Polytechnic University of the Philippines

Principles of Language Acquisition and Learning

Module 3

SUBMITTED BY: Kristine Claire V. Gacosta

Lesson 1 Activity

Instructions: Suggest an example of classroom activity in the language classroom for each of the three
perspectives below. For each activity, please specify the topic, the teacher and student’s role, and the
procedure.

a. Behaviorism
b. Cognitivism
c. Constructivism

A. Behaviorism: “Pass the Message”

Teacher’s role: Source of information; they will serve as the model speaker for the students to follow.

Student’s role: Learners; the students will simply follow what the teacher says. They are encouraged to
copy as much as they can. This will serve as practice for their pronunciation, diction, and surface-level
comprehension.

Directions: Group yourselves into equal number of groups and form a line. Listen to your teacher’s
statements, repeat and pass it down to the next person until the last person in line is able to stand in
front and recite what they heard. The first group with the most accurate imitation of the teacher’s initial
statement wins the game.

Example statements the teacher may recite:

 The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

 Roberta ran rings around the Roman ruins.
 Linda-Lou Lambert loves lemon lollipop lip gloss.
 If a dog chews shoes, whose shoes does he choose?
 The 33 thieves thought that they thrilled the throne throughout Thursday.

The following sentences are tongue twisters, intended to challenge learners’ ability to pronounce words.
This will serve as a sort of drill as students may repeat the statements until their groupmates understand
what they meant.

B. Cognitivism: Essay Writing

Teacher’s role: Facilitator

Student’s role: learners in-charge of their own learning

Directions: Write an essay analyzing Frank Stockton’s “The Lady, or the Tiger?”. You may choose to
analyze characters, setting, plot, or ask questions. Limit your words to a minimum of 1000-2000 words.
In this activity, students are able to practice writing skills and regulate their language use. The word
count is included to challenge learners to write a striking yet concise essay. Since Cognitivism studies the
learner’s innate ability to acquire language using their Language Acquisition Device and Universal
Grammar, it may also observe their metacognition in relating prior writing experiences and knowledge
on the topic. The activity requires the students to rely on their schemas (related to writing skills,
comprehension, and opinions) to construct their views on their chosen focus.

C. Constructivism: “Know Your Morals”

Teacher’s role: facilitator and collaborator; they may encourage the students to ask questions during the
activity. They may also convey their views on the topic, but only if the learners ask them about it. As a
facilitator, their goal is not to teach with their own built morals and beliefs but to let the students
develop their own through this activity.

Note: It is important for the facilitator to reassure their students that there is no right or wrong answers
in this activity, as the main objective is to simply present their ideas

Student’s role: collaborator; they learn through creating their own reflection on the topic and sharing it
with fellow learners. They may also gather insights from the facilitator.

Directions: Choose and what one of the following videos, form a group and present your views about
the topic. You may answer the following guide questions or choose a topic based off of one.

Example videos:

https://youtu.be/FJGLJKtYFIU - “The Unseen Cost of Philippines’ Pandemic Baby Boom”

https://youtu.be/yKg_JP3z1o4 - “Street Children in the Philippines”

Lesson 2 Activity

Instructions: Think of a specific activity or scenario for each language macro skill, depicting the two types
of competence in learning L2: academic and interpersonal. Put your answers in the table below.

Language Sample Activity/Scenario for:

Macro Skill
Academic Competence Interpersonal Competence
Reading Activity: Writing a Book Review Activity: Analyzing conversations
Read Ronald Dahl’s “Matilda”. After Directions: Your teacher will provide
reading, choose between the following set example dialogues from plays. Read it
of guide questions to answer/base your and share your thoughts with the class.
review on.
In this activity, learners will figure out
Example guide questions: what the dialogue entails through the
1. What do you think of Matilda’s parents? exchange happening. They may also
Why do they disregard her abilities? Why observe the manner in which words are
did Mrs. Wormwood call “brainy-nes” used and possible emotions conveyed by
undesirable? each character. The teacher may give
2. Why is Miss Trunchbull hateful of the guide questions to help students take
students? What can you say about her note of the following.
personality? Why do you think
individuality is continuously rejected in
the story?
3. Was Matilda truly good or evil? Does
her experience justify her actions towards
the adults around her? If you had her
telekinetic powers, would you do the
same in defending yourself and others
from oppressors?

