1. List all of the languages that you can use.

First classify them as L1(s) and L2(s), and then

further classify the L2(s) as “second,” “foreign,” or “for specific purposes.” Finally,
distinguish between the ways you learned each of the languages: through informal exposure,
formal instruction, or some combination of these.

Answer: The languages I use are the followings: Uzbek (L1), English (L2), Japanese (L3)
and Russian (L4). Uzbek is my native language, whereas English is a second, Japanese is a
third and Russian is a fourth foreign language. I have been learning English my whole life,
starting from the elementary school up to the university with a combination of a formal
instruction and autonomy learning. Learning Japanese, on the other hand, was a spontaneous
decision and I was lucky enough to travel to Japan and study at Japanese Language School
with the help of talented educators. When it comes to Russian, I wouldn’t imply that I had
tried to learn it. However, having a lot of peers around who spoke Russian when I was in my
child years did help.

2. Proponents of Universal Grammar believe that language ability is innate, whereas

Functionalists believe that we develop language primarily because of a need to
communicate. Which theory do you believe in? Why?

Answer: I totally disagree with the assumption that language ability is innate, however, I
wouldn’t go with the theory of Functionalists either. Having a strong language ability is not
something people are born with, it’s a set of skills and like any other skill, it does require
mastery. Although, I believe that the need in communication is the essential drive that can
improve the process.

3. Considering your own learning, or the learning of someone you know well, do you believe in
scaffolding and the Zone of Proximal Development? Describe examples in your own life
when you are the learner in need of scaffolding, and when you are the more advanced learner
or teacher providing a learner with more opportunity for development.

Answer: The zone of proximal development is the difference between what a learner can do
on their own and what they can’t do on their own but require the assistance of a
knowledgeable individual. Scaffolding is a way of supporting a student through an activity
until they are able to complete the activity on their own. So, scaffolding can be used to help a
student through their zone of proximal development. This can be done through instructions
or by providing activities that will help them achieve the task that they are trying to master.
From my experience, I was the learner in need of scaffolding, when I decided to learn
graphic design. I would sit for hours, but without the assistance of my instructor, I couldn’t
finish a thing. In my opinion, they are both vital and in both cases learning pace will get
affected.

4. Based on your personal and educational experience, do you expect to prefer or feel more
comfortable with one of the perspectives on SLA (structural, cognitive, constructive)? Why
or why not? If so, what are some strategies you can use to keep an open mind on the
perspectives you might not privilege?

Answer: I’m more than sure that constructive perspective works best for me. A
constructivist classroom is one in which students are given opportunities to learn through
 their experiences and develop deeper understanding than they would if they were simply
taught the information. Looking through the theories of Lev Vigotsky, this would also
involve working with peers to increase learning experiences. Of course, a classroom can
have both direct instruction and experiential learning. I agree with providing opportunities
for discovery and self- learning, but one of the things that has enabled us to develop so much
is our ability to build on what others have accomplished.

5. If you have learned any second languages, at what age did you begin learning them? Are you
more successful now in languages that you were exposed to earlier? Based on your personal
experience, what do you think of the Critical Period Hypothesis? Do you know others whose
experiences would support or refute it?

Answer: I believe I was 18 when I started learning Japanese. I took private sessions from a
tutor, but it wasn’t that effective unfortunately, as my Japanese was pretty much limited to
about six phrases and a couple handfuls of words. I couldn’t have held even a simple
conversation. Other than that, I also attended Japanese school in Tokyo. There, I did learn
how to read from the level of maybe a 10-year-old kid up into upper-intermediate level. I
still have the textbook we had. I kind of wish that I’d studied in Japanese school more
though, seeing that I’d enjoyed it and was able to retain a lot of it. Definitely would’ve made
for a lot of pre-tertiary educational progress for sure, as well as helped me out a lot more.

6. It is postulated that younger learners are probably more successful in informal and
naturalistic learning contexts, and older learners are more successful in formal instructional
settings. Do you agree or disagree? Use your own experience combined with theoretical
support from the course materials to make your argument.

Answer: In fact, some cultures argue that children under the age of 4 shouldn’t be taught a
foreign language at all. I disagree, but it depends on a lot of factors. I suppose, the best time
to learn a foreign language is when you’ve got the time, energy, focus, drive, and ease. Kids
can learn the language almost passively whereas teens still have the chance to end up
sounding like a native without putting much effort. As a young adult, you can be driven by
an ambition and purpose.

7. Do you find that there is a dynamic correlation between cognition and affect with regards to
SLA? If yes or no, specify this with theoretical arguments.
8. Can we predict in advance what L1 characteristics will influence an interlanguage and which
ones will not? What gets transferred?
9. Suggest two activities we might see in a class using a socio-constructivist approach.

Answer: A great activity that highlights a socio-constructivist approach is a Nearpod game.

It allows teachers host a live game/activity or assign them so that students can go back over
the problems/concepts that he/she’s having trouble understanding without disrupting the
flow of the class, at their own pace. In my opinion, it is an absolute necessity since students
can be very shy and embarrassed to ask the teacher to explain something that isn’t clear. For
better communication, I would also use the feature “Collaborate!” which is a great tool
where students can document knowledge through evidencing in the form of shared written
responses, images, links, or photos.

10. How might you go about increasing student motivation in your classroom?
 Answer: From my perspective, what students need nowadays is a good motivation to be
engaged in everything, and get the best out of everything they are engaged in. There are
several things to increase student motivation and engagement. The first and the most helpful
way would be making competitions between students. In this way they would want to win
the competitions and get the reward, thus their engagement in studying would increase. The
motivation would increase too, because if you have something to fight for your motivation
increases automatically. Another way of increasing motivation is grading a little higher, so
that students do not lose their motivation in studying. If students have good grades, they feel
good. They want to have that feeling continuously, so they will study better every time to het
higher grades. In brief, these are some of the ways to increase engagement and motivation in
students.

11. According to Gardner (1985) learners' motivation to learn English “varies from one part of
the world to another”. Do you observe any tendency in motives to learn English among adult
learners and/ or teenage learners of English in Uzbekistan? Share your teaching/learning
observations and try to explain the reason(s) of the tendency?

Answer: I suppose, people, here in Uzbekistan are learning English for career possibilities.
It’s also just one of the most common languages in the world and knowing English opens up
study abroad options and opportunities to work globally, too.

12. What is fossilization? How do you cope with fossilized errors and help your students
improve their accuracy?
13. What approach are Vygotsky and Piaget associated with? How do they differ?

Answer: Both psychologists did a great job to expound how learning takes place. Vygotsky
believed that learning takes place in a social context. People learn when they are exposed to
different knowledge from their context. According to Vygotsky learning occurred in the zone
of approximate development which is the distance between what a child can do alone and
what he can do with assistance. Unlike Vygotsky, Piaget saw that the development of the
child precedes the social context. Children are born with the ability to learn. As they grow
up, they become more knowledgeable.

14. Would you describe yourself as more field-dependent or field-independent? Explain.

15. Does Focus on Form Instruction, both pre-emptive and reactive, have a differential effect on
learners' interlanguage? Explain your answer.