Structural Linguistics

and Behavioral
Psychology
ARTFRED M. FORTUNATO
English Instructor
 01
Structural
Linguistics
FORM - STRUCTURE
 Structural Linguistics
L. Bloomfield is the father of structural linguistics.

Structural Linguistics should be understood as a set of investigations that start

from the hypothesis that the description of language as a structure is
scientifically true. (Hjelmslev).

Structural linguistics is defined as a study of language based on the theory that

language is a structured system of formal units, such as sentences and syntax.
It is one of the schools of linguistics that sees language as a body that can be
descriptively analysed into levels: phonology, dealing with sound system,
morphology, dealing with word-structures, syntax, dealing with sentence
structures, and semantics dealing with meanings of language.
 Structural Linguistics

According to Bloomfield, a phoneme influences the change of meaning, a

morpheme has or indicates the meaning, words have lexical meaning, phrases
and sentences have structural or grammatical meanings.
 Characteristics

01 Linguist’s job is to
describe human languages
and to identify their
02 Only interested in
observable data.

structural characteristics

03 Language can be broken

down into small units of
which can be added up to
form a whole.
 Language Learning

01 The meaning of a
particular sentence is
rooted from the
02 An emphasis on understanding
grammatical structure such as
sentence structure, patterns of
relationship among the sentences, and appropriate
parts. grammar and composition.

03 Language forms are seen

as a sign system 04 Reading and writing
develop from the
comprehension of the
basic underlying
grammatical structures of
the system.
 Strengths

01 Helps learn grammar in an

easier way 02 Supports proper use of the
language in verbal and written
expression.

03 Knowledge of the
foundation of the basic
structure before complex
04 Knowledge of the
foundation of the basic
structure before complex
grammar grammar
 02
Behavioral
Psychology
RESPONSE - STIMULUS - REINFORCEMENT
 Behavioral Psychology
Behavioural psychology is the study of how our behaviours relate to our mind –
it looks at our behaviour through the lens of psychology and draws a link
between the two.

The origins of behavioural psychology start with John B. Watson in 1913, who
proposed that psychologists should focus on the observable behaviour of
individuals, rather than the invisible, inner workings of their minds.
 Behavioral Psychology
Later on, B. F. Skinner developed this theory and showed evidence in favour of
it – becoming one of the most important psychologists of the 20th century in the
process. He theorized that all of human behaviour was shaped by our
environment, that we could be made to act in certain ways depending on the
prior consequences of previous actions.

He stated, “Give me a child, and I’ll shape him into anything” – a paraphrasing of
his belief in the power of the environment to impact who we become.
Behaviourism was essentially an argument entirely in favour of nurture, in the
nature versus nurture debate.
Operant Conditioning
 Classical Conditioning

Classical conditioning (also known as Pavlovian or respondent conditioning) is a

behavioural procedure in which a biologically potent stimulus (e.g. food) is
paired with a previously neutral stimulus (e.g. a bell). It also refers to the
learning process that results from this pairing, through which the neutral
stimulus comes to elicit a response (e.g. salivation) that is usually similar to the
one elicited by the potent stimulus.
 Charactristics
Strengths
01 Learning a language by
conditioning. 01 Behaviorism theory dwells with
spoken language

02 All learning is the

establishment of habits as
the result of
reinforcement or reward

03 The learning, due to its socially

conditioned nature, can be the
same but can also differ for each
individual
Generative
Linguistics
ARTFRED M. FORTUNATO
English Instructor
 What is
Generative
Grammar?
Generative Grammar
A generative grammar is a set of rules that
recursively "specify" or "generate" a infinite set of
expressions of a natural language.

The term generative grammar is also broadly used to

refer to the school of linguistics where this type of
formal grammar plays a major part.
Generative Grammar
Generative grammar should be distinguished from
traditional grammar, which is often strongly
prescriptive, rather than purely descriptive.

In the "school of linguistics" sense it should be

distinguished from other linguistically descriptive
approaches to grammar, such as various functional
theories.
What is prescriptive
grammar?

What is traditional
grammar?

What is functional/notional
grammar?

What is descriptive
grammar?
Generative Grammar vs. Other Grammars
Generative grammar is distinct from other grammars such as prescriptive
grammar, which attempts to establish standardized language rules that deem
certain usages "right" or "wrong," and descriptive grammar, which attempts to
describe language as it is actually used. Instead, generative grammar attempts
to get at something deeper—the foundational principles that make language
possible across all of humanity.

For example, a prescriptive grammarian may study how parts of speech are
ordered in English sentences, with the goal of laying out rules. A linguist studying
generative grammar, however, is more likely to be interested in issues such as how
nouns are distinguished from verbs across multiple languages.
Generative Grammar
A finite rules of grammar can make an infinite set of
sentences of the natural language.

How can we construct an infinite

set of expressions with the finite
rules of grammar?
Creativity and Recursion
 Generative Grammar
RECURSION
CREATIVITY Construction of sentences that allow
the repetitive involvement of elements
Any language speaker is capable of of the language.
producing and understanding
Growing structures of sentences by
sentences.
enumerating the elements that has no
upper limit to the length of the sentences.
Sentences that was produced by other
people can always differ to the - Coordination (Clauses, subjects,
sentences by other people. verbs and objects can be included in
one sentence only
- Adjectival Iteration
- PP Attachment (The ball in the box
under the table with the lamp)
Generative Linguistics
A generative grammar in this sense is a formal
device that can enumerate ("generate") all and only
the grammatical sentences of a language.

