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Academic Research, Writing and Presentation
Research Paper:
The Impact of the multisensual approach on learning English in the primary school
(Labbé Verlag. Mellvil, Ein Kinderforum zum Klarkommen)
Students: Kristina Korsunovskaya (3182243), Carolin Marquardt (3175918), Lisa Muschalle (3177946)
Table of Content
heinrich-pestalozzi. “Pestalozzis Lernverständnis und Bezüge zu aktuellen lernpsychologischen Ansätzen”. (http://www.heinrich-pestalozzi.de/?id=1245 4
1. Introduction
“Everything should, as far as possible, be placed before the senses. Everything visible should be brought before the organ of sight, everything audible before that of hearing. Odours should be placed before the sense of smell, and things that are tastable and tangible before the sense of taste and of touch respectively“ (Comenius, zit. n. Flitner 1954, S. 135).
The quotation above shows that utilize the senses related to learning was always a matter in the educational research, even in the 17th century. The educationalist, Johann Amos Comenius, pointed out that knowledge is based on sensual perception. A century later, the Swiss educationalist, Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi, represented the “Learning by head, hand and heart”. His conviction was that one basis of education is the experience of reality with all senses (heinrich-pestalozzi). However, this was more related to the training of senses than to the targeted use of senses to improve the learning process. In the 20th century Maria Montessori, an Italian pedagogic reformist, comprehended the importance of learning by constitute all the senses and invented her own Montessori pedagogy based on this fundamental. During the decades, more and more knowledge was gained by the brain and learning research. Today, the multisensual approach is popular in everyday school life, especially in the primary school. One knows that utilize the senses during the overall learning process improves it significantly. But what is about learning a foreign language? Does teaching English to non-native speaking children by using a multisensual approach also accelerate the learning process?
In the following, this question will be analyzed and answered by considering the neurological and educational research precisely. We will take a closer look at the structure of the brain and the functions of the different brain areas regarding to the learning process. Furthermore, the different learning types will be presented and discussed concerning their relation to the sensual perception.
After that the practical implementation of the multisensual approach during the everyday school life in primary schools will be presented. Games that are used during the course will be introduced an analyzed regarding to their educational contribution. Also examples out of the experimental education will be displayed.
Finally, the question that was given at the beginning will be answered. Important facts concerning the multisensual approach by learning a foreign language in primary school will be pointed out. Improvements for the practical application will be given.
2. Foundations
Humans have five senses: Sight, Hearing, Taste, Smell and Touch. To analyze weather the multisensual approach accelerates learning a foreign language in the primary school one has to receive more information about the correlation between the senses and the learning process. Therefore, the neurological research and the different types of learners will be placed in the center of consideration.
2.1 Neurological basis
Thanks to the recent neurological research one can understand how the brain works every day. It consists of three major parts: The Cereburum, the Cerebellum and the Medulla. Without these parts, one could neither learn a new language nor walk straight without losing the balance. The brain is where all of our remembering and feeling takes place. But these are just two of many things we wouldn’t be able without it. Following there will be a closer look at three mentioned parts of the brain.
The Cereburum is the biggest part of the brain and controls our imagination, senses and thoughts. This part is divided in two halves, also known as the left and right hemispheres. Although, there is a connection between those two halves, the right hemisphere is responsible for the creativity, music, colors, dreams, feelings and also pictures. Furthermore, the right hemisphere is important for the comprehension of numbers and the spatial thinking as well as for the face recognition. (The Thinking Business. “Brain Hemispheres”). In contrast to the right halve, the left one is equipped for logic abilities and also for the language skills. There are lots of muscle groups which work together and let a human being speak. The second major part, Cerebellum, is much smaller. This important part controls our motion, balance and also our abilities to know new things. The Cerebellum is also known as the “little brain”.The medulla controls our heartbeat, breathing, digestion and blood pressure. It controls all our autonomic functions (Serendip. “Brain Structures and their Functions”).
