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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
An 8 page research paper that discusses the constructivist approach to instruction as it applies to English as a Second Language (ESL) students. Bibliography lists 10 sources.
Page Count:
8 pages (~225 words per page)
File: KL9_kheslconst.doc
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
to learn by building on what they already know, thereby creating personal meaning for new material (Powell and Kalina, 2009). The following literature review focuses on how constructivist practices can
inform teaching strategies for English as a Second Language (ESL) students. Constructivism is a learning philosophy that argues that learning is associated with the way in which people add
on to their existing knowledge in order to understand their environment (Reyes and Vallone, 2008). In other words, prior knowledge, gained informally from their parents and their surroundings or formally
through public education, constitutes the way in which each student understands the world. True, active learning takes place when new information and skills are assimilated and successfully added to this
foundation (Reyes and Vallone, 2008). There are two main variations to this approach. Cognitive constructivism draws on the work of psychologist Jean Piaget and focuses on how the individual
student constructs knowledge, while social constructivism draws on the work of Lev Vygotsky and it stresses that social interactions are an integral factor in learning (Powell and Kalina, 2009). Cognitive
constructivist emphasis the "cognitive processes associated with constructing knowledge," while social constructivists are mainly concerned with the "social and cultural processes" that are involved (Reyes and Vallone, 2008, p.
31). Both approaches inform and enlighten the pedagogical process for instructing ESL students. Piagets approach emphasizes the importance of allowing students to learn at their own pace, while Vygotskys approach
emphasizes the need for scaffolding in presenting information, as this offers students support that assists the act of learning (Powell and Kalina, 2009). The common factor that underscores both approaches
is the fundamental concept of constructivism, which is that the way in which students prior knowledge and experiences dictate the connections that they make with new material (Childre, Sands and
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