Introduction:
Acquiring English Language skills has been a subject of paramount importance in China from the last quarter-century. These language competencies broadly viewed as nationwide as well as a personal asset (Hu, 2005). The Chinese leadership saw the language abilities has a crucial role to play in the internationalization and development (Adamson and Morris, 1997). Therefore, learning English language skills is compulsory in China, and students invest their years in learning and developing foreign language competencies. The English language carries so much importance in China. However, students are still unable to learn those skills in that manner, and the English language teacher faces many challenges in the classroom.
To find out more about the English language learning obstacles in the classroom, I undertook a research study among senior high school students in English classes to understand the classroom silence and the measures to break it. The purpose of my research was to investigate the present situation of the English class silence problem and to analyze the causes of those phenomena and to propose teaching methodologies suggestions to improve the classroom environment. In doing so, I observed several classes in which I saw some excellent teaching practices which helped the learners enhance their competencies. Though that was not the overall purpose of that study, but I recorded that empirical evidence to use it later. In this paper, those empirical observations are presented. It is essential because it will help us analyze that class as a central unit of analysis, and it will help us understand how different learning strategies teachers use helped learners improve their language competencies (Green and Oxford, 1995). Moreover, the paper will briefly discuss the different learning strategies with their examples and briefly present the case. In the last, the present case study will analyze the data from different learning theories to understand how these theories are helpful in practice for the students.
Different Learning Strategies:
In the educational world throughout the centuries, many educationists and intellectuals contributed to the learning theories. Many great thinkers such as Jean Rousseau, John Dewy, Lev Vygotsky, Abraham Maslow, and many others developed influential work and theories. They all had concerns about the learning process and the social development of the child. In this process, many influential theories came, such as Behaviorism, Constructivism, Cognitivism, Connectivism, Experientialism, design/brain-based, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and humanism, and 21 Century Skills. This paper will highlight four learning strategies with practical examples to understand those learning theories in-depth. Then in the later part, we will analyze the data of this case study from those learning theories perspective to understand how these theories implement in the real classrooms and how they work.
- Operant Condition
The B.F. Skinner proposed this theory. He believed that learning is a function of change in overt behavior. He helped the psychologists to understand how behavior is learned. Changes in behavior are the consequences of a person’s reaction to the event (stimuli) that happened in the environment. A response produces the results, such as hitting a football, characterizing the word, and solving the English comprehension or math issue. At a point, when a specific stimuli response pattern is reinforced (rewarded), the one is conditioned to respond.
Reinforcement is a significant element of his theory. He believed that any action is followed by reinforcement such as appreciation, good grade, an accomplishment that effect is more likely to be repeated. Still, if it is trailed by punishment, it is less likely to be repeated, such as not encouraging the environment, not helping and supporting, etc.
- Maslow Hierarchy of Needs Learning Theory
In educational circles, the Maslow hierarchy of needs learning theory is a prevalent motivation theory. This theory highlights that before an individual can develop their full potentials, they need to satisfy the series of needs. He explained that every person is born with a set of basic needs:
- Psychological demands: It is the utmost needs of learners. These basic needs are food, shelter, and clothes. If these needs are not matched, the learner will not be able to concentrate on learning. So as a teacher, how could we ensure that the learner’s psychological needs are met? We need to ensure the proper classroom settings, cleanliness, adequate lighting, refreshments, and ventilation, etc.
- Safety needs: this is a second essential component of the student’s need. It has a direct impact on students’ achievement. The student must feel safe in the classroom not only physically, in fact, emotionally and mentally as well. The teacher must ensure no other students can bully any student, and they can feel free to ask and discuss anything in the classroom.
- In the third level, the learner needs to feel a sense of belonging and love. This loving and caring attitude has a psychological impact on students. The students feel comfortable in the class with other students; they should feel comfortable and part of a group. It can be achieved by promoting classroom rules and regulations and an inclusive learning environment.
- Once these needs are fulfilled, now students want to move to the next level the need for self-esteem and self-confidence. At this point, the student becomes more receptive to learning and wants to achieve the right level of confidence through achievements. This confidence makes students capable of self-learning. In this level, the teacher can engage students in peer teaching and peer-assessment.
- At the fifth level, the student reached the self-actualization level. It is the most motivating factor. At this point, students actively engage in the learning process and try to develop their fullest potentials. At this level, the student attempts to take the highest grades and helps other students develop the same abilities.