To remember things we’ve learned, we have two different systems of memory: The short-term-memory and the long-term-memory. The memory span begins to minimize after our puberty. The memory span is important for remembering phone numbers or numbers at all, words, locations, pictures etc. (Ahano. “Wie sich das Gedächtnis im Alter verändert”). The short-term-memory stores new information just for a few seconds. There are about seven “chunks” we can store for the same time (About.com Psychology “What is Short-Term Memory?”). If there is more information than seven chunks, the older information goes to the long-term-memory if necessary, or it gets deleted out of our brain. The long-term-memory stores our information for a much longer time than the short-term-memory. It stores the information for minutes or at least for years so that we can still remember some moments of our childhood, for example. Some people’s long-term memory is better than other people’s. This depends on how deep the linking-ups in our brain are. The deeper they are, the better is our memory. (Alphabiol “Kurzzeitgedächtnis und Langzeitgedächtnis”)
To learn most efficiently, all the brain areas should get activated. If they are all activated, there exists a better linking-up between the nerves of our brain. These linking-ups are very important to save the information in our brain. During our learning period, children should use as much senses as possible for successfully learning. (GedaechtnisTraining. “Multisensorisches Lernen & Lehren”). For learning a new language new vocabulary has to be learned. However, learning vocabulary only through written documentation and oral presentation (left hemisphere) it spends a long time until the new words are stored in the brain. Learning vocabulary also by using the visual and creative half of the brain (right hemisphere), the new words can stored in the long-term-memory much more faster.
2.2 Educational basis
Until the age of four and five, the mentioned halves of the brain develop equally. In the following ages one of the hemispheres becomes the dominant one. Therefore, different styles of learning are developed, wherefore different types of learners exist file:///C:/Dokumente%20und%20Einstellungen/FSE/Eigene%20Dateien/Grundschullehramt_%20UniKarlsruhe/Paper_Academic%20Research%20and%20Writing/Ganzheitliches%20Lernen.htm. One distinguish between three different types of learners – the auditory, the visual and the kinesthetic one. The majority of the learners mix these three learning styles while learning. But there is always a predominant method for every child/ learner.
The visual learner learns by seeing things. They have to look on graphics such as diagrams or mind maps. Although you explain something to that person, the visual learner does not understand it hundred percent before he/she can’t see it with his/her own eyes. To learn something, it is useful to draw diagrams or mind maps, to use flash cards for learning, and to rewrite the professors notes in his/her own words.
The auditory learner learns the most efficiently when he/she hears what the teacher is saying. These people may not understand something that is shown them in pictures. For that type of learner it is useful to tape lectures, having discussions with students, reading things out loud.
The kinesthetic learner learns by doing. For a kinesthetic learner it is important to underline texts with different colors, to repeat what he learned while walking and jogging, as well as creating practice tests for himself.
The early one find out the learning type of the children, the better one can support the pupil in learning. With the perfect learn methods, which address the right senses, the children learn easier, faster and more efficiently.
3. Practical Examples
To demonstrate how teacher can use the presented facts of sensual perception and the different learning types, some practical example will be shown. The most common way to integrate senses in class in primary schools are games and experimental activities. In the following some inspirations will be given.
3.1 Games
The first example is based on the Montessori method. It is the so called “matching game”. Children have to choose a word cart (e.g. cat, hat, rat etc.), they have to read it out loud and choose the matching picture cart (e.g. cat, hat, rat etc.). Finally every child has a movable alphabet (single letters) and has to copy the word he/ she read on the word cart and saw on the picture cart (Imagine Our Life, creative living with a toddler)
Different senses are used in this activity. The word carts, the picture carts and the movable alphabet help the children to learn a new word holistically. They see the picture, which is matching to the word card. By reading the word, the pupils learn the sound of the word and by using the movable alphabet to rewrite the word they see on the word card, the children learn to put the right letters together to create the word. Finally, the new word can be memorized much better and will be placed in the long- term- memory, because almost every part of the brain was used to learn the word.
Another practical example to use different senses to learn new vocabulary is the “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes”- song. It is a very useful method to learn the different parts of the body and the new vocabulary, which is needed. The song is about heads, shoulders, knees, toes, eyes, ears, mouth and nose. Every time the specific part (e.g. head) is mentioned, every single child touches the part on his/her body (e.g. head). The teacher can vary the song by singing it faster and slower, loud and quietly.
A lot of senses are used with this method of learning new vocabulary. The children hear the word, they sing it and learn the right pronunciation. Finally they even touch the part of the body and learn the new word holistically.
