A Model For IL Development In EFL Setting From The Perspective Of Cognitive Psychology

The purpose of this dissertation is to provide a model from the perspective of cognitive psychology for IL development in EFL setting and to find a pedagogically sound and empirically grounded position as guidelines for EFL instruction. As far as possible, the dissertation will not consciously project any single approach or theory concerning IL development as received opinion. Indeed, this is not possible at the moment, as the study concerning IL development is still in its initial stage and there are still more questions than answers. And my own views on what cognitive and psychological factors are concerned in this model for IL development in EFL setting will necessarily color the account provided in this dissertation.It is envisaged that many readers of this dissertation will be EFL teachers and hence the dissertation has been written to afford them a clear idea of what happens cognitively and psychologically during the development of IL system, mainly inside the classroom. Undeniably, all teachers have a theory of language learning, i.e. they teach in accordance with a set of principles about the manner language learners perform. This theory, however, may not be explicit. As not all the teachers are aware of these implications, the dissertation attempts to help EFL teachers make their theory of language learning explicit via an examination of the developmental process of language-learner language, i.e. IL system, and those cognitive and psychological factors concerned during this process. It is based on the conviction that teachers will be better off with explicit set of ideas about IL development (e.g. Furlong et al 1996; Lightbown 2000;2003; Wilkin 1999; Mitchell 2000; Lawes 2003; Kramsch 2003; Dai Weidong 2001a; Wang Qiang 2003). Those merely with an implicit theory that may ignore what learners actually do. They may be not only uncritical in their intellectual engagement but also resistant to change as classroom practitioners. Gradually, they will lose the intellectual independence for their professional development. Certainly, the state of knowledge is insufficient to warrant firm pedagogical applications, that is, greater consciousness of the complex process of IL development will not guarantee more effective teaching. However, such state of knowledge about a cognitive and psychological model for IL development in EFL setting can stimulate critical thought, challenging old principles, and maybe suggest a few new ones. And EFL teachers will become more able to read and interpret the changing dynamics of the teaching as well as learning context.The whole dissertation is composed of nine chapters, including the introduction at the outset and the conclusion at the end. Chapter One sets the scene for the discussion of the cognitive and psychological model for IL development as the introduction. It provides a general introduction of sources of the current research and why the present topic is chosen. In addition, what has been mentioned is a theoretical explanation of a series of focus terms and key issues as the foundation for further discussions in the following chapters. Only when we have a clear picture of what others have done in this field can the topic be well developed. Thus, Chapter Two delineates the background of the present study for the purpose of providing a theoretical framework for building a model for IL development in EFL setting from the perspective of cognitive psychology.Chapter Three examines research that concentrates directly on the role of environmental language in promoting TL acquisition, in the shape of language input received by the EFL learners and interaction between the learners and some other conversational partner(s). Findings of a wide range of immersion and naturalistic acquisition studies suggest that when SLA is totally focused on communicative success, some linguistic features fail to develop to targetlike accuracy. This occurs in spite of years of meaningful, comprehensible input and opportunities for interaction. The inclusion of some degree of focus on form has been proposed recently in classrooms. Therefore, an exploration of focus on form in EFL classroom setting is attempted in Chapter Four on the belief that form-focused instruction is in nature an efficient approach to redirecting learner attention during input processing both within and across utterances.Progress during IL development is not necessarily unidirectional. So it is unrealistic to master items in the grammatical syllabus in a linear sequence. And learners can be made aware of new TL items, rules, or regularities by highlighting them in the language data provided, more or less concisely or elaborately. Focusing on grammar teaching, Chapter Five suggests that what teachers can do should be to raise consciousness of particular TL features by providing learners with activities which encourage them to think about samples of TL and to draw their own conclusions about how TL system works.Chapter Six proposes that when a language item is noticed frequently, learners can develop awareness of it and unconsciously constructing new hypotheses to accommodate the differences between the noticed information and their current IL competence. Then they test these new hypotheses by attending to further language data and also by getting feedback on their output using the new TL item. These developing IL rules are reorganized to be most effectively deployed during language use and, eventually, to be closer to and ultimately incorporated into the TL system. During this process, hypothesis testing, cognitive comparison, noticing the gaps between IL and TL system and knowing IL deficiencies, are considered as the catalysts for restructuring.Chapter Seven turns to learning tasks which can supply learners with opportunities to produce the TL forms and obtain feedback which has been considered particularly important for it enables learners to notice the gap between the TL system they are required or want to produce and the limitations of their current IL system. Much of the work on tasks has focused on the design of learning tasks, drawing on theories related to cognitive psychology. Thus, task features and principles that are drawn on should be taken into account. Of equal importance is a consideration of the way in which these tasks are implemented in EFL setting. Even the well-designed tasks can be used in various ways.The intention of this study is not to develop a radically new account of how IL development is influenced by instruction but rather to provide an economical explanation which is consistent with the theoretical positions and researches discussed in previous seven chapters. Drawing on the discussions in the previous chapters, Chapter Eight seeks to construct a model for instructed IL development in EFL setting from the perspective of cognitive psychology.Chapter Nine is the conclusion. It includes the retrospect and prospect of the whole dissertation, in which the author summarizes the central themes of dissertation, addresses its limitations and points the way for future directions. Some conclusions and implications for pedagogy are presented. It is suggested that the model established can be applicable in EFL teaching as well as learning and benefits especially those teachers who intend to obtain intellectual independence. In particular, it is pointed out that there is a pressing need for a further empirical as well as theoretical base for establishing the cognitive psychological model in EFL setting. To sum up, although the study has nowhere exhausted the topic at issue, it does add an important dimension to the understanding of IL development in EFL setting, which enables us to recognize the limitations in conceptualizing teaching only in terms of methodology and teaching content transmitting.Undoubtedly, there are actually many variables affecting the IL developmental process. However, the study in this dissertation has consciously not attempted to cope with all these variables. What this study has tried to mention are those factors which are believed by the author of this dissertation to be significant for building a cognitive psychological model in EFL setting, for the purpose of assisting teachers enrich their theoretical knowledge as well as broaden their repertoire of teaching techniques. Based on a critical intellectual engagement with language teaching and learning and education in general, teachers with a strong sense of professional identity will not only wish to improve their practical teaching techniques collaboratively with their colleagues, but also want to continue to develop their theoretical knowledge to enhance their capabilities as classroom practitioners. If the dissertation is able to help our readers reconstruct their theoretical knowledge as well as teaching practices in some way critically as a result of the endeavors made here, then the author of this dissertation would consider the writing to have been well worthwhile.As to factors which are cognitively and psychologically related to the model for IL development in EFL setting, the debate will continue with much more ample evidence. Theoretically, with the development of many disciplines such as applied linguistics, cognitive psychology, psycholinguistics and SLA study, more theories and ideas about the model for IL development in EFL classroom setting will emerge to make this topic keep being a focus of discussion. Practically, there is not, and probably never will be, any single solution to the intriguing problem of building a model for IL development from the perspective of cognitive psychology in EFL setting. Nonetheless, with more researches to be carried out, the author of this dissertation believes that the discussions about the model for IL development from the perspective of cognitive psychology in EFL setting will be more comprehensive, constructive, scientific and applicable. On the basis of these emerging theories and principles, EFL teachers will be more equipped with the capability of selecting the appropriate teaching decisions in his classroom.