2.1.3 Classroom behaviours of the outstanding teacher

1. He or she speaks less. Students speak and question in L2 most of the time.

2. The target language dominates class activities, inviting in students initiatives.

3. Has an excellent command of L2 and varieties of valid methods.

4. Uses verbal and nonverbal communication.

5. Gives more immediate feedback.

6. Allows students to laugh and think freely by smiling, praising and joking.

7. Students speak to him in, before and after class.

8. Integrates language skills with full awareness of the problematic areas.

9. Controls the classroom nicely with no threatening tones.

10. Accepts criticism and criticizes others less harshly.

11. Democratic, kind and nice, showing a lot of care about time people and ideas.

12. Moves around and screens all students in a given class.

13. Fair, punctual, frank and honest all the time.

14. Maintains standards of excellence and does things with style.

2.2 Theories of learning

Despite the fact that theories of learning explain how people learn and what is common to them, every individual learns in a unique way. Some complex tasks, however, are only explainable in light of more than one theory; and through more than one type of learning. Language is a good example of such a task.

Prior to getting in some theories of learning, we will spare a moment to look into what Robert Gane labelled as types of learning.

1. Signal learning – a response to a signal.

2. Stimulus- response learning: A precise response to a certain signal.

3. Chaining: Two or more stimulus – responses.

4. Verbal association: Verbal chaining selection.

5. Multiple discrimination: Different responses to different stimuli.

6. Concept learning: An advanced conceptual response drawn from varieties of different objects or events.

7. Principle learning: A chain of two or more concepts – a cluster of related concepts.

8. Problem solving: The process of thinking which is employed to consciously join concepts and principles in order to solve a puzzling problem or an ambiguous events.

The first five types of learning fit easily into the behaviourist/behaviourism framework. The last three types belong to some other theories, such as cognitivism or humanism. However, since all eight types are used in learning a language the implication is clear; apply behaviourist approaches to lower – levels of language and cognitivistic or humanistic approaches to higher levels.

Of relevance to theories of language learning is a coherent definition of what it means to know a language. Lado defines second language learning as "acquiring the ability to use its structure within a general vocabulary under essentially the conditions of normal communication among native speakers at conversational speed".

It has been pinpointed above, that language learning ranges from acquisition of simple automatic skills to an understanding of abstract conceptual meanings occurring at the same time in a given sentence. In this event, no single theory is going to give enough explanations and their hearing and speaking devices. The complexity of language stems from the reality that it encompasses so many varying elements on hand, and on the other, it touches upon some other variables which create more difficulties; age, attitudes, aptitude, motivation, backgrounds of learners, socio and economical variables …etc. Even silence is part of language in some instance.

There is no way to cover all theories of learning in one undergraduate course. Yet, they all are of importance to those who will go in the field of TEL. What we do in this case is to have a vivid grasp of various theories, know several applicable methods that go in line with these theories and try to relate our practice and explain it in light of such reality. After all, there is no point of knowing a theory and vouching for a practice that does not harmonize with it.

It is about time now to introduce a theory or two and look into its implication for teachers of a foreign language; English in our case.