11th ABLA CALI – COLOMBIA

1. 11th ABLA CALI – COLOMBIA Learning strategies from a Dynamic Systems Theory (DST) perspective Carlos Andrés Rico M.A. Applied Linguistics University of Groningen, the Netherlands

2. Implementation of vocabulary learning strategies from a DST perspective • Objectives: • To briefly describe what Dynamic Systems Theory (DST) is about • To provide examples of how DST may apply SLA • Give pertinent information about the organization of the multilingual mental lexicon and offer some insights about vocabulary learning from a dynamic perspective • Give a general description of the empirical experiment that was carried out for this investigation

3. 1. Dynamic Systems Theory

4. 1. Dynamic Systems Theory • What is a system? • What is a dynamic system? • Can you name three examples of systems? • What are some characteristics of dynamic systems?

5. 1. Dynamic Systems Theory 1. What is a system? • A group of related parts that work together as a whole for a particular purpose (Oxford dictionary). Taken from http://www.rainbowskill.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/digestive-system2.jpg

6. 1. Dynamic Systems Theory 2. What is a dynamic system? • Van Geert (1994) defines dynamic system as a set of variables that mutually affect each other, and this generates changes over time.

7. 1. Dynamic Systems Theory Taken from: https://www.ecwa.org/Graphics/watercycle.gif 3. Examples: • Examples: The weather, the traffic, economy of a country.

8. 1. Dynamic Systems Theory What does DST study?

9. 1. Dynamic Systems Theory • What does DST study? • It aims to account for how the behavior of a large complex system emerges from the interaction of its different components. • It analyzes how disorder gives way to order. • It studies processes rather than states.

10. 2. Features of Dynamic Systems

11. 2. Features of Dynamic Systems

12. 2. Features of Dynamic Systems • Dynamic • Complex • Non-linear • Chaotic • Unpredictable

13. 2. Features of Dynamic Systems • Sensitive to initial conditions • Open • Self-organizing • Feedback sensitive • Adaptive • Dynamic • Complex • Non-linear • Chaotic • Unpredictable

14. 2. Features of Dynamic Systems • Dynamic: • There are changes over time • Complex: • Large number of components • The behavior of the system depends on the behavior of its individual elements

15. 2. Features of Dynamic Systems • Dynamic: • There are changes over time: Vocabulary • Complex: • Large number of components: Vocal cords, respiratory system • The behavior of the system depends on the behavior of its individual components: Speech production

16. 2. Features of Dynamic Systems • Non-linear: • The proportion cause- effect is not reciprocal • Chaotic: • Period of complete randomness • Unpredictable: • It impossible to determine when chaos will start

17. 2. Features of Dynamic Systems • Non-linear: • The proportion cause- effect is not reciprocal: Teaching and learning (time invested) • Chaotic: • Period of complete randomness: Grammar mistakes, L1 interference • Unpredictable: • It impossible to determine when chaos will start: It is impossible to predict all the errors one learner can make

18. 2. Features of Dynamic Systems • Sensitive to initial conditions: • A slight change in initial conditions can have vast implications for future behavior • Open: • Increase in order and complexity

19. 2. Features of Dynamic Systems • Sensitive to initial conditions: • A slight change in initial conditions can have vast implications for future behavior: Sounds to produce • Open: • Increase in order and complexity: More elaborated grammar structures

20. 2. Features of Dynamic Systems • Self-organizing: • Particles organize themselves • Feedback sensitive: • Mutations, and changes

21. 2. Features of Dynamic Systems • Self-organizing: • Particles organize themselves: Human mental lexicon • Feedback sensitive: • Mutations, and changes: improvement in the learning of the L2

22. 2. Features of Dynamic Systems • Adaptive: • Attractor states (stability) • Fractal

23. 2. Features of Dynamic Systems • Adaptive: • Attractor states (stability): Focilization • Fractal: A language is composed by several smaller components

24. 2.1 Dynamic Systems and Language • While language can be conceptualized as aggregations of paradigmatic and syntagmatic units (e.g. phonemes, morphemes, sentences, etc), it is also true that a view of language as a dynamic system can be adopted.

25. 2.1 Dynamic Systems and Language • In many studies of SLA, the learners’ language development is pictured as a more or less linear progress from zero to native like, in gradual consecutive steps.

