Second Language Acquisition

Week #16:

Neurolinguistic

Factors

1

0. Outline

1. Hemispheric dominance
2. Handedness
3. Modality
4. Neurolinguistic

Programming (NLP)

5. Learning Style

2

1. Hemispheric dominance

Brain dominance theory

has been advanced on

the basis of evidence from research studies.

These indicated that individuals use different
parts of the brain to approach different types
of information.

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1. Hemispheric dominance

4

1. Hemispheric dominance

To be sure, both sides of the brain are involved
in information processing.

Yet most people have a preference for one or
the other

hemisphere

and are accordingly

believed to be

left-brain dominant

or

right-

brain dominant

.

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1. Hemispheric dominance

Such brain specialization (or

hemispheric

dominance

) is the effect of the

lateralization of

cognitive functions

during the process of

maturation.

Brain hemisphere information processing styles
can be summarized as follows:

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1. Hemispheric dominance

7

L

EFT

-B

RAIN

R

IGHT

-B

RAIN

focuses on

component

parts

; detects discrete

features

focuses on

wholes

;

organizes component
parts into a whole

analytical

; prefers step-

by-step and part-by-part
processing

relational

;

looks for patterns and
construction

linear

; processes input

sequentially

global

; integrates input

simultaneously

1. Hemispheric dominance

8

L

EFT

-B

RAIN

R

IGHT

-B

RAIN

abstract

; uses a small

part of information to
represent the whole

concrete

;

relates to things in their
current state

logical

; draws

conclusions based on
reasons and facts

intuitive

; bases on

hunches, feelings or
visual images

temporal

;

sequences one thing
after another

spatial

; sees where things

are in relation to other
things

1. Hemispheric dominance

9

L

EFT

-B

RAIN

R

IGHT

-B

RAIN

verbal

; processes speech

using words to name,
describe and define

non-verbal

;

relies on visual-spatial
orientation

learns from rules

,

exemplification, and
trial and error

does not benefit from
specific rule formation

or

error correction

ignores emotional cues

or makes inappropriate
responses

recognizes and

interprets emotional
cues

1. Hemispheric dominance

In terms of

pedagogical implications

, the above

preferences reveal that right-brain learners are
probably poorly served by analytical
instruction.

By the same token, learners with a dominant
left-brain hemisphere information processing
style may not benefit from the use of right-
brain mode teaching techniques.

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2. Handedness: dexterity vs.

sinistrality

Neurologists have determined that in

nearly all right-

handed individuals most language functions are
located in the left hemisphere

, while in the left-

handed population that proportion accounts for only
about two-thirds of the cases (Bielska 2006: 58).

Furthermore, according to Arrowsmith Young &
Danesi (2001), hemispheric style correlates with

gender

.

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2. Handedness: dexterity vs.

sinistrality

Furthermore,

left-handedness seems to affect

SLA more than gender

.

Studies have shown that in comparison with
right-handers of both sexes, left-handers of
both sexes are overrepresented in the lowest
level L2 classes while being underrepresented
in the higher level L2 classes.

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2. Handedness: dexterity vs.

sinistrality

Andreou et al. (2005: 431) report on the results of a
questionnaire survey which comprised items
pertaining to

hand preference

(

dexterity

-

right-

handedness

, or

sinistrality

-

left-handedness

) in

activities such as:

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writing

drawing

throwing a ball

using scissors

using a toothbrush

using a knife (without a fork)

using a spoon

using a broom (upper hand)

striking a match

opening a jar or a box

2. Handedness: dexterity vs.

sinistrality

Summing up the research findings, it
appears that

handedness seems to

play no major

role in second language

acquisition.

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3. Modality

M

ODALITY

P

REFERENCES

15

VISUAL

AUDITORY

KINAESTHETIC

3. Modality

P

REFERRED

I

NPUT

C

HANNEL

16

40% - visual

30% - auditory

30% - kinaesthetic

3. Modality

V

ISUAL

M

ODALITY

P

REFERENCE

•

reading

•

studying graphic information

•

writing and drawing

•

colour rather than sound

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3. Modality

A

UDITORY

M

ODALITY

P

REFERENCE

•

listening activities

•

role plays, dialogues, class discussions

•

story telling

•

prepared talks

•

being stimulated by music

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3. Modality

K

INAESTHETIC

M

ODALITY

P

REFERENCE

•

hands-on, physical activities

•

experiments

•

involving both sight and hearing

•

learning via touching objects

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4. Neurolinguistic Programming

V A K O G

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V

isual

A

uditory

K

inaesthetic

O

lfactory

G

ustatory

4. Neurolinguistic Programming

NLP

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NEURO

-

"behaviour"

-

LINGUISTIC

"language"

PROGRAMMING

"individualised"

4. Neurolinguistic Programming

NLP

a method to discover one's

natural abilities as well as a

practical way to achieve what

one wants to accomplish

(O'Connor & Seymour 1993: 22)

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5. Learning Style

L

EARNING

S

TYLE

"the characteristic cognitive,

affective and physiological

behaviours that serve as relatively

stable indicators of how learners

perceive, interact with and respond

to the learning environment"

(Keefe 1979)

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5. Learning Style

F

IELD

D

EPENDENCE

/I

NDEPENDENCE

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FD Style

FI Style

the learner tends to
look at the whole of
a learning task
which contains
many items

the learner is able to
identify or focus on
particular items and is
not distracted by other
items in the
background or context

5. Learning Style

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GEFT (G

ROUP

E

MBEDDED

F

IGURES

T

EST

)

5. Learning Style

C

ATEGORY

W

IDTH

26

broad
categorisers

narrow
categorisers

5. Learning Style

R

EFLEXIVITY

/ I

MPULSIVITY

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slower
(reflective)
decisions

spontaneous
(impulsive)
guesses

5. Learning Style

L

EARNER

S

TYLE

: O

THER

T

YPOLOGIES

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focusers vs. scanners

serialists vs. holists

part learners vs. global learners

analytic learners vs. gestalt learners

The End

Thank

you

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