The Use of Behaviorism in Primary School Language Teaching

The process of language teaching and learning had been revolutionized and varied throughout the years. Through research and observation, multiple methods, theories and approaches to language teaching are presented and used in modern-day classrooms. Some applications of these principles can be proven through a Youtube video titled “Teaching English Learning in Public Primary School in Vietnam”. After watching and analyzing it, I can see that the video clearly reflects the theory of behaviourism.

According to Duchesne, the theory of behaviourism views learning as a ’cause and effect’ mechanism, where external factors will lead to a response and turned into a learnt behaviour.

This can be proven where the teacher associates the written form of colours with its visual form so that the pupils may be able to create contiguity with each other. Another reason why I consider behaviourism is the interaction between the teacher and her pupil in the classroom. In the video, the teacher held an active role, which make the process more teacher-centred.

For instance, during a game of matching the written form with its visual colour, the teacher corrected the pupil’s mistake of putting the wrong written form and showed them the correct match instantaneously. This shows that the teacher decides whether the information is correct or wrong and makes sure the pupil interpret the information correctly. On the other hand, the pupils hold a passive role in the classroom. Moreover, the type of knowledge given to the students is similar to the concept of behaviourism, which is absolute.

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It is considered as facts, the knowledge that can not be changed. In the video, the main topic the pupils were learning was ‘Colours’, where its definition and concept could not be changed.

Aside from theory, the video also demonstrates a few modern methods and approaches of language teaching in the class. Some of the most apparent ones are Total Physical Response (TPR) and the Audio-lingual method. TPR is defined as a method or approach of teaching a certain target language by developing listening comprehension through a set of commands to which the students respond with physical activity. It combines both language and gestures, making the language acquisition smoother and more natural (CITATION) This can be proven through the video whenever the class will start an activity, the teacher would use a command or instruction and the pupils would follow it.

For instance, the teacher would use the word “Stand up” to instruct them to stand before playing the song “Head Shoulders Knees and Toes”. The song itself used the TPR approach because the pupils had to point out each body part as indicated in the lyrics through gestures. In the video, when the pupil sang out the word “head”, they would simultaneously touch their head and the same goes for the other body part. As the pupils are young and full of energy, this approach is fitting for them as it requires both the brain and body to function. The second approach shown in the video is the Audio-lingual method.

What was initially known as the Army method, Audio-lingual is associated with the theory of behaviourism where a human’s behaviour can be trained through reinforcement and response. This approach drills students in using grammatical speech patterns. Such techniques are memorization and repetition, which can be seen in the video. The teacher used the techniques of repetition to students when learning colours. It could also be shown during songs. The song “Hello, how are you?” had repeated verses in them. This represents the repetition drill of grammatical speech patterns, which leads to the word being ingrained in their mind and later apply it to real-life situations.

As for the skills, the video emphasis more on honing speaking and listening rather than reading and writing. This is evident through the approaches used in the class. Total Physical Response uses a sense of hearing as the main medium while the Audio-lingual method is an oral communication approach. Although in the video, there was an activity that involve writing out the words on the blackboard, its purpose is only for learning and memorizing the word. Speaking, however, is being emphasized throughout the entire video.

For example, the teacher used repetition drills on expressions such as “I’m happy” and “I’m okay” with gestures at the start of the class. The pupils recite the words the teacher had stressed, as can be seen when the pupils follow the teacher’s gesture and pronunciations of each word of expressions. Another example from the video is when the pupils sang aloud the songs played with the guidance of the teacher. They followed the word and rhythm of the song “Hello, how are you?” before going on to the main lesson. This shows that through songs and the audio-lingual method of repetition drill, the teacher used oral language as the main tool not only for memorization but also to attract the student’s attention while making the lesson enjoyable.

Other than that, hearing skills are honed through the video as well. This is evident when the teacher instructed the student when starting a new activity. For example, when the teacher explained the competition between gender, the teacher asked for two chosen girls to come out by throwing the balls at them. The boys understood the instruction and didn’t come out front even though they picked up the ball.

To make sure the language skills are mastered and the objectives of the lessons are met, materials and props are used in the classroom. One such example is songs. Songs are one of the versatile activities that can develop a young learner’s communication skills and at the same time, help to boost engagement and cooperation between teachers and students. Songs are also a vital tool in polishing one’s speaking and hearing skills for foreign languages.

Songs and rhymes represent powerful features of primary language programs. This is evident through the video when the teacher used two songs in her lesson, which are “Hello, how are you?” and “Head, shoulders, knees & toes”. Both of the songs contain rhymes and are closely associated with the pupils. The pupils were also clearly engaged in the activity when they danced and sang aloud which creates an enjoyable and positive learning environment.

Ultimately, the selection of theory, approaches and materials prove to be effective and successful in achieving the objectives of the lesson and mastering the language skills used. The video is a prime example of the succession to these selections. With this analysis in mind, planning an enjoyable and engaging learning environment for young learners can be easier to achieve a more successful and high-quality result.