Constructivism: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Schools of thought in

second language acquisition

1. First Define the terms given:

Second Language Acquisition

- is learning a second language after the first language is already learned.
- learning a language after acquiring the mother tongue.
- It occurs actively and consciously which requires explicit instruction and education.

Multidisciplinary Approach
- it is an approach to curriculum integration which focuses primarily on the different disciplines
and the diverse perspectives they bring to illustrate a topic, theme, or issue.
- A multidisciplinary curriculum is one in which the same topic is studied from the viewpoint of
more than one discipline. Frequently multidisciplinary and crossdisciplinary are used as
synonyms describing the aim to cross boundaries between disciplines.
- also called the “interdisciplinary” approach where it allows for the combination of different
subjects during one lesson or project.
- Why we use it? (1) Real-world situations are complex and requires knowledge of several
different subjects, (2) Encourages the students to apply their existing and newly-acquired
knowledge in a more practical and hands-on way.

6 Steps for a Multidisciplinary Lesson:

1. Pre-instructional planning - acquainted with the material from the other disciplines
2. Introduce the methodology to your students - explain why the subject has such a
wide variety of approaches to understanding it.
3. Deliver the lesson - deliver the content in a clear, coherent way so students may
understand the connections between each point and how they may relate to each other.
4. Practice interdisciplinary thinking - give your students regular assignments that allow
them to think about issues from other perspectives other than the subject you teach.
5. Provide feedback - note especially if the students are able to successfully integrate and
synthesize their knowledge.
6. Self-assessment - ask the students to evaluate their ability to view a topic from multiple
angles.

2. Second define constructivism (such as who created, where does it belong, etc.)

What is Constructivism?

-Constructivism is obviously the most dominant approach to education in this century

(Krahenbuhl, 2016). Constructivism emerged as the prevailing paradigm only in the latter
part of the 20th century. Constructivists, like some cognitive psychologists, argue that all
human beings construct their own version of reality, and thus multiple contrasting ways of
knowing and describing are equally legitimate.
-This perspective could be described as an emphasis on active processes of construction [of the
meaning], attention to texts as a means of better understanding those processes, and an
interest in the nature of knowledge and its variations, including the nature of knowledge
associated with belonging to a particular group. According to Driscoll (2005), “Knowledge is
constructed by learners as they attempt to make sense of their experiences” (p.387).
Constructivists emphasize that to be able to acquire knowledge, it is necessary to experience
that knowledge personally (Driscoll, 2005). They also underline that knowledge must be based
on experience to understand any kind of information (Thompson, 2018).

- Constructivism is also often misconstrued as a learning theory that compels students to

"reinvent the wheel." In fact, constructivism taps into and triggers the student's innate curiosity
about the world and how things work. Students do not reinvent the wheel but, rather, attempt to
understand how it turns, how it functions. They become engaged by applying their existing
knowledge and real-world experience, learning to hypothesize, testing their theories, and
ultimately drawing conclusions from their findings.

In this century, Jean Piaget and John Dewey developed theories of childhood development and
education, what we now call Progressive Education, that led to the evolution of constructivism.
Among the educators, philosophers, psychologists, and sociologists who have added new
perspectives to constructivist learning theory and practice are Lev Vygotsky, Jerome Bruner,
and David Ausubel.

ADVOCATES & BRANCHES OF CONSTRUCTIVISM

(1) Cognitive Constructivism (Piaget)

■ Emphasis is placed on the importance of learners constructing their own representation of
reality.
■ Learners must individually discover and transform complex information if they are to make it
their own, [suggesting] a more active role for students in their own learning than is typical in
many classrooms (Slavin, 2003).
■ Learning is a developmental process that involves change, self-generation, and construction,
each building on prior learning experiences” (Piaget in Kaufman, 2004)

Jean Piaget believed that humans learn through the construction of one logical structure after
another. He also concluded that the logic of children and their modes of thinking are initially
entirely different from those of adults. The implications of this theory and how he applied them
have shaped the foundation for constructivist education.

(2) Social Constructivism (Vygotsky)

■ Emphasizes the importance of social interaction and cooperative learning in constructing both
cognitive and emotional images of reality.
■ Constructivist research tends to focus on “individuals engaged in social practices… on a
collaborative group, [or] on a global community.”
■ Vygotsky (1978): “Children’s thinking and meaning-making is socially constructed and
emerges out of their social interactions with their environment.”
■Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) – the distance between learners’ existing developmental
state and their potential development.
■ ZPD describes tasks that a learner has not yet learned but is capable of learning with
appropriate stimuli.
■ ZPD is an important facet of social constructivism because it describes tasks “that a child
cannot yet so alone but could do with the assistance of more competent peers or adults.”
(Slavin, 2003; Karpov &Haywood, 1998)

Vygotsky’s concept of the ZPD contrasted rather sharply with Piaget’s theory of learning in that
the former saw a unity of learning and development while the latter saw stages of development
setting a precondition, or readiness, for learning (Dunn &Lantolf, 1998). Piaget stressed the
importance of individual cognitive development as a relatively solitary act. Biological timetables
and stages of development were basic;social interaction was claimed only to trigger
development at the right moment intime. On the other hand, Vygotsky maintained that social
interaction was the foundation of cognitive development and rejected the notion of
predetermined stages.

Lev Vygotsky introduced the social aspect of learning into constructivism. He defined the "zone
of proximal learning," according to which students solve problems beyond their actual
developmental level (but within their level of potential development) under adult guidance or in
collaboration with more capable peers.

Closely allied to a Vygotskian social constructivist perspective is that of Mikhail Bakhtin (1986,
1990), the Russian literary theorist who has now captured the attention of SLA researchers and
practitioners (Hall, Vitanova, & Marchenkova,2005). Bakhtin contended that language is
“immersed in a social and cultural context, and its central function is to serve as a medium of
communication.” In This spirit, the early years of the new millennium have seen increasing
emphasis on sociocultural dimensions of SLA, or what Watson-Gegeo (2004) describes
as a language socialization paradigm for SLA: a new synthesis that “involves a
reconsideration of mind, language, and epistemology, and a recognition that cognition
originates in social interaction and is shaped by cultural and sociopolitical processes.”

Among the educators, philosophers, psychologists, and sociologists who have added new
perspectives to constructivist learning theory and practice areJohn Dewey and Jerome Bruner..

Dewey called for education to be grounded in real experience. He wrote, "If you have doubts
about how learning happens, engage in sustained inquiry: study, ponder, consider alternative
possibilities and arrive at your belief grounded in evidence." Inquiry is a key part of constructivist
learning.
Bruner initiated curriculum change based on the notion that learning is an active, social process
in which students construct new ideas or concepts based on their current knowledge.

Seymour Papert's groundbreaking work in using computers to teach children has led to the
widespread use of computer and information technology in constructivist environments.