- Constructivism Learning Theory
John Dewy is considered as a philosophical founder of this approach. The central idea of this theory is that human learning is constructed and that learners develop their new knowledge based on previous learning and experiences. The second key element of this theory is the belief that education is active rather than a passive process. The teacher who practices the passive view in their teaching practice often views students as empty vessels to be filled with knowledge and wisdom. On the other hand, the constructivist believes that students develop meaning only by actively engaging with the world, for example, by solving the real worldly problems or practicing the virtue learned in the classroom. John Dewy viewed learning as a social activity- It is something we can do together by interacting with each other, rather than an abstract concept. The primary role of a teacher in this approach is to provide students with a collaborative environment and facilitate their learning (Oliver, 2000).
- Experiential Learning Theory
David Kolb published his model experiential in 1984 as the name highlights that learning in this theory based upon the experiences. He is also admired by the work of famous intellectuals who believes in active learning, such as John Dewy, Jean Piaget, and Kurt Lewin. In this model, Kolb defines two different ways of grasping experiences Concrete Experience and Abstract Conceptualization. He also identifies two ways to transform those experiences Reflective observation and Active Experimentation. He believed that through concrete experience provides the information through which one can reflect upon that information. From these reflections, we integrate knowledge and form abstract concepts. It can be easily understood with several examples that in our childhood, our drawing teacher used to draw the cartoon on a blackboard, and we all used to observed that and then practice the same with the teacher. Few children were good at the arts, so they used to begin in the first attempt with the teacher to draw the character without knowing what the teacher is drawing. Therefore, it is a good strategy for students. They can explore their strengths and weakness through this model.
Learner Characteristics & Case Study:
I observed the two English language learning classrooms of the Hebei province. A total of 198 students from Grade 11 participated in the study. Two parallel classes from Hengshui No. 14 Middle School and Suning No.1 Middle School were observed. The students were all from 16 to 18, and all of them were learning English for over eight years. The following participants were chosen for two reasons. First, students from senior grades were at a stage in which they were transferring from junior middle school to senior high school. They might not be familiar with their teachers or classmates or could not completely adopt their new senior school life. Secondly, the senior three students were busy preparing for their college entrance examinations. At the same time, four classes in the two schools would be observed to learn the overall situation of classroom silence.
In English Language learning classes’ successful teachers vary in different ways, such as their teaching styles, language command and proficiency, personal qualities and traits, and teaching strategies. Curtis and Cheng (2001) highlighted in their work that successful teachers must have in-depth knowledge, excellent skills, and unique characteristics in their personalities. Brown (2001) also provided a checklist of a successful teacher. He proposed the four essential features of a teacher i.e., command on technical knowledge, strong pedagogical skills, interpersonal skills, and personal qualities. In this classroom of the Suning No.1Middle School, I observed the same skills and qualities in a teacher. A fascinating teacher who is humorous, friendly, and self-motivated is trying to provide a meaningful learning experience for their students. I observed that a teacher is using several different teaching strategies (Jigsaw, Role-play, and Demonstration) to give student-centered learning experiences. A teacher was engaging students in various activities one by one in which the students need to involve by themselves and need to communicate about those lessons by themselves. This was breaking the silence of the students, and they were trying to articulate their ideas about those activities with their peers and teacher. The students who face a little difficulty the teacher brilliantly boost the confidence of the students so that learner can keep trying. Moreover, the teacher was using a very receptive language with students, which was boosting their morale to learn. In that environment, I witnessed that teacher succeeded in creating an environment where learners are also serious about their learning, which is a great success for any teacher.
References
Adamson, B. and Morris, P., 1997. The English curriculum in the People’s Republic of China. Comparative Education Review, 41(1), pp.3-26.
Brown, H.D. and Principles, T.B., 2001. An interactive approach to language pedagogy. NY: Longman, 430.
Curtis, A. and Cheng, L., 2001. Teachers’ self-evaluation of knowledge, skills and personality characteristics needed to manage change. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 29(2), pp.139-152.
Green, J.M. and Oxford, R., 1995. A closer look at learning strategies, L2 proficiency, and gender. TESOL quarterly, 29(2), pp.261-297.
Hu, G., 2005. English language education in China: Policies, progress, and problems. Language policy, 4(1), pp.5-24.
Oliver, K.M., 2000. Methods for developing constructivist learning on the web. Educational technology, 40(6), pp.5-18.