Basic Tenents of Behaviorist Theory

 The following principles illustrate the operating principles of behaviorism:

 

Counterarguments on Behaviorist Theory of Language Learning

Needless to say, language teaching anticipates certain theories on language learning becauselanguage learning as a fruitful area that embodies the working of human behavior and mentalprocesses of the learners. Each theory may not be complete model for the investigation oflanguage learning. The following counter-arguments can be made upon the working principlesof behaviorist theory:1) Basic strategies of language learning within the scope of behaviorist theory are imitation,reinforcement, and rewarding. However, researches made on the acquisition of learning havedemonstrated that children’s imitation of structures show evidence of almost no innovation;moreover children "vary considerably in the amount that they imitate" (L.M. Bloom, L. Hood, andP.L. Lightbown, 1974; 380-420). Since children do not imitate such structures like words,phrases, clauses and sentences at the same rate they will naturally learn at different rates eventhough it must be admitted that imitation is very useful in the acquisition of new vocabularyitems. As for reinforcement, "Unfortunately this view of learning receives little support from theavailable evidence" (Herbert H. Clark and Eve V. Clark, 1977; 336), for the parents only correctthe sample structures, and complex structures are occasionally corrected.2) In behaviorist theory, the process of learning relies more on generalization, rewarding,conditioning, three of which support the development of analogical learning in children. But itcan be argued that a process of learning or teaching that encourages the learner to constructphrases, clauses and sentences modeled on previously settled set of rules and drills is thoughtto obstruct the instinctive production of language. Then, habit formation exercises may notnaturally promote intrinsically oriented language learning.3) Obstructions made on instinctively-based learning will doubtedlessly harm the creative way oflearning. It takes a long time to be capable enough to master a language at least a bitintrinsically. There is a threshold level in language learning. This means that learners must learnconsciously supported by repetition and drilling to build up an effective linguistic intuition,acquisition of which marks the establishment of threshold level. Before obtaining the thresholdlevel, the language learner is not creative, cannot use the language properly in new situations ina real sense. it is, then, obvious that the intrinsic learning will be delayed, owing to the Iateacquisition of threshold level because of previously settled set of rules and drills.4) The rate of social influence on learning is not satisfactorily explained. To what extent andrate, does the social surrounding promote language learning? This question remainsunexplained.5) It is highly unlikely for learning to be the same for each individual; that is, each person cannotlearn equally well in the same conditions in which learning takes place, for the background andthe experience of the learners make everybody learn differently. In addition, according toChomsky, there must be some innate capacities which human beings possess that predisposethem to look for basic patters in language.6) The main strategies of the behaviorist theory can only be true for the early stages of learningwhich takes place when the kids are in infancy and in early childhood periods. Moreover, thistheory is fruitful for the most part on animal experimentation and learning.

 

7) Many of the learning processes are mostly too complex, and for this reason there areintervening variable s, which cannot be observed between stimulus and response. "That's why,language acquisition cannot take place through habit formation, since language learners arethrown between stimulus and response chain, for language is too far complicated to be learnedin such a matter, especially given the brief time available.

CONCLUSION

It is clear that language learning and its development, for the behaviorists, is a matter ofconditioning by means of imitation, practice, reinforcement, and habituation, which constitutethe paces of language acquisition. It must be born in mind that all behavioristic theories oflearning are associationistic, including Thorndike's, Guthrie's, Hull's, Skinner's, and the theory ofthe school of functionalism. Apparently, behaviorism has its shortcomings, but it cannot bedenied that learning process is for the most part a behavioristic processing, a verbal behavior.In language teaching area, behaviorism establishes the basic background of exercises, eitheroral or written in viewing language as stimulus and response. In addition, it gives a great deal ofinsight into the recognition of the use of controlled observation to discover the laws of behavior.It has exerted a great impact by influencing many teaching methods on the area of languageteaching, for example, Audiolingual Method, Total Physical Response, and Silent Way embodythe behaviorist view of language; also, British Structuralism has created the theory of languagecalled Situational Language Teaching. In a word behaviorist theory aims at discoveringbehavioral justifications for designing language teaching in certain ways, being a hub a of manylanguage teaching and learning theories. It must not be forgotten that it has given a push for thecreation of empiricist language learning which became very fashionable in U .S.A. and inEurope.