Dwight Atkinson (University of Arizona)

A sociocognitive perspective on second language acquisition and teaching (SLA/T) is based on seven principles: 

1) Mindbodyworld Principle: Mind is a part of not apart from body and world; 

2) Alignment Principle: We learn by adapting to our ecosocial environment, i.e., by mutually aligning our behaviors with others';

3) Affective Learning Principle: Shared affect undergirds learning-through-interaction; 

4) Multimodal/Sociomaterial Principle: Learning is afforded by multiple expressive modes and material objects/settings working in tandem; 

5) Learning-teaching principle: Both teaching and learning from teachers are co-evolved innate human dispositions; 

6) We-principle: SLA/T research highlights learning by individuals, yet learners learn together in groups, with groups, and for groups; 

7) Learning Action Principle: Studying learning as a process rather than product entails studying learning-in-the-making rather than learning-already-made. We will apply these principles to an approximately 1-minute videotaped episode of classroom SLA/T to help us understand dimensions of learning not highlighted by other SLA/T approaches.

 

Part 2 of 2 in a seminar series organised by the research program Transdisciplinary Approaches to Learning, Acquisition, Multilingualism (TEAM).