Jiyani, 2023). In both reading and listening exercises,
behaviourism is advocated by using reinforcement strategies such as positive feedback to
reinforce correct answers that had been answered. The students will receive praise in the
form of motivational words, such as “Excellent work!”, or “Well done, keep going!” which
will encourage them to associate correct responses with positive outcomes. Incorrect
responses trigger gentle corrective feedback, such as “Not quite, try again!”, or “ Don’t give
up!”, which guides students towards the correct answer and further practice to correct
misunderstandings.

Another example of positive reinforcement is the usage of colours in the responses.

For positive reinforcement, the response can be seen using green coloured text to indicate
that the student has chosen the correct answer, as the green colour symbolises ‘success’. This
motivates the student to continue answering the questions. However, a red coloured response
is used as a ‘punishment’, to indicate that a wrong choice was made. Naturally, the students
will be given a chance to redo the question and search for the answer again. This improves
the student's persistence and perseverance to find the right answer. There is also music in the
four exercises that signifies a correct answer. For example, there is a lovely melody that rings
pleasantly at the click of the correct answer, while conversely, a foul-sounding tune is played
if the student clicks on the wrong answer. Incorrect responses prompt the students to redirect
themselves towards the text or audio, and further practice by re-reading or re-listening, to
correct their mistakes. Through this formation of habit by constant repetition, learning takes
place in the ESL classroom.

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3.0 Potential Problems

Moving on, let us turn our perspectives to the potential problems faced in conducting
our activity, An English Nautical Escape. We may face four problems: user challenges,
technical issues, accessibility issues, and the inability to know students’ progress as Genially
does not provide a free leaderboard.

Let us begin the discussion with the first potential problem, user challenges. In
21st-century education, integrating technological elements into day-to-day teaching is highly
encouraged. This is due to technology being able to enhance students’ learning experience
(Drexel University School of Education, 2020). However, students may face challenges as
users when navigating Genially as they may find the app confusing or difficult to use. This is
because it may be the first time using the platform. To solve this issue, a step-by-step guide
on how to use Genially must be provided by the teacher before the commencement of the
activity. Not only that, the activity design also contains user-friendly features such as clear
instructions and intuitive navigation. Clear instructions are essential to make our activity
user-friendly as they convey the objectives and the process of the activity in a
comprehensible manner. Intuitive navigation is equally significant. According to an article by
Abmatic AI (2023), “It's the roadmap that guides visitors to the information they are looking
for and helps them understand the structure of the site.”. In essence, it allows students to find
what they are looking for easily, quickly, and efficiently. For example, through the intuitive
navigation of our activity, students can submit their quiz answers easily, return to the home
page, or return to the previous question. Plus, it paves a fun, convenient, and seamless
journey for users to participate in the activity. The teacher will also be on alert to assist
students in navigating Genially during the activity.

Next, technical issues can be a potential problem that may be faced in conducting this
activity. Technical difficulties such as device malfunctions and poor internet connection may
hinder the smooth execution of the activity. This is due to the activity being fully
technology-reliant. Thus, teachers from schools in rural areas may face a tough challenge
conducting this activity as the internet connectivity there is not as stable as compared to
schools in urban areas. To solve this problem, a hard copy of the reading text and practice
questions in the activity should be prepared beforehand as an alternative backup plan. As for
the listening audio tracks, the teacher can read aloud the audio transcripts in class. Not only

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that, an IT support plan should be planned. The plan includes a list of common
troubleshooting steps and the contact information of the school’s IT support team. On the
other hand, for issues such as device malfunctions, to solve this issue, the teacher should ask
students to test their devices beforehand for any malfunctions before the commencement of
the activity to ensure the smooth flow of the classroom activity. Additionally, the teacher
should book the computer lab beforehand to ensure that students who face device
malfunctions can use the school’s computer to join the activity without being left out.

The third potential problem which we will discuss is accessibility issues. Learning
can be a challenging process for students with learning difficulties. According to a news
article from The Star, the Education Minister says that more than 400,000 school students in
the year 2023 face learning difficulties. This poses a potential problem that may be faced in
conducting our activity, ‘An English Nautical Escape’ as some students with learning
difficulties may be left behind as they cannot keep up with the classroom activity. To solve
this issue, teachers should provide constant assistance for students from time to time
throughout the activity. Another solution would be to provide students with a more prolonged
time to answer the questions. This will ensure that all students can participate in the activity
with accessibility, inclusivity, and seamlessness taken into account.

Moving on, Genially does not provide a free leaderboard nor does it allow teachers to
see students’ progress once they have finished the activity. That is because a paid
subscription to Genially’s premium account is required. This poses a potential problem as it
hinders our progress in achieving the goal of integrating behaviourism into our activity. A
leaderboard is a form of positive conditioning where students are provided with a sense of
achievement after completing their activity. This encourages them to perform better in the
upcoming activities and lessons. In order to solve this problem, the teachers can keep track of
students’ progress manually by observing them closely and asking them which questions
were difficult to answer from time to time throughout the activity.

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4.0 Conclusion

In conclusion, there is plenty to reflect on from this assignment. The reading and
listening activities conducted on the Learning Management System (LMS) application,
Genially, were designed to engage students through a blend of interactive and auditory
learning. These activities focus on their receptive skills, as they receive input through the
form of reading and listening to information. The implementation of cognitivism is evident,
as students actively process and organise information, enhancing their comprehension of the
activity and retention of details through structured tasks. Behaviorism plays a role through
immediate feedback and reinforcement, guiding students through correct responses and
reinforcing learning through repetition and correction. Together, these educational theories
foster a comprehensive learning environment that not only improves one's language skills but
also encourages active participation and dynamic improvement.

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6.0 Appendix

A. Link to Quiz:
https://view.genially.com/667022a2ec6bba0014c89766/interactive-content-sla-assignment

Diagram 1.0: Positive reinforcement and green coloured text to symbolise success.

Diagram 1.1: Negative reinforcement and red coloured text to symbolise punishment. A clue
is also given to the students to direct them to the correct paragraph (scaffolding).

Diagram 1.2: Repetition is encouraged.

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