Abstract
Constructivism is a psychological theory which was developed by Jean Piaget in 1960 as a branch of Cognitive psychology. This psychological theory argues that the knowledge of human being is constructed. Human generates knowledge and meaning on the basis of previous experiences. Learners gain knowledge not only through chalk and talk method by a lecturer but also through their own active learning, exploring, discovering and constructing. The theory emphasises the position of students in the class, where students are the center of the teaching-learning process. In recent years, this theory has a great impact on second language teaching, which shifts the pattern from teacher-centered class to a student-centered class.
Disadvantage of Traditional Teacher-Centered Class
In traditional language teaching method, most class time is spent with the teachers who deliver lectures and the students watch and listen. Students may get opportunities to work individually only on assignments, and cooperation is discouraged or restricted. According to Richard and Rodgers (1986), the teacher acts as “the pattern of learning, the lesson planner, the controller of learning practice and the assessor of learner’s performance.” In this situation, students are forced to follow the teacher passively and accept mechanically what is taught by teachers. Traditional methods of teaching are teacher-centered and examination oriented.
Advantages of Student-Centered Classroom
Student-centered class is a kind of new active class, where students get ample opportunities for practical implementation. Under this teaching pattern, students are placed at the center of teaching-learning process. Teachers’ role is more that of facilitator than instructor; they guide, monitor and encourage students to develop their skills and give them feedback afterward. Students always find it a pleasure to sit in class, asking questions, discussing or even arguing with the teacher and the classmates. They take charge of learning on their own as a primary responsibility and have opportunities to exercise control over their learning.
Methods
Memory and Written Storage System
Memories are characterized by the organization of information storage in the brain, whether in short-term memory or in long-term memory. Short-term memory is limited in capacity. Long-term memory can store a seemingly unlimited amount of information whereas one needs to work much harder to commit information from short-term memory to long-term memory. This knowledge of memory process helps a language teacher to establish classroom procedures for promoting more effective learning and retention of new learning methods.
Mind-Mapping Chart
This method is a useful framework for storage of lexis, and it can be used to highlight the relationship between items. Learners could also be asked to organise their own diagrams.
Recycling
The information which is stored in the memory falls into disuse unless it is activated fairly and regularly. It is generally believed that eighty per cent is lost within 24 hours of initial learning. In The Brain Book (1979), Peter Russel sets out a revision schedule to ensure that new material is permanently recorded: (1) a five-minute review, five to ten minutes after the end of a study period; (2) a quick review twenty-four hours later; (3) a further review one week later; (4) final reviews one month later and then six months later.
Random Items
A useful vocabulary revision activity is to write a number of vocabulary items on the blackboard which students have learnt during the last few lessons. Jumble the words so that they do not appear on the blackboard in listed categories. Ask students to work alone to categorise the items into three or four groups.
Imagery
Teachers can make use of visual images in the classroom for illustrating meaning. The advantage of visual images is that memory is extremely reliable and objects and pictures can facilitate memory to some extent. The Key word technique associates the target word with a word which is pronounced or spelt similarly in the mother tongue.
Contextual Clue
Brown and McNeil (1966) carried out an interesting experiment by giving clues about lexical organisation. Students were given a set of definitions of low frequency vocabulary items and were asked to name them.
Conclusion
A shift from teacher-centered learning process to student-centered process would encourage the learners in learning the language effectively. This article shows the advantage that can be gained from the written storage and recycling methods. This can be used in a number of ways in teaching vocabulary in ELT as well as in other disciplines.
Works Cited
- Gairns, Ruth & Redman, Stuart. Working with Words: A Guide to Teaching and Learning Vocabulary. Cambridge University Press, 1986.
- Huijie, Ding. “Teacher’s Role in Students-Centered English Intensive Reading Class in China.” Canadian Social Science Vol. 8, No. 4, 2012, pp. 62-66.
- Richards, J.C & Rodgers, T.S. Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching. Cambridge University Press, 1986.