3.2 Experimental Education
Experimental education includes many practices out-of-school. Outdoor learning becomes more popular nowadays, because this way of learning enables to use all human senses. The teacher can be very creative in choosing the right activity, like going to visit a market, or take a walk through a forest with the whole class. During these activities one can talk about the things, which are seen and use the new vocabulary. The pupils can smell (e.g. fruits, vegetables etc.), hear different sounds (e.g. animals), maybe taste (e.g. fruits, vegetables) and touch and see things in real life one talk about in class. It is an enjoyable to learn and experience.
Another example how one can support learning vocabulary by the experimental education is the task “Tarzan's breakfast” (Portobello Road 1) . When the class's task is breakfast, one can choose a receipt of a breakfast. First of all the children read the receipt, than the whole class talks about the different ingredients like sugar, butter etc.. After that the pupils have to write a shopping list, by using the new learned vocabulary. Finally the whole class will prepare the breakfast together. In that way children first learn how to pronounce the words, they write the words, and at the end smell and taste the ingredients they talked and wrote about. Nearly all senses are used and combined by this method of learning and using new vocabulary. The new words are experienced through the whole body!
4. Conclusion and Recommendations
It is obvious that learning a foreign language like English is much easier for young pupils by practicing it with the five senses touching, tasting, smelling, hearing, and the system of sight. The neurological research shows that it is most effective to train and use every part of the brain to get new knowledge stored in the long-term memory. Moreover by using all senses due to the different learning type of a child, teaching and learning can be more effective and individual. Learning a new language in younger ages is not about learning new vocabulary and grammar by memorize. Playing and discovering new things is still in the nature of children in primary schools. Due to our research, that is the reason we recommend all future and present primary teacher to use these natural capabilities of the children for teaching a new language! Children will be motivated to learn, because it is a natural need to discover the world by senses. For them it is a relaxing way to learn, without feeling to get stressed. When pupils learn specifically tailored to their learning types they will be also more successful in learning and enjoying it. Teaching by using the multisensual approach needs the teacher to be very creative and to try new teaching methods, but it will be worth it. A few recommendations: Music for example is a good way to influence the children’s excitement or rather to calm them down. Another point of view is the food, with which teachers can introduce the different flavors and textures including the different appearance of fruits, for example by going into nature. The system of sight gets also influenced by the light. As a teacher, there should always be bright light in the classroom which keeps them alert. Softer lights calms them down.
There are so many possibilities how to influence the children’s way of learning a foreign language. We, as a group, are convinced that multisensual teaching is the best way of efficient teaching language.
5. References
About.com Psychology “What is Short-Term Memory?”.
(http://psychology.about.com/od/memory/f/short-term-memory.htm)
Ahano. “Wie sich das Gedächtnis im Alter verändert”. (http://www.ahano.de/gedaechtnis/gehirn-gedaechtnis/gedaechtnis-im-alter/)
Alphabiol “Kurzzeitgedächtnis und Langzeitgedächtnis”.
(http://www.alphabiol.de/glossar/kurzzeitgedaechtnis-und-langzeitgedaechtnis)
Comenius, Didactica Magna (Amsterdam 1657), quoted in Jan Amos Comenius on Education (New York, Teachers College Press,1957) p. 95.
GedaechtnisTraining. “Multisensorisches Lernen & Lehren”).
(http://www.gedaechtnistraining.biz/Lerntipps/multisensorisches_Lernen.htm)
heinrich-pestalozzi. “Pestalozzis Lernverständnis und Bezüge zu aktuellen lernpsychologischen Ansätzen”. (http://www.heinrich-pestalozzi.de/?id=1245
Imagine Our Life, creative living with a toddler.” Montessori CVC Word Match P rintables”. (http://www.imagineourlife.com/2013/08/12/montessori-cvc-word-match-printables/)
(Portobello Road 1)
Serendip. “Brain Structures and their Functions”.
(http://biology.about.com/od/anatomy/p/medulla-oblongata.htm)
The Thinking Business. “Brain Hemispheres”.
(http://www.thethinkingbusiness.com/brain_zone/brain-tour/brain-hemispheres)
6. Appendix
My Schoolhouse. “The Nervous System”.
(http://www.myschoolhouse.com/courses/c/3/Images/brain.gif)
Labbé Verlag. Mellvil, Ein Kinderforum zum Klarkommen. ” Richtig lernen leicht gemacht”. (http://www.labbe.de/mellvil/index_vs.asp?themaid=14&titelid=53)
My Schoolhouse:
Labbé Verlag. Mellvil, Ein Kinderforum zum Klarkommen:
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