Methodological Eclecticism in Teaching English as a Foreign Language

Behaviorism is a scientific approach that humans and animals behavior can be studied and explained through examination, and shows how psychologists view different behaviors. Behaviorisms believes that learners behavior starts shaping through “stimulus – responses” (Behaviorism, 2007), and positive reinforcement (by giving rewards), or negative

Behaviorism has been a topic of many controversies in the early stages of developing. This paper will present a synthesis of several articles discussing behaviorisms and its development through various schools of theories, in addition known researchers and conclusions. The first article that illustrates behaviorism is, “Behaviorism at 100” by Ledoux (2012), which details the last 50 years of the study of behaviorism. The next article is “Behaviorism” by Moore (2011), maps the beginning of behaviorism with B.F.Skinner and addressing functionalism and structuralism. The article named “Psychology as the behaviorist views it”, written by Watson (1913) put his emphasis the aspects of psychology and how behaviorist view introspection. Green (2009) article “Darwinian Theory functionalism and the First American psychological revolution”, is very adamant to have is readers to know that functionalism was the foundation that behaviorism was built. Clark (2004) article “The classical origins of Pavlov’s conditioning”, give insight into classical conditioning abroad and in the United States. The last article named “Little Albert’s alleged neurological impairment” written by Digdon , Powell and Harris (2014), focus on ethical concerns and that may have been overlooked. The synthesis paper will provide behaviorism and conclusions that can draw overall messages from the articles mentioned above.

It emphasizes on observable behaviors rather than on unconscious inner states. Behaviorist believe that human behaviors are molded by experience and that we are the result of what we have learned from our environment. The behaviorist approach gives two ways as to how people learn from their environment: classical conditioning and operant conditioning. Classical conditioning is when two stimuli (environmental factors) are linked together to produce a new learned response. Operant conditioning is learning from the consequences of behavior. A lot of the studies in behaviorism consist of controlled experiments as it is believed that behavior can be reduced to learned stimulus-response units. Behaviorism assumes that humans are born with a blank slate and are therefore born equal. They believe that it is environmental factors that make us different as opposed to biological factors. Behaviorist believe that cognitions, emotions, and moods are too subjective and that only observable behaviors should be studied. They believe that any person could be trained to perform any task with the right

The qualities of the behaviourist approach are that behaviourism depends on detectable practices, so it is less demanding to evaluate and gather information and data when directing examination. Since research and trial is an intense apparatus in giving clarifications and clear confirmations about a specific wonder, early scholars and defenders of behaviourism took pride in starting the investigations of noticeable practices instead of those that can't be watched and

Behaviorism is a theoretical perspective of learning that focuses on the observable changes in behavior (Tracey and Morrow, 2012 p.55). Behaviorists believe that learning takes place when knowledge is separated into smaller steps from easier to more complex tasks. Instruction in a behaviorist classroom focuses on conditioning student behaviors and rewarding students when they are successful with feedback and positive reinforcement. Often instruction is direct and repeated until the desired behavior or skill is learned, becomes automatic and is error free. There

Behaviorism is the branch of psychology associated today with numerous psychologists but one of the most prominent behavioral psychologists of all time, B.F. Skinner really taught people that any behavior is usually immediately affected by its consequences. I having a young child I have seen Skinners theories work in many different facets during my short stint of being a parent. Skinner is a theorist who made his reputation by studying how an individual's behavior might change by responding to his/her environment. The great Skinner wrote "Education is what survives when what has been learned has been forgotten",(Skinner, 1964) thus basically meaning that most over and over again behaviors we as

“Behaviorism is predominantly concerned with evident and measurable aspects of human behavior. In defining behaviour, behaviourist-learning theories emphasise changes in behavior that result from stimulus-response links made by the learner. Behaviour is directed by stimuli. An individual selects one response instead

Behaviorism, is a theory based upon the idea that all behaviors are attained through certain condition. Behaviorists believe that it is more profitable to study

In closing, Behaviorism focuses on observable actions rather than the internal aspects of individuals. Behaviorists believe that it is the environment rather than thoughts and emotion that affect an individual's behavior. Together both John B. Watson and B.F. Skinner shaped both the school of Behaviorism and the world of Psychology in general.

