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1. What is Chomsky’s view about Skinner’s theory?

Skinner’s theory states that neary all behaviors are shaped by complex patterns of reinforcement
in a person’s environment. In other words, language learning is the result of imitation, practice,
feedback on success and habit formation. However, according to Chomsky, imitation and
practice do not account for how humans learn all aspects of language. His objection to Skinner
centred on the following conundrum: if all language is learnt behaviouristly, how come children
and adults frequently say things they have never heard before? Actually, the acquisition of the
more complex grammatical structure of the language requires a different sort of explanation.
Humans have having a mental ability to process what we hear, channelling it through the
language-processing parts of our brain where rules in some way reside, and where all input adds
more information for the better functioning of that processor. This is what stops us from being
the mere repeaters, the almost- robots, that Behaviourist principles would seem to describe us as.
Chomsky theorised that all children are born with some kind of language processor - a 'black
box' or 'language acquisition device' - which allowed them to formulate rules of language based
on the input they received.
2. Point out the differences between Behaviorism and Mentalism in language learning

Behaviorism Mentalism
- Explaining the language learning - Explaining based on human mental
process outward behaviors or abilities.
something that can be observed.

- Seeing language acquisition - Seeing language acquisition as a

through a process involves imitation, conscious and reasoned thinking
rewards and practice. process, involving the deliberate use of
learning strategies.

- Use feedback (reinforcement) to - Use feedback to guide and support

modify behaviors in the desired accurate mental connections.
direction.

- Learners are reactive, responding to - Learners are proactive, processing

environmental stimuli. and restoring information for later use.

- Learners’ motivation is extrinsic, - Learners’ motivation is intrinsic,

involving positive and negative students set their own goals and
reinforcement. motivate themselves to learn.
 3. What is Chomsky’s view about learning?
Chomsky theorized that all children are born with a language processor - a 'black box' or
'language acquisition device' - which allowed them to formulate rules of language based on the
input they received. The mind, in other words, contains 'blueprints for grammatical rules' (Pinker
1994:43). Once these rules have been activated, the potential for creativity follows. This would
suggest that for learners of second languages a methodology based on Behaviorism is not
adequate. It is not enough just to teach students 'good' habits: they also need to be given input
that will allow their 'processors' to work. They should also be given opportunities for creative
language use both in language production and in the processing of written and spoken text.
4. What is the implication of mentalism in language learning?
The implication of Mentalism: In the classroom, teachers can help students learn more easily by
showing the rules and letting them have a go on their own. Making up their own sentences is the
objective.
This deals with how the deep structure of an utterance becomes the surface structure. This
approach explains the infinite number of phrases that can be expressed with a limited number of
words and grammatical rules. Mentalism also explains productivity in a language. Whereas
Bloomfield believed that children learned a language by simply mimicking their parents,
mentalism explains children forming entirely new sentences that they have never heard before
(Rowe).
5. What should be the focus of learning in Cognitivism ?
Answer: The internal mental structuring because
The cognitivism focuses on how information is received, stored and retrieved by the mind. It
uses the mind as an information processer like a computer.
The diagram:

MENTAL
STIMULUS PROCESSES RESPONSE

 The learning process is the internal mental process.

 It should focus on the internal mental structuring.

6. Give examples of hypotheses by Vietnamese learners

Ex: Some Vietnamese students think that the best way to improve their English skills is to live at
the place that uses English as their native language. When they hear the native speakers talk
everyday, they’ ll imitate the ways that the native use words, correct their pronunciation and
intonation,…
Ex: Some Vietnamese students say that one of the ways to have fluent use of the language is to
form the habit of using that language every day. For English, they set different goals such as
learning new vocabulary, practising speaking English, or jotting down new words and learning
them by heart.