The aim of this activity is to let learners

read literature in English (or any literature
of the target language). The story, a
children’s book, contains numerous
descriptive imagery that help its readers
to imagine scenarios being depicted. This
may help L2 learners to visualize what is
written and eventually create meaning
and ideas of their own in future readings.
Listening Activity: Analyzing a Speech Activity: Selecting Specific Information
Directions: Read and listen to the Directions: Read and listen to a dialogue
following speeches provided by your exchange between characters. Analyze
teacher, once done, present your the main goal of said characters, and
thoughts in front of the class or write their resolutions to achieve it.
down a short paragraph explaining their
thoughts on what they heard. Example situation:
A man holding a carton box was talking
The following guide questions may be
presented to help the students make
notes on specific points in the speech.
1. Was the speaker’s voice clear and
understandable?
2. Did the speaker struggle with
some words? Is the use of pause
necessary when it was used?
3. Was the message delivered
appropriately? Was the speaker’s
tone in-line with the overall mood
of the speech?
The following questions were concerned
with speech delivery and word utterance,
skills which language learners may take
note of the next time they do a speech
themselves. A follow-up activity may also
include delivering a speech.
to a woman with a black purse. They
were headed in the same direction as
the person behind them, but unlike the
two, she is unfamiliar with the place and
is considerably lost. Upon hearing where
they are headed, she follows the two
talking strangers. It was a quiet walk
towards the next train station; the two
continued to talk and she followed
them.
Woman: (points at the station entrance)
“It’s already closed.”
Man: “I guess we should just catch a
jeepney, then.”
Lost person: “Excuse me, I am not
familiar with other modes of
transportation around the area. Do you
happen to know how to get to Sta.
Mesa, Manila?”
Woman: “You’re in luck! We just happen
to be going there as well. You can tag
along with us.”
Man: “If something like this happens
again, you can just wait for a jeepney
over a few blocks away from here.”
(Points in the direction of where they
are headed.)
Lost person: “Thanks for the info. I
usually rush to catch the last train home.
It’s helpful to know that there are other
ways to get there.”
After playing the recording, the teacher
may provide guide questions that will
help the learners understand the
conversation.
Example questions:
1. What drove the couple (man
holding a box and the woman
with a black purse) to opt for a
jeepney instead of a train?
2. Why did the other person follow
them?
3. Did the third person do the right
thing by asking them for help?
4. If you are in a similar situation as
the lost person, how will you
approach people for help?
 Writing Activity: Writing an essay
Directions: Introduce yourself in a short
essay, talk about your likes and dislikes,
hobbies or anything that makes you
unique.
Activity: Writing a Letter
Directions: Write two letters; one is an
informal letter addressed to your
favorite person, and another is a formal
letter to your dream university.

This activity aims to practice the learner’s

ability to write coherent paragraphs. This
will enforce learners to regulate their
(through writing and editing their essay)
use of the L2 as a written language.
Speaking Activity: Present a Speech Activity: Practice Conversation
Directions: Present a speech in front of Directions: Pick a conversation topic
class. You may choose from the essay that from the fishbowl, and then pair up with
you wrote in the previous activity, or a a classmate. Conduct a 2-minute
selection of your choice. conversation that must include a
greeting, a question, and a resolution.
Teacher may present a rubric containing Contextualization
the competencies needed to be included Stategy
in the students’ performance. Structure
Example rubric: Structure Context Strategy
Clarity Diction Pause (30%) (30%) (40%)
(10 pts) (10 pts) (10 pts) Conversati The Students
Students Students Pause after on must formality must be
must be must be certain follow the or able to
able to able to punctuatio natural informality efficiently
recite the pronounce n marks flow of of the use
speech words must be interaction language language
according properly. observed. s. used must to
to its Vocabulary be communic
structure. , syntax, according ate. They
Stress in and to the should be
certain grammar conversati able to
words or must be in- on topic. convey the
phrases line with message
must be the relevant to
observed. conversati their
on fellow
purpose, converser’
speaker’s s language
language proficiency
proficiency .
and topic.

Lesson 3 Activity
Directions: Write a reflection on the significance of that study in second language teaching and learning.
Your written reflection must be at least 250 words in length.

The study of second language teaching and learning is important because it differs from the first
language acquisition. The teaching of a target language is quite challenging for both teachers and
learners that utilize a language that is not their mother tongue. Both learners and teachers do not use L2
as they use their L1. A person’s first language is acquired more than learned, however, second language
is studied or adopted for specific reasons—mostly for academic purposes. In the case of learners such as
myself, I learn English for academic purposes. Because of this, reading texts is the most appropriate
exposure I get to see its usage. Reading and writing are the most important skills for this purpose, but
listening and speaking are also needed to better understand English. Behaviorists and Functionalists
both agree that exposure is key in learning the target language, this is specifically important in second
language teaching and learning as it is not as frequently used as the first language.

I also think that the study of second language acquisition and learning is beneficial to other related
studies that circle around both L1 and L2 teaching and learning. Theories in first language acquisition
focus on the internal processes of acquiring language. After all, studies surrounding it focus mainly on
children’s formative learning years, who are unable to describe the experience themselves. Meanwhile a
second language is learned by school-aged children and other level learners for a specific purpose,
therefore they are aware of their learning process.