The sociolinguistics of schooling is not only an expression of the organizational apathy in students of the educational system but is also working as an apparatus by which it forms society. As a result, reform has to change both the values implanted in education and the formal configuration itself, which may resist. In fact, in many ways it already has a negative effect on these problems by draining money and energy away from social reforms that might hold a more extensive impact, as David Labaree states:

Behaviourism refers to a psychological approach which explains human development in terms of how they learn from experience rather than a result of inborn tendencies or higher order thinking. Learning from experience moulds and shapes behaviour and personality. (A2Healthandsocialcarepg84) The behaviourist movement began in 1913 when John Watson wrote the article 'Psychology as the behaviourist views it. ' Other psychologists such as, Pavlov, Thorndike and Skinner also worked to develop behavioural theories of learning. (A2Healthandsocialcarepg84) They focused their explanations solely on behaviour, concerning what people do rather than what may or may not be going on in their minds. Behaviourists suggest that all behaviour is learned either through classical or operant conditioning. (PsychologyASpg.50)

In its most general sense, Behaviorism, also known as behavioral psychology, is a theory of learning developing as a result of the propositions and beliefs shared by a group of people who has influenced educators’ view of learning. The term behavioral psychology refers to a psychological approach which principally concerned with stimulus-response activities and emphasizes the role of environmental factors in a learning process, to the exclusion of own free will. There is a tenet of behavioral psychology that “only observable, measurable, an outward behavior is worth investigating” (Bush, 2006, p. 14). Historically speaking, behaviorism was originated in the 1880s and develops gradually in the twentieth-first century and beyond. Skinner and Watson were categorically the two major behaviorist

Behaviorism is a way to deal with psychology that spotlights on a singular's behavior. It consolidates components of philosophy, technique, and theory. It developed in the mid twentieth century as a response to profundity psychology and other more conventional types of psychology, which regularly experienced issues making predictions that could be tried utilizing thorough experimental methods. Behaviorism is more worried with behavior than with thinking, feeling, or knowing. It concentrates on the goal and discernible parts of behavior. The behaviorist theories all share some variant of jolt reaction components for learning. Behaviorism started with the work of John B. Watson, an American psychologist. Watson held the perspective that psychology ought to just fret about

My philosophy of teaching language is that in order for a child to achieve language they have to have the desire to learn it. In my short time, I have overseen teachers implement a student-centered learning environment. Learning in my future classroom will always occur within cooperative and collaborative group work. Having observed this strategy, this strategy is completely effective and positive to reaffirm and develop strong student-to-student and instructor-to-students relationships. This only reassures and establishes an honest and sincere communication in classrooms. I would also do my best to create a positive and enjoyable environment for my future students, which motivates them to participate actively in the activities. In today’s classrooms, I find, they are becoming extremely diverse in socioeconomic, academic, disability and ethnic backgrounds. To be able to provide a connection and identity with the English language only becomes a more challenging task to achieve due to the diversity of the group of students. “Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening” (Arizona College and Career Readiness Standards). However, as my duty and responsibility as an instructor, I am obligated to design activities that address the diverse abilities and needs of each and every student. One of my primary goals of teaching is to help

Schacter (2012) defined Behaviourism as “an approach that advocates that psychologists restrict themselves to the scientific study of objectively observable behaviour” (pg 19). Behaviours that can be observed include covert behaviours, like thoughts and emotions, and behaviourism can be used to analyse these and then modify them. In the 20th century Pavlov, Thorndike, Watson and Skinner all played very important roles in the emergence of Behaviourism and helped tear away from other psychology fields. Theories about human behaviour were concluded by experiments on animals and how they interacted with their environment. This then led to different experiments in conditioning behaviour that was learnt from environment and reinforcement.