In Module 2, we were asked to move beyond "activities that work" and ask "why do they work?" Exploring the main language learning theories helped me understand why some of my lessons in Naples worked and why some failed completely, even when I had prepared a lot.Before this course, I taught the way I was taught at school: the teacher explains the grammar, we translate, we do exercises. I now understand that was the Grammar-Translation method, based on the theory that learning a language is learning its rules. It explains why my students could fill gaps but couldn't order a coffee.Here are the four theories that have most influenced my current teaching approach:1. Behaviourism (Skinner) - Learning as habit formationTheory: Language is learned through repetition, imitation, and reinforcement. Correct habits are formed by drills.Where I see it: Audiolingual drills, substitution drills, choral repetition.My reflection: I used to over-use this. I would make my online students repeat "I have been, you have been" for 10 minutes. They were bored and they didn't transfer it to real speaking. I learned that behaviourism is useful for a very small part of learning: for automatization of pronunciation and fixed chunks. I still use it, but only for 2-3 minutes to drill a difficult sound like /h/ or a chunk like "Would you mind...?" It is useful for accuracy, but it does not create communication.2. Innatism and Cognitivism (Chomsky, Piaget) - Learning as a mental processTheory: Learners are not empty vessels. They have an innate capacity to acquire language and they actively build mental rules (interlanguage) through noticing and hypothesis testing. Errors are not bad habits, they are signs of learning.Where I see it: Guided discovery, noticing activities, learners finding grammar rules themselves.My reflection: This was a breakthrough for me. It explains why my adult B1 learners say "I have seen him yesterday" - they are creating their own logical rule: Present Perfect = past. They are not being lazy, they are actively hypothesising. So now, instead of just correcting with "No, Past Simple!", I do a noticing activity: I show them two correct examples and ask them to find the difference. This theory taught me to respect errors as part of the learning process and to design tasks that help them notice the gap between their interlanguage and the target language.3. Interactionist / Social Constructivism (Vygotsky) - Learning as social interactionTheory: This is the theory that has changed my teaching the most. Language is learned through interaction. Learning happens first socially, then individually. Key concepts are Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) - what a learner can do with help that they cannot do alone - and Scaffolding - the temporary support the teacher or a peer provides.Where I see it: Pair work, breakout rooms, information-gap activities, scaffolding with sentence starters.My reflection: This explains why my online breakout rooms work so much better than my lectures. When a stronger student explains to a weaker student how to use "since" vs "for," both learn more. The weaker student gets scaffolding within their ZPD, and the stronger student consolidates their knowledge. I now plan my lessons around interaction, not explanation. My role is not to be the source of knowledge, but to provide the scaffolding: a word bank, a model sentence, a concept-checking question, and then to step back. For my shy student, scaffolding is allowing her to write in the chat before she speaks. That temporary support helps her enter the conversation.4. Second Language Acquisition Theory (Krashen, Long)Theory: Two key ideas from this area: Krashen's Input Hypothesis (i+1) - learners need comprehensible input just above their level, and Long's Interaction Hypothesis - input becomes comprehensible through negotiation of meaning.Where I see it: Graded reading, teacher talking time adjustment, clarification checks.My reflection: I used to speak too fast and use B2 vocabulary to B1 students because I wanted to sound "native." I now understand I was giving them i+3, not i+1, so it was just noise. I now consciously grade my language and check comprehension not by asking "Do you understand?" but by asking them to negotiate meaning: "Can you tell me in your own words?" Also, I learned that my students need more comprehensible input outside class. I now recommend graded readers and podcasts at B1 level, not authentic BBC news which demotivates them.How I combine these theories in one lesson:For example, for teaching "used to" for past habits:I start with Cognitivist guided discovery: I give them 3 sentences about my childhood in Italy and they find the pattern.I provide a little Behaviourist drilling to automatize pronunciation: /ju:st tu/.Then I move to the core, which is Interactionist: In breakout rooms they interview each other: "What did you use to do as a child?" They scaffold each other with follow-up questions I have provided on a slide.Throughout, I ensure the input is i+1 and comprehensible.Conclusion:Exploring language theories taught me that there is no single "best method." Grammar-Translation is not evil, and Communicative Language Teaching is not magic. Each theory explains a different part of the puzzle. Behaviourism explains automatization, cognitivism explains mental processing, and interactionism explains how language becomes communication.My personal theory now, after Module 2, is that adults learn a foreign language best when they receive comprehensible input (Krashen), have the chance to notice patterns themselves (Cognitivism), and have plenty of opportunities to interact with support (Vygotsky) to turn that input into output.
I think language theories can be very useful when teaching English to students with different backgrounds, abilities, and levels of English. Every student learns differently, so teachers should try to use different activities and approaches to make everyone feel included.
For example, constructivist theory suggests that students learn better when they connect new information to what they already know. In the EFL classroom, teachers can use familiar topics, personal experiences, and cultural traditions to make lessons more interesting and easier to understand.
Another important theory is Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory, which highlights the importance of interaction and learning from others. Activities such as pair work, group discussions, and collaborative projects can help students practise English and learn from their classmates. The teacher can also provide extra support to students who find certain tasks difficult, while giving more advanced learners activities that challenge them.
I also believe it is important to use different materials, such as videos, pictures, games, and written activities, because not all students learn in the same way.
In my opinion, understanding these theories helps teachers create a more welcoming classroom where everyone has the opportunity to participate, improve their English, and feel confident about their abilities.
