Willy C.

Cardoso
Complexity Theory & ELT authenticteaching.wordpress.com
@willycard willybanze@yahoo.com.br

Complexity thinking is concerned with the dynamic relationships

and patterns among phenomena rather than the static properties Unpredictability
of isolated objects. Openness & Adaptability Thus the first great tool offered by the new
By making goal-setting itself an emergent science is the concept of the inherently
process, both students and teachers can unpredictable situation – a situation
Complexivists view education in terms of the dynamic, adaptive unpredictable in itself, not just by virtue of
have constant access to goal formation and
and self-organizing processes that are always emerging within and the limits of its observer. We are spared
revision, feel shared satisfactions in their
among individuals and collectives. For complexivists, learning and accomplishments, and have always in front the labor of attempting to predict such
knowledge emerge in a simultaneous and intertwining (or nested) of them the excitement of new situations and thus can devote our efforts
possibilities. (Dalke et al, 2007) to understanding them in different ways,
manner at multiple levels, not only at the level of the individual.1 for ‘unpredictable’ does not necessarily
Emergence mean ‘uninteligible’, or inaccessible to
Cognition, consciousness, experience, embodiment, brain, self, When things get together, there then knowledge or understanding.
human interaction, society, culture, and history are all inextricably arises something that was not there (Turner, in Eve et al, 1997)
before, and that character is something
intertwined in rich, complex, and dynamic ways in language. that cannot be stated in terms of the
Everything is connected. Yet despite this complexity, despite its elements which go to make up the
lack of overt government, instead of anarchy and chaos, there are combination. It remains to be seen in
patterns everywhere. Linguistic patterns are not preordained by what sense we can now characterize
that which has so emerged.
God, genes, school curriculum, or other human policy. Instead, (Mead 1938)
they are emergent.2

In ELT, complexity thinking have slowly resonated among research Connectedness

A language learner is regarded as a
methods, for example in the work of Diane Larsen-Freeman; and in dynamic subsystem within a social
classroom practice, for example Dogme ELT, whose proponents system with a great number of
focus on language emergence (as opposed to acquisition). interacting internal dynamic sub-sub
systems… The learner has his/her own
cognitive ecosystem consisting of
The question is whether teachers and learners are willing to move Self-organization intentionality, cognition, intelligence,
away from determinism (language learning as linear cause-effect Teachers do not control their motivation, aptitude, L1, L2 and soon.
students’ learning. Teaching does not
events) and reductionism (understand the parts to understand the The cognitive ecosystem in turn is
cause learning; learners make their related to the degree of exposure to
whole); and move toward a new mindset that, since the own paths. This does not mean that language, maturity, level of education,
unexpected will occur anyway, focuses on language and learning teaching does not influence learning, and so on, which in turn is related to
primarily as innovative and transformative processes where far from it; teaching and teacher- the SOCIAL ECOSYSTEM, consisting of
learner interaction construct and
barriers between self and others and self and worlds begin to the environment with which the
constrain the learning affordances of individual interacts. (de Bot et al, 2007)
dissolve and where control is distributed and shared. the classroom.
(Larsen-Freeman & Cameron, 2008)

EMERGENT CURRICULUM CLASS DYNAMICS

Content is selected as learners’ needs
arise, this is an on-going process. There is
no predetermined sequence/syllabus to
be followed, unless learners themselves
want to design and frequently revise one.
Learning is not linear and predictable,
hence cannot be thoroughly planned
for. Lesson Plans as usually designed
tend to ignore that. More room for the
‘unplanned’ is needed.
Unplanned situations or unstructured
activities can sometimes create more
effective, natural, and memorable
communicative opportunities than well-
planned communicative activities.
(Cadorath & Harris, 1998)
AWAY FROM GRADING and EVALUATION
Learning, being a complex system, cannot
be measured on linear scales. If it could
be measured at all though, it would be
best done by the learner him/herself.
Hence, self-evaluation should be the
cornerstone for assessment and not just
an add-on.
ACHIEVEMENT isn’t LEARNING
Learning does not progress through the
same sequence, neither does it follow a
linear pathway from simple to complex
(abstract). Don’t confuse “achievement”
with learning (one can achieve without
significant learning).
Learners must be responsible for
recognizing opportunities to learn.
Learning cannot be reduced to
‘teachable moments’ as it is a
continuous process that is not
always identifiable.
Inquiries and their duration, as chosen by
the learner, have equal (or more!) validity
to those chosen by a teacher. Several may
be happening simultaneously and
independently. Learners don’t need to be
doing the same thing at the same time.
A good teacher cannot be fixed in a
routine…During teaching, each moment
requires a sensitive mind that is constantly
changing and constantly adapting. (Bruce
Lee, quoted in Teaching Unplugged)
LANGUAGE WORK
Creation and innovation are more
important than segmented production.
Language play, informal conversation,
open-ended and convergent problem-
solving tasks are encouraged.
Knowledge is always contextualized
Learning is not a matter of practice achieved
by repetitive cycles devoid of context.
Focus on language from and for learners’
lives and stories. Focus on form should also
be emergent, i.e. contingent and not preset.

Reference: 1 www.complexityandeducation.ualberta.ca | 2 The “Five Graces Group” (2009) ‘Language is a Complex Adaptive System’ Language Learning, 59:Suppl.1 | Cadorath, J and Harris, S (1998) ‘Unplanned classroom language and teacher training’ ELT Journal, 52(3) | Dalke et al (2007) ‘Emergent Pedagogy: learning to enjoy the uncontrollable-and make it productive’ J Educ Change, 8
de Bot, K., Lowie, W., & Verspoor, M. (2007). A Dynamic Systems Theory approach to second language acquisition. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 10(1), 7–21 | Eve, Raymond A. et al (ed.) (1997) Chaos, complexity, and sociology: myths, models, and theories, Sage Publications | Larsen-Freeman, D. and Cameron, L. (2008) Complex Systems and Applied Linguistics, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Meddings, L. and Thornbury, S. (2009) Teaching Unplugged Delta Publishing | Large image: En-dessous de l’arbre © 2010 www.deniscarl.com | Small image: Hampstead Heath (archive)| For comprehensive reference and links to articles visit http://authenticteaching.wordpress.com/complexitytheory