Congnivist Theory of Language Learning (The Rationalist Approach)

(i) The Theory : Nature:

Another school of the psychology of learning can be described as the cognitivist views of learning. The Behaviourists provided the model of learning in terms

of stimulus and response :

S → R

However, according to the Cognitivists, there is something which mediates (= functions as a link) between the stimulus and the responses. This is called "Cognitive Function".

S→Cognitive Function→ R

The learner does not just behave in a mechanical manner. On the contrary, he uses his mind too which is the "cognitive map." This cognitive map (= mind) enables the learner to analyse and interprets the new experience. That is why, the views are called "Rationalist Approach".

(ii) Difference between Behaviourist and Cognitivist Views:

The cognitivist theory of language learning differs from the Behaviourist theory in certain ways.

The Behaviourist theory suggested that learning takes place only in practice. On the contrary, the cognitivists are convinced that learning depends on perception and insight formation. They feel that all learning is in the nature of problem-solving. The new experience constitutes the problem which the learner tries to solve on the basis of previous learning.

Secondly, the Behaviourist theory reduces the learner to some kind of robot who is manipulated by someone behind the scenes. The Cognitivist theory, learner at the centre of the learning process.

Thirdly, unlike the Behaviourist view-, the Cognitivist view emphasises the importance of the learner's own contribution, to the process of learning. This contribution consists in the previous learning which brings to the task of learning something new.

Fourthly, the cognitivist theory is not a "blind" or mechanical process. It is related to the faculty of reasoning which enables the learner to compare his experiences with to know what appears to be useful or relevant.

Fifthly, according to the Behaviourists, a child learns to speak basically by imitating what he hears. When it imitates correctly, it is rewarded. This serves to reinforce the learning. On the contrary, according to the cognivitists, the learner of language possesses some kind of mechanism. With the help of some "rules" the learner can produce innumerable utterances. According to Chomsky, the language learner learns a complex and abstract set of rules.

Thus, the two theories of language learning differ rather widely from each other.

However,, they have one common point and it is the belief that learning takes, place through exposure to experience. If one is deprived of their exposure, there will be no learning. In this respect, the amount of exposure for the cognitivists is rather less important than it is for the Behaviourists.

(iii) Stages in the Learning Process: According to the Cognivitists, the stages in the learning process are as given below:

The learner encountering a new situation recognizes it as a "problem" to be solved.
The problem is analysed and the learner tries to identify the elements of the new situa-tion:
The new situation is compared with the previous one. It is decided whether it is "similar" or different.
The comparison suggests a plan for dealing with a new situation. But the plan has to be tested
The plan is tried out. If it does not work, it is abandoned. An alternative plan is tried. If the plan "works", it is stored for future use.

(iv) The Theory of Innate Language Structures:

In recent years, there have emerged groups of psycholinguists who are concerned with investigating the natural faculty for learning language which the human child possesses. These psycholinguists suppose themselves to be cognivitists in stressing the innateness of the language learning process. Most of them have been influenced by Chomsky.

The behaviourists were purely environmentalists. They constantly stressed the importance of the environment or the learning experiences encountered by the learner. For the Cognitivists, the environment is important, but it is less important than the understanding of the environment. The learner is able to develop it through the inborn qualities of reasoning. On the other hand, the Psychoanalists stress the importance of "genetic characters still further"

The psycholinguists assume that the human child possesses a biological apparatus which pre-disposes it (child) to the learning of language. In this sense, the child's brain is like a computer which is "programmed" in advance.

The Psycholinguists further believe that the structure of language may ultimately provide a clue to the internal structure of what they call Language Acquisition Device

(LAD) which the child possesses.

Finally, the psycholinguists are of the view that a child is much better learner of language than an adult.