Teaching Arabic Through the Vygotskian Sociocultural Theory of Mind (PowerPoint)

Teaching Arabic Through the Vygotskian

Sociocultural Theory of MindDr. Nasr Abdrabo, Ed.DFirst Academic Exchange

3 April, 2014

I. The Differences between L1 & L2

1. Genetic System: * L1 is genetically triggered. * L2 is not genetically triggered.

2. Language Engine (Syntactic System): * L1 learners acquire language unconsciously. * L2 learners acquire language consciously.

3. Language Acquisition: * L1 learners acquire language and other-life-skills as part of their cognitive development. * L2 learners do not acquire language as an essential life-skill. 4. Language Resistance: * L1 learners (as children) never resist language acquisition. * L2 learners resist language acquisition whether consciously or unconsciously.

II. Information Processing

1 .Acquiring 2. Retaining

3. Using

External environme

nt

1. Acquiring

SensoryRegiste

rsShort-term memory

Long- term

memory

Long-term

memory

2. Retaining

Pre-listeni

ngPre-

readingBrain stormin

g

Retrieval

Stimuli

ResponseGenerato

rAnswering

Remembering

3. Using

Non-seanticsemantic encoding

Information Processing

Recognizable

Patterns

Working memoryWorking memory

III. Semantic vs. Non-semantic Encoding

1. Semantic Encoding takes place in the Left Inferior Prefrontal Cortex (Brodmann’s areas 44, 45, 47) in the human brain.

1 .Differentiating among conflicting thoughts ,

2 .Determining good and bad, better and best, as well as same and different,

3 .Predicting future consequences of current activities,

6 .Suppressing urges which, if not suppressed, could lead to socially unacceptable outcomes .

4 .Working toward a defined goal,

LIPCWhy LIPC ?

5. Making expectations based on actions, and

2. Two fMRI examinations.

44, 45 , 47

1. LIPC (Brodmann’s areas 44, 45, and 47) showed increased activation during semantic encoding relative to non-semantic encoding.

Findings of 2 fMRIs Examinations

2. The words taught semantically are easy to remember than words taught non-semantically3. LIPC has been found responsible for selecting among competing sources of information to guide response.

IV. Semantic Encoding Application During Teaching Arabic

Teaching vs. Translation

Non-semantic

Three terrorists were arrested.

. ي�ن� ي� ب ره ا ة� إ� �ث لا � ض� ع لى ث �ب م إل ق� � ت

Semantic

م � verbal noun = passive voice in present +تperfect

Three terrorists have been arrested.

ي�ن� ي� ب ره ا ة� إ� �ث لا � ض� ع لى ث �ب م إل ق� � .ت

Non-semantic

My brother came late. ر �رًإ.ح ض � خ ا, ى� م ي� �خ إ,My brother attended important meeting.

ر �ت�ماع ًا ه ام ًا.ح ض � ج ى� إ� �خ إ,

Semantic

ر �intransitive verb = to come + ح ض ر �رًإ.ح ض � خ ا, ى� م ي� �خ إ,ر �transitive verb = to attend + ح ض ر �ت�ماع ًا ه ام ًا.ح ض � ج ى� إ� �خ إ,

Non-semantic

We moved early towards the city. كرًإ �ا م ي �حرك ي � حوت � .ت ة� �ن ب=� إل مدAround 10 competitors entered the contest.

ة� ق� � ل إل مساب � حودخ � .ت ن� ي� ق� � ساب رة� م ت� ع ش�The teacher explained the lesson in an unfamiliar way/style.

اد� إل درس ع لى س ي� رح إلا, حوش� � .ت �ل وف ر م ا, ي� � غ

Semantic

حو � noun = towards + ت كرًإ �ا م ي �حرك ي � حوت � ة� ت �ن ب=� .إل مدحو � number = around/almost +ت ة� ق� � ل إل مساب � حودخ � رة� ت .ع ش� ن� ي� ق� � ساب م ت�

حو � adjective = way/style/approach + ت اد� إل درس ع لى س ي� رح إلا, حوش� � ل وف� ت ر م ا, ي� �.غ

V. Sociocultural Theory of Mind (SCT)Liv Vygotsky (1896-1934)

The learner’s complex forms of thinking have their origins in the learner’s social interactions [through mediation] rather than in the learner’s private explorations .

1. Mediation: Higher-level cultural tools such as: language, literacy,

numeracy, categorization, rationality, and logic.

2. Internalization: A negotiated process that recognizes the relationship of the individual to his social environment, and generally carries this relationship into future performance.

3. Imitation: Imitation involves goal-directed cognitive activity that can result in transformation of the original model.

4. Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) The distance between what the learner can perform independently in problem solving, and what he cannot perform without external instructional assistance (Scaffolding) provided by the instructor or more capable peers.

VI. Teaching In The Learners’ ZPDs Why Teaching Students within their

ZPDs?1. Stimulates students thinking and motivates their efforts to learn.2. Provides students with meaningful interaction and feedback.3. Helps teachers understand their students as individual learners, learners in small group settings, and learners in larger social settings. 4. Enables teachers to establish healthy learning environment where the students are valued as individuals, a collaborative group, and a whole class. 5. Helps administrators to emphasize better teacher-student relationships.

6. Enables administrators to work with more motivated teachers and students.

Locating students’ ZPDs: A. Locating the individual learner’s ZPD Formally & Informally: 1. Teachers conduct formal assessment during one-on-one session by giving the student instructionally valuable information about his independent thinking. 2. Teachers conduct informal assessment by addressing a few simple questions to the student at the end of the lesson.

B. Locating learners’ ZPDs in small group:

Teachers present appropriate content to group level, and then share the group in solving the learning problem and communicating ideas.

C. Locating learners’ ZPDs in whole class in 3 steps:

1. Teachers provide students with a topic with models that meet the learning objective expectations.

2. Teachers assign students to work individually first, and then to share their work and thinking processes with partners.

3. Teachers conclude the topic with the whole class by sharing thoughts and reflections.

Teaching Techniques in the Students’ ZPD

1. Know what they want their students to understand by the end of the lesson.2. Know the skills and knowledge that their students should have in order to reach their level of understanding. 3. Ensure that the tasks and activities they created help them see what the students understand and what they still need to work on. 4. Observe, assess and listen to their students to understand what thought processes the students used to reach the answers. 5. Adjust their teaching approach based on what the students have already grasped and what they still need to work on.6. Provide feedback to students using students’ strengths to build on their weaknesses.

What Should Teachers Do?

3. Teaching students within their ZPDs benefits students, teachers, and administrators.

1. Teaching Arabic as a second language to non-natives is absolutely different from teaching it as a first language to natives .

2. Semantic Encoding is an inevitable technique that should be considered when teaching Arabic to non-natives.

4. Students’ ZPDs need to be located on three levels: 1) The individual student level, 2) Small group level, and 3) The whole class level.5. Teachers are encouraged to apply specific teaching techniques within students’ ZPDs.

Questions ?

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