In an even narrower sense, a generative grammar is

a formal device that can be used to decide whether
any given sentence is grammatical or not.
Generative Linguistics
The term "generative linguistics" is often applied to
the version of Chomsky's transformational grammar,
which was associated with a distinction between
"Deep Structure" and "Surface Structure" of
sentences
 Transformational Grammar

Transformational grammar is a
theory of grammar that
accounts for the constructions
of a language by linguistic
Deep Structure Surface Structure
transformations and phrase Deep Structure is Surface Structure is
structures. concerned with meaning concerned with
grammar,
A finite deep structure can
create an infinite surface
structure.
Characteristics Strengths

01 Language learning
happens by continuous
construction of sentences.
01 Learners will master sentence
construction by generating
infinite set of sentences.

02
Language learning both Learners can master the
deals with structure and
meaning
02 elements/linguistic
principles of the language,
 Constructivism:
A Multidisciplinary
Approach
ARTFRED M. FORTUNATO
English Instructor
Constructivism
Constructivism is based on the idea that people
actively construct or make their own knowledge, and
that reality is determined by your experiences as a
learner.

Basically, learners use their previous knowledge as a

foundation and build on it with new things that they
learn. So everyone's individual experiences make
their learning unique to them.
Principles of Constructivism

Knowledge is constructed
This is the basic principle, meaning that knowledge is built
upon other knowledge. Students take pieces and put them
together in their own unique way, building something
different than what another student will build.

The student’s previous knowledge, experiences, beliefs, and

insights are all important foundations for their continued
learning.
Principles of Constructivism

People learn to learn, as they

learn.
Learning involves constructing meaning and systems of
meaning. For example, if a student is learning the
chronology of dates for a series of historical events, at the
same time they are learning the meaning of chronology. If
a student is writing a paper about history, they are also
learning principles of grammar and writing as well. Each
thing we learn gives us understanding of other things
in the future.
Principles of Constructivism

Learning is an active process.

Learning involves sensory input to construct meaning. The
learner needs to do something in order to learn, it’s not a
passive activity. Learners need to engage in the world so
they are actively involved in their own learning and
development. You can’t just sit and expect to be told things
and learn, you need to engage in discussions, reading,
activities, etc
Principles of Constructivism

Learning is a social activity.

Learning is directly associated to our connection with other
people. Our teachers, our family, or peers, and our
acquaintances impact our learning. Educators are more likely
to be successful as they understand that peer involvement
is key in learning

Progressive education recognizes that social interaction is

key to learning and they use conversation, interaction, and
group applications to help students retain their knowledge.
Principles of Constructivism

Learning is contextual.
Students don’t learn isolated facts and theories separate
from the rest of our lives—we learn in ways connected to
things we already know, what we believe, and what our
experiences are. The things we learn and the points we
tend to remember are connected to the things going on
around us.
Principles of Constructivism

Knowledge is personal.
Because constructivism is based on your own experiences
and beliefs, knowledge becomes a personal affair. Each
person will have their own prior knowledge and
experiences to bring to the table. So the way and things
people learn and gain from education will all be very
different.
Principles of Constructivism

Learning exists in the mind.

Hands-on experiences and physical actions are necessary
for learning, but those elements aren’t enough. Engaging
the mind is key to successful learning. Learning needs to
involve activities for the minds, not just our hands. Mental
experiences are needed for retaining knowledge.
Principles of Constructivism

Motivation is key to learning.

Students are unable to learn if they are unmotivated.
Educators need to have ways to engage and motivate
learners to activate their minds and help them be
excited about education. Without motivation, it’s difficult
for learners to reach into their past experience and make
connections for new learning.
 Types of
Constructivis
m
Cognitive Constructivism

Cognitive constructivism focuses on the idea that learning

should be related to the learner’s stage of cognitive
development. These methods work to help students in
learning new information by connecting it to things they
already know, enabling them to make modifications in their
existing intelligence to accommodate the new information.
Cognitive constructivism comes from the work of Jean
Piaget.
Social Constructivism

Social constructivism focuses on the collaborative nature of

learning. Knowledge develops from how people interact
with each other, their culture, and society at large.
Students rely on others to help create their building blocks,
and learning from others helps them construct their own
knowledge and reality. Social constructivism comes from
Lev Vygotsky.
Radical Constructivism

Radical constructivism is very different from cognitive and

social constructivism. It focuses on the idea that learners and
the knowledge they construct doesn’t make truth, only
interpretations of knowledge.

This theory asserts that individuals create their own

understanding of reality, and that their knowledge is always
incomplete and subjective.This theory was developed by
Ernst von Glasersfeld in 1974.
Constructivism
in
Education
Constructivist classrooms rely on four
key areas to be successful;

• Shared knowledge between teachers and students.

• Shared authority between teachers and students.

• Teachers act as a guide or facilitator.

• Learning groups consist of small numbers of students.

Disadvantage of a Constructivist
Classroom
The biggest criticism of constructivist learning is its lack of structure. Some
students need highly structured and organized learning environments to thrive,
and constructivist learning focuses on a more laid-back method to help students
engage in their own learning.

Grading is often removed from constructivist classrooms and places more value
on student progress, which can lead to students falling behind and not meeting
standardized grading requirements.
Thank you for
listening!
Any question?