This book explores the contributions that cognitive linguistics and psychology, including neuropsychology, have made to the understanding of the way that second languages are processed and learnt. It examines areas of phonology, word recognition and semantics, examining 'bottom-up' decoding processes as compared with 'top-down' processes as they affect memory. It also discusses second language learning from the acquisition/learning and nativist/connectionist perspectives. These ideas are then related to the methods that are used to teach second languages, primarily English, in formal classroom situations. This examination involves both 'mainstream' communicative approaches, and more traditional methods widely used to teach EFL throughout the world. The book is intended to act both as a textbook for students who are studying second language teaching and as an exploration of issues for the interested teacher who would like to further extend their understanding of the cognitive processes underlying their teaching.Mick Randall is currently Senior Lecturer in TESOL and Head of the Institute of Education at the British University in Dubai. He has taught courses in second language learning and teaching, applied linguistics and psychology in a number of different contexts. He has a special interest in the cognitive processing of language and in the psycholinguistics of word recognition, spelling and reading.

Offering a timely snapshot of current theory and research in the field of psychology in foreign language learning, this book is accessible to both specialists and non-specialists. Each chapter focuses on a different psychological construct and provides an overview of current thinking in the area drawing on insights from educational psychology.

Education and cognitive psychology are natural companions—they both are focused on how people think and learn. Although collaborations have occurred for many years, recently there has been a much greater interest in collaborations that bring cognitive principles into classroom settings. This renewed collaborative research has led both to new evidence-based instructional practices and to a better understanding of cognitive principles. This volume contains overviews of research projects at the intersection of cognitive science and education. The prominent contributors—cognitive psychologists, developmental psychologists, educational psychologists, and science educators—were chosen both for the quality of their work and the variety of their contributions—general principles; influence of affect and motivation; and focus on math and science education. This volume contains overviews of research projects at the intersection of cognitive science and education The prominent contributors were chosen both for the quality of their work and the variety of their contributions general principles; influence of affect and motivation; and focus on math and science education.

This edited volume examines a number of topics related to the roles of individual and contextual factors in English as second or foreign language (ESL/EFL) settings by presenting chapters across the three sections of theoretical and pedagogical approaches, teacher and learner research, and research into the roles of technology. The book has a focus on practical actions and recommendations related to individual and contextual factors in ESL/EFL, with a specific concern with issues of cognition, metacognition, emotion, and identity, and offers perspectives from a diverse range of international education settings. For teachers of ESL/EFL, the effective recognition and integration of individual and contextual factors into the classroom may represent a significant challenge. This is often the case in those settings where native English speaking teachers work in foreign language contexts where they may have limited understanding of local cultures and languages, or where language instructors have class groups that are culturally and linguistically diverse. In these, and similar, contexts, the types and extent of individual and contextual factors impacting on language learning may challenge both learner and instructor expectations of what an effective and supportive classroom is. While such a situation offers numerous opportunities for learners and teachers to expand their knowledge of themselves and each other, it also presents the possibility for ineffective teaching and learning to occur. It is within this framework that the book presents the latest theoretical, pedagogical, and research perspectives from around the world, thereby providing a resource for all stakeholders with an interest in the roles individual and contextual factors play in the English learning process.

This state-of-the-art volume is the first to capture a hybrid discipline that studies the role and linguistic implications of the human mind in language learning and teaching. This Handbook considers individual as well as collective factors in language learners and teachers from an array of new empirical constructs and theoretical perspectives, including implications for practice and “myths, debates, and disagreements” in the field, and points to future directions for research. This collection of stellar contributions is an essential resource for researchers, advanced students, and teachers working in applied linguistics, second language acquisition, psychology, and education.

Cognition and Instruction focuses on the relationship of knowledge acquisition processes with instruction, including reading, writing, mathematics, curriculum design and reform, and reasoning. The selection first takes a look at the issues in cognitive psychology and instruction, reading, and writing. Discussions focus on the processes of knowledge acquisition, cognitive prescriptions for teaching, cognitive components of reading, instruction in reading, distinctive nature of higher order mental activity in written composition, and knowledge-transforming procedures within the general context of higher order skills. The publication also offers information on second language and mathematics. The text ponders on science, social studies, and art. Topics include psychological research related to curriculum design, science curriculum reform, curriculum and instructional components of social studies and social sciences, evidence for individual styles in young children, educational considerations, and concept of style. The text then examines music and reasoning. The selection is a valuable source of data for readers and cognitive psychologists pursuing research on the relationship of cognition and instruction. The most recent developments in cognitive psychology Up-to-date literature reviews Chapter on training reasoning Active, renowned contributing authors