26. 2.1 Dynamic Systems and Language

27. 2.1 Dynamic Systems and Language • However, it has been shown that when people learn an L2, the development is not straightforward.

28. 2.1 Dynamic Systems and Language

29. 3. The multilingual mental lexicon • What is the mental lexicon?

30. 3. The multilingual mental lexicon • What is the mental lexicon? • The human word-store is often referred as a “mental dictionary or more commonly as the mental lexicon” (Aitchison, 2003. p. 10).

31. 3. The multilingual mental lexicon • According to Aitchison (2003) the mental lexicon is partially organized:

32. 3. The multilingual mental lexicon • According to Aitchison (2003) the mental lexicon is partially organized: • in grouping categories. • by frequency of usage. • by initial sounds, word endings, stress patterns and stressed vowels. • by semantic patterns. • by data about syntactic patterns.

33. 3. The multilingual mental lexicon • One word can be “linked” to several groups at the same time: SEE

34. 3. The multilingual mental lexicon • As for content, dictionaries have a fixed numbers of words that can be perfectly counted. However, humans’ vocabulary is constantly changing, it is updated and some information is forgotten.

35. 3. The multilingual mental lexicon • As for content, dictionaries have a fixed numbers of words that can be perfectly counted. However, humans’ vocabulary is constantly changing, it is updated and some information is forgotten. • Therefore, the human word store can be consideredactive and dynamic.

36. 3. The multilingual mental lexicon • Recent models have built their theories on connections such as neuronal networks.

37. 3. The multilingual mental lexicon • Recent models have built their theories on connections such as neuronal networks. • All lexical items are part of one big network. • Individual words in the lexicon may change depending on its degree of activation. • Activation can increase or decrease over time (de Bot, Lowie & Verspoor 2005).

38. 3. The multilingual mental lexicon

39. 3.1 Vocabulary learning from a dynamic perspective • The human word store can be considered as a dynamic system because it:

40. 3.1 Vocabulary learning from a dynamic perspective • The human word store can be considered as a dynamic system because it: • changes due to internal an external factors, • self organizes, • is feedback sensitive, • is adaptive, • changes over time, and • has several variables that mutually interact.

41. 3.1 Vocabulary learning from a dynamic perspective • According to the dynamic model of the multilingual mental lexicon: • The words that are heard, seen and used more frequently will be easily retrieved. • The words that are often used create more associations with other information. • The activation of one lexical item can affect the level of activation of other lexical items it is attached to. • The activation of a word depends on the input and output that a speaker has experienced in his entire life, and in very recent times.

42. 3.1 Vocabulary learning from a dynamic perspective • If the dynamic model of the multilingual mental lexicon is correct, “association” and “activation” are key elements that will have implications for second language acquisition – development (de Bot, Lowie & Verspoor 2005).

43. 3.1 Vocabulary learning from a dynamic perspective • Association means that a great number of connections has to be made, so a word can be learned.

44. 3.1 Vocabulary learning from a dynamic perspective • Association means that a great number of connections has to be made, so a word can be learned. • The lexical item must be noticed in various contexts. • The learner should pay explicit attention to the different characteristics of the word to learn.

45. 3.1 Vocabulary learning from a dynamic perspective • Activation is a kind of practice that makes the access to the lexical item more automatic.

46. 3.1 Vocabulary learning from a dynamic perspective • Activation is a kind of practice that makes the access to the lexical item more automatic. • If there is rehearsal, the level of activation of the different lexical items is increased. • When the level of activation decreases over time, it is important to try to keep the level of activation above a threshold level, so the increase of activation is more effective, and the lexical items are not “forgotten”.

47. 3.1 Vocabulary learning from a dynamic perspective Taken from: http://www.visualthesaurus.com

48. 4. The experiment • It is common to see English teachers (and language teachers in general) say “it’s important to study vocabulary”; however, it is not common to see them explaining and showing how to study. • We also do not know how much DST elements such as association and activation may actually influence the acquisition and development of vocabulary.

49. 4. The experiment Research question Does the teaching and training in the use of two vocabulary learning strategies that help incorporate and activate new lexical items—the keyword method and semantic mapping—have a positive effect on the amount of vocabulary learned by Dutch learners of Spanish?

50. 4. The experiment • The key word method (association + activation) • It is a learning technique that requires a deep cognitive process (Brown & Perry, 1991; Gu & Johnson, 1996; Macaro, 2006).