Renzo Titone's Holodynamic Mode1 for Language Behaviour and Language Learaing: Implications and Applications for the Second Language Teaching
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Renzo Titone's Holodynamic Mode1 for Language Behaviour and Language Learaing: Implications and Applications for the Second Language Teaching A thesis submitted in coriforrnity with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Graduate Department of Italian Studies University of Toronto O Copyright by Carmela Colella (1999) National Library Bibliothèque nationale du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliographie Services services bibliographiques 395 Wellington Street 395. rue Weilington OttawaON K1A ON4 ûttawaON KlAW Canada Canada The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive Licence allowing the exclusive permettant a la National Library of Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distribute or seil reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou copies of this thesis in microfonn, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous paper or electronic formats. la forme de microfiche/film, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format électronique. The author retains ownership of the L'auteur conserve la propriété du copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protège cette thèse. thesis nor substantial extracts fiom it Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or otherwise de celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. Renzo Titone's Holodynamic Modei for Language Behaviour and Language Leaming: Implications and Applications for L2 Teaching Doctor of Philosophy. 1999 Cannela Colella Department of Italian Studies The University of Toronto Abstract The field of Second Language Acquisition (SLA) has attracted the attention of scholars for many centuries. These scholars have attempted to answer questions posed by the nature of foreign language leaming and language teaching. Second language acquisition as we have now corne to identie it only dates back 30-40 Yeats, though debate on how to effectively teach a second language has been present for over twenty-five centuries. Renzo Ti tone 's Holodynamic Model of Language Be haviour und Lurrguage Leurning (HDM) is an integrated whole person approach to language learning which attempts to explain the process of verbal communication as an aspect of personality. The Model is based on the view that "language learning consists of integrated components of a behavioural and cognitive nature which are controlled by the learner's personality structuren(Titone 1991: 7). Unique in this particular aspect of its presentation, his mode1 places the personality of the individual at the centre of the learning process, visualizing a bond between mind, body and spirit. He views personality as the mediating m.. 111 factor in the L2 acquisition process. The author offers insight into the communicative processes using the psychology of the individual lemer to explain the various components of the act of verbal communication. The Model has been identified by Titone, Danesi and others as humanistic in nature. The theory maintains that language behaviour is not a linear series of one-level operations but rather that is basically a stratified and hierarchical system of dynamic structures and lends itself to an integrated approach to language teaching. This tri-level interpretation of the learner/speaker's personality is composed of the following basic constituent structures: 1) tactic, 2) strategic, 3) ego-dynarnic levels. The three levels may be better understood as part of the personality if we consider them as: the act of communication; the desire to communicate; and the need to communkate. Accordhg to the HDM any form of acquisition, even Iinguistic acquisition, occurs at al1 three levels simultaneously. To date little work has been done to consider the pedagogical implications and application of this Model. The present thesis explores the theoretical assumptions of this model. It considers teaching principles which may be derived fiom the HDM and offers applications of such a model to the field of second language leaming. TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction ...................................................... vi Chapter One: History of Second Language Teaching ............... 1 1 .O Introduction 1.1 Antiquity 1.2 Middle Ages 1-3 Renaissance 1.4 Seventeenth and Eighteenth Century 1.5 Nineteenth Century 1.6 Twentieth Century Behavioural Cognitive (Humanistic) 1.7 Discussion Chapter Two: Discussion of Humanistic Education and Second Languuge Teaching Methods .......... -37 2.0 Understanding Humanistic Education 2.1 Total Physical Response 2.2 Naturai Approach 2.3 Counselling-Learning / Community Language Leaming 2.4 Suggestopedia 2.5 SilentWay 2.6 Discussion Chapter Three: Holodynamic Mode1 of Language Behaviour and Language Learning ........................ 9 1 3 .O Introduction 3.1 The Model 3.1.1 Tactic Level 3.2.2. Strategic Level 3.1.3 Ego-dynarnic Level 3.2 Discussion Chapter Four: Consideratiottsfor a Holodynamic View of Second Language Teoching .......................... 129 4.0 Introduction 4.1 Holodynamic View of Language Teaching 4.1.1 Holodynamic Teaching Principles 4.1.1.1 Ego-dynamic Principles Personalization Principles World View (conceptualization) 4.1.1 -2 Modal Directionality and Focussing 4.1.1.3 Strategic Principles 4-12 Summary 4.2 Titone' s Modular Mode1 4.2.1 Summary Chapter Five: Implications and Applications of the Holodynamic Modei for Second hnguage Teaching ............... 168 5 .O Introduction 5.1 Teaching Syllabus 5.2 Holodynamic Syllabus 5.2. t Identification of subjects 5.2.2 Goals and objectives 5.2.3 Organization of material 5.3 ATeachingUnit 5.3.1 Example of a lesson plan 5-3.1.1 Cognitive Micromatheme 5.3.1.2 Reinforcement Micromatheme 5.3.1 -3 Control Micromatheme 5.4 Conclusion Bibliography ..............-..................-....................2lS Appendix Lisl of Abbreviutions. .................................... 23 1 The field of Second Language Acquisition' (SLA) has attracted the attention of scholars for many centuries, "[they] have been fascinated by the questions posed by the nature of foreign language learning and language teaching" (Gass & Selinker 1994: xiii). SLA as we have now corne to identify it only dates back 30-40years (Brown 1994), though. as Kelly (1969) argues the debate on how to effectiveIy teach a second language (L2) has ken present for over twenty- five centuries, while "theory development as a debate on teaching methods has evolved particularly over the last hundred years" (Stem 1983: 452). lnevitably SLA has become entangled with pedagogy and at times the two have appeared synonymous. There has been an attempt in recent history to disentangle the two disciplines and to approach them independently, it has only been in the 1st 20 years that the field of SLA has developed into an independent and autonomous discipline. The growing presence of this autonomous field can be seen reflected in the number of scholarly joumals devoted to the subject that one may find (Studies in Second Language Acquisition; Language learning; Second Language Research and others such as Applied Lingtrisrics; Applied Psycholinguistics, to name only a few). The most noteworthy aspect of this field is its interdisciplinary character, involving areas of linguistics, psyc hology , neurology, sociology, and education. The research conducted ' By second language acquisition we mean the acquisition of a language after the native language has aiready been estabiished in the individual (Ritchie & Bhatia 1996). The second Ianguage learner as a result differs from the fust language learner in two signifiant ways: (a) the second language leamer generally begins the acquisirion process at a time afier the L 1 has been established, and (b) the learner has a language system in place. For a further discussion of the difference between adult and child second language leaming see H. Douglas Brown, Princ@ies of Second Language Learning und Teaching, 3 Ided. (Englewood CI i ffs: Pren tice Hal 1, 1994); David Ausubel, "Adult vs. children in second language learning," The Modern Language Review 48 (1 964): 420- 24; H. H. Stem, Perspectives on Second Language Teaching, (Toronto: OISE Press, 1970). in this discipline approaches the question of language teaching and Learning taking into consideration, contributions from al1 these