trawinski 3

the brain stem - selection of incoming information

hypothalamus - balance between need and satisfaction

thalamus - sorting of information, sending it to an appropriate brain area

corpus callossum - communication between the hemispheres

the brain hemispheres - left (logical), right (emotional)

3. Aphasia - speech loss due to brain damage II. Humań memory

a.    Processing memory types

Short-term memory - limited in capacity and time span Long-term memory - unlimited in capacity and time span

b.    Stages of memorization

Encoding (changing information into language propositions to be sent from STM to LTM) Storage (keeping in memory)

Retrieval (sending information from LTM to STM and restoring the original)

c.    Factors affecting memorization Situation (form and context of the information)

The individual (individual abilities of the learner)

Activity level (the degree to which a learner is focused on the memorized information)

5.    Memory types

Mechanical memory (encoding without understanding)/logical memory (with understanding)

Recognition memory (requiring the whole information to retrieve it)/reconstructive memory (requiring only some element of the information to retrieve it)

Sensory memories (visual, auditory, kinaesthetic, tactile)

Verbal memory (concentrating on the contents)/iconic memory (concentrating on the form)

Episodic memory (referring to specific events)/semantic memory (referring to knowledge)

Voluntary memory (conscious effort)/involuntary memory (subconscious memorization)

6.    Mental Processing

Serial (one process at a time)/parallel (morę than one)

Bottom up (starting Processing from the incoming information)/top down (starting from background knowledge)

On-line (processing while the information is received)/off-line (processing after the information has been received)

14/05/2010

lndividual Learner Differences

I.    Age

o Explanations of age-related differences in SLA Social-psychological explanation (inhibition) Cognitive explanation (cognitive development) Input explanation (input quality)

Neurological explanation (lateralisation)

II.    Intelligence