Types Of Intelligence

I. - Schools of theories

-Behaviorism

This school is based on B. F Skinner; learning happens when, as a result of a stimulus, the learner obtains a new or changed behavior. The teacher must condition her/ his learners, need to foster repetitive knowledge objectives should be clear, and steps are essential, learners only respond to the stimulus provided, the learners are programmed.

Behaviorism is suited best for materials like flash cards or games for independent practice or with teacher in reinforceable interactions. Others characteristics are: Repetition and reinforcement, Learning, conditioning, Stimulus- response, publicly observable responses, Empiricism, Scientific method, Performance Surface structure, Description- “what” .

- Cognitivism

Cognitivism developed is response to behaviorism. Learning happens when, as a result of brain process, knowledge transfers form short to long term memory. The teacher is the attention- getter, organizer, connector and repeater so the learner can properly, stores the information in memory for later re-call. The learner´s brain must then process, store locate, and produce responses to the information there by creating new and envolving schema.

Cognitivism is suited best for materials like charts and diagrams within in the context of well-organized study guides, centers and labs. Information and concepts must be logically organized.

Some characteristics are: Analysis and insight, Acquisition, innateness, States of consciousness, Rationalism, Process, Mentalism, intuition, Competence, Deep structure, Explanation “why” .

- Constructivism

Constructivist ideas are found throughout the works of Vigotsky, Piaget, Jerome Bruner and John Dewey. Learning occurs when info is moved to long term while learners are involved in the process of creating their own knowledge based on experience. Teachers are models, guides and facilitators. Learners are active, and judge their own progress; pull from past experience and connect to new ideas, usually by collaborating with others.

Constructivism is best suited for creative out put such as projects and presentations which showcase the learner´s ideas. Constructive teaching allows teachers to customize relevant connections to student´s knowledge. By using open ended dialogue, students are enabled.

With the above I identify with the three schools of thought because throughout my student life I have had teachers with different teaching techniques and methods of learning, and had teachers who handle but the method behaviorist, cognitivist and some others (very few) the constructivist method.

Personally the behaviorist method I do not like at all as I feel you do dependent students, who do things not because they want them, if not for what they will receive in return, even if it is a feasible method with students who need for wanting to do more things.

The constructivist method is good because it makes you independent and self manages their own learning, but the teacher's role is not as important, the cognitive method makes me more complete as students and teachers construct learning.

in my work I use a little of each method, and preschoolers with a little work but the behaviorist method, but when I use different techniques of Constructivist and Cognitivism method the children are very attentive and interested in our activities as techniques of these methods are very different, because they have to think and create their own knowledge.

II. - Factors that have affected English learning

Age

The effect of age on acquisition has been extensively documented, the issue being whether younger learners acquire a second language more efficiently and effectively than older learners. In terms of rate, adults appear to do better than children, while teenagers appear to outperform both adults and children .

Status

An individual´s social class is typically determined by means of a composite measure that takes account of income, level of education and occupation. It is customary to distinguish four groups: lower class, working class, lower middle class, and upper middle class .

Gender

A distinction is often made between ‘sex’ and ‘gender’. The former constitutes a biological distinction, while the latter is a social one. A number of sociolinguistic currently prefer the term ‘gender’ because it places the emphasis on the social construction of ‘male’ and ‘female’.

Sociolinguistic research has identified two distinct and apparently contradictory principles relating to sex differentiation in native- speaker speech:

1. In stable sociolinguistic stratification, men use a higher frequency of non- standard forms that women.

2. In the majority of linguistic changes, women use a higher frequency of the incoming forms than men .

I think in my case a factor that has affected me for the acquisition of a second language, is the age when I was smaller because I made it easier all the things that I learned the English language, now that I'm older is more difficult for me to learn concepts, themes, even have a more fluent English.

And I think the age if a determinant factor in the acquisition of a second language, because the younger you're more easily learn, and I worked with children of preschool and young elementary and secondary schools and preschool children learn through more easily.

III. - Learning Styles

Learning style mismatches are at the root of many learning difficulties; are described above as preferences, which is meant to suggest that one or another style of a learning style dimension is as a good as the others. Learning style models are different ways of representing a common domain. Each dimension, however, contributes a different perspective on individual differences and, therefore, on learning. More students, especially adults, are aware of this learning style dimension than any other except possibly the “right and left brain” metaphor .

Visual

These are some characteristics:

• Use visual materials such as pictures, charts, maps, graphs, etc.

• Have a clear view of your teachers when they are speaking so you can see their body language and facial expression.

• Use color to highlight important points in text.

• Take notes or ask your teacher to provide handouts.

• Illustrate your ideas as a picture or brainstorming bubble before writing them down.

• Write a story and illustrate it.

• Use multi-media (e.g. computers, videos, and filmstrips).

• Study in a quiet place away from verbal disturbances.

• Read illustrated books.

• Visualize information as a picture to aid memorization.

Auditory

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