COGNITIVISM AND FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNING

by:
ERLANGGA DJATI A320110044
ANANDA DHIRA A A320110085

SCHOOL OF TEACHER TRAINING AND EDUCATION

MUHAMMADIYAH UNIVERSITY OF SURAKARTA
2015

COGNITIVISM AND FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNING

Sentence are not learned by imitation and repetition but generated from the learners
underlying Competence (Chomsky, 1966). In general, cognitive psychologist challenge the
limitations of behaviorism in its focus on observable behavior. Cognitivism believes that people
are rational beings that require active participations in order to learn, and whose actions are a
consequence of thinking.
Cognitive psychology is concerned about cognitive process of knowledge acquisition.
American Heritage Dictionary of the English language gives the meaning of cognition as the
mental process by which knowledge is acquired. There are several basic characteristics of
cognition: cognition is a process; this process is mental; this process is purposive; by implication,
this process is internal; and by implication the process is ultimately under the control of the
learner, even if one is coerced into learning by external pressure.
The central issues that interest cognitive psychologistcs include the internal mechanism
of human thought and the processes of knowing. In cognitive theory, the mind is viewed as an
agent in the thingking learning process. Learning is considered as an active, constructive,
cumulative, self-directed process that is dependent on the mental activities of the learner (Shuell
1986; Sternberg 1996). The cognitive orientation focuses on the mental activities of the learner
which lead to successful learning.
Meaning and learning both require the learner to actively construct new knowledge and
strategies (Rumelhart, 1980). Transfer of information into permanent storage is facilitated by
rehearsal of the information, by organization of the information, by the use of meta-memory
strategies. The learners tend to remember better when knowledge is acquired through distributed
practice across various study sessions, rather than through massed practice, although the
distribution of time during any given study session does not seem to affect into long-term
stronge. (Anderson 1983;Sternberg 1966).
David Ausubel, one of the leading cognitive psychologist, states in his book A Cognitive
View (1968) that there are two types of learning: rote learning and meaningful learning. Rote
learning is a process in which the material is learned arbitrarily and verbatim. On the other hand,
material learned in a meaningful way is acquired in a non-arbitrary and a non-verbatim fashion.
Learning is that learning must be meaningful, the learner must understand what is to be learned.
In short, meaningful learning takes place in the following condition: the learner comprehend the
material; they can relate the material to their present knowledge system in a non-arbitrary and
non-verbatim manner; and the consciously intent to integrate the material being learned into their
own cognitive structure. (Ausubel, 1968; Chastain 1976)
Cognitive psychology underpins the rise of a foreign language teaching methodology
called Cognitive Approach or Cognitive Code Learning. It emphasizes on studying a foreign
language as a system of rule and knowledge, rather than learning it as a set of skills. This method
was intended as an alternative to the Audiolingual Method that emphasizes habit formation as
process of language learning. The role of the teacher is to recognize the importance of the
students mental assets and mental activity in learning.