Efl Teaching-Learning

Acosta, Eiber
Pedagogy of Languages & Design of Materials
Prof. Pablo E. Acosta Acosta
Mid-Term Take-Home Exam
June 2, 2011
The Significant Learning: prior knowledge, relativity andmotivation.
In this paper, we are going to discuss about the best approach to teach English as a Foreign Language to children in Popayán and its surroundings. Then, it is necessary to examine how toimplement and view that process in the classroom, the factors that directly impact successful language development for learners and what can be done to facilitate the teaching process in the EFL classroom.As a novice foreign language teacher, I consider that one of the best approaches is The Significant Learning proposed by David Paul Ausubel; so teachers must view this process as relative and implementit bearing in mind students’ previous knowledge and experiences. In the same way, motivation and the use of the mother tongue must be seen as important factors that make possible The SignificantLearning in children. The first one successfully impacts children’s learning and the second one facilitates such process.
To begin with, it is needed to give details about the basis of The SignificantLearning. Ausubel (1972), states that this learning takes place when the material being presented relates to learners’ prior knowledge and experience. However, this operation has certain conditions,such as the significant potentiality and the positive disposition of the agent regarding learning. The significant potentiality has to do with the coherence in the internal structure of the materialand with the fact that the material’s contents are understandable for the cognitive structure of the learner. The positive disposition of the agent refers to the motivational, emotional and attitudinalcomponent present in the learning process. According to Ausubel, the significant knowledge is produced through the interaction between the new idea or concept and the appropriate ideas that the...