Definitions
This is how the human brain sorts and deals with the incoming information it receives at any given moment.
What is information processing?
These are mental representations of knowledge.
Think back to: PSY101 (Psychology I)
What are Schema (Schemata)?
This is concerted attention, or in other words, when a behavior needs so much attention that it is difficult to do anything else at the same time, so the behavior is centered.
Think: What Psychology I tells us about multi-tasking (e.g. Writing an essay before the deadline.)
Focal Attention
This is background attention, or in other words, when a behavior is sufficiently automatic that an individual can focus on something else simultaneously.
Think: Multi-tasking.
What is peripheral attention?
This entails using language in a limited and conscious way before the learner is able to use it automatically.
Think: Just starting to learn knitting.
What is controlled processing?
This entails spontaneously using language without the conscious manipulation of rules.
Think: What we do when we chat with our friends.
What is automatic processing?
This learning involves the connection of new material to the learners' existing knowledge or schema.
Think: What I'm trying to do with these "think" prompts.
What is meaningful learning?
This is linguistic knowledge that leads to being able to talk about the language.
Think: What we do when we take linguistic courses.
What is explicit linguistic knowledge?
This is linguistic knowledge that is automatically used when speaking or writing.
Think: When we apply our background in English to essays.
What is implicit linguistic knowledge?
The aforementioned concepts we have discussed so far are important to this theory.
What is cognitive learning theory?