Some relevant aspects to consider in the learning process: Spanish as a second language<

Some relevant aspects to consider in the learning process: Spanish as a second language

The most important single factor influencing learning is what the learner already knows. Ascertain this and teach him accordingly.  Ausubel,D.

    Language is the main tool human beings have to communicate and live in society. It helps us interact with others as independent individuals within the environment we are living in. We need to be able to know certain linguistic structures and acquire specific cognitive level to process all the new information we are learning and acquiring. While we have the ability to manipulate and use our mother tongue in an unconscious way, since it is learnt in a natural frame, we need to acquire some techniques and use a good methodology to succeed in getting a second language

According to David Ausubel´s “Meaningful Learning Theory” the most important aspect in the learning process is the knowledge the learner already knows. So, we could say that for him, the knowledge depends on how we relate new information to what we previously know, that is, learning depends on our previous cognitive structures and how we organize the new information within that structures. To get a meaningful learning it is crucial to establish a bridge between our previous knowledge and the knowledge to assimilate.

Another psychologist I consider important to mention is Vygotsky and his “Social Cognitive Theory”. Vygotsky assumes that language is the most important device we can use when learning and it is with the help of a more experienced guide that a child is able to learn while growing and assimilate new information in his/her cognitive development. This suggests that teachers can create a learning environment that maximizes the learners´ ability to interact with each other through discussion, collaboration, feedback, etc.

At this point of the essay and to continue with the factors that are crucial to learn a second language I would like to talk about the influence of motivation in the learning process. It is known that the more motivated the individual feels, the more effective the learning process can be. According to Maslow´s Hierarchy of Needs, transcendence and self-fulfilment are on top of the pyramid of our needs. There are strategies to motivate learners during the learning process such as fostering their curiosity and interest and care about their tasks, minimising anxiety when making mistakes. They can also be motivated if the teachers or guides that accompany them throughout the learning process get to know their necessities and preferences. We could connect this idea with H.Gardner´s “Theory of Multiple Intelligences”, which is very popular among educators these days. Many teachers are using multiple intelligences in their teaching philosophy and they are working to integrate Gardner’s theory into the classroom. Gardner suggests that all people have different kinds of "intelligences”. He states that people do not have just one intellectual capability; while a person might be particularly good at a specific area but they can possess a wide range of abilities. Therefore, if we can know what the learners are good at, we could use it to motivate and guide them along learning process.

As we have seen, there are different aspects we have to consider before starting a learning process. There are theories, methods, techniques and personal strategies that can helps us make our teaching ways interesting to the learners and we could be able to guide them and motivate them throughout the exciting (but sometimes hard) process of learning a second language. It can also be pointed out that it is the teacher who has to know “when?”, “why?”, “what? “and “How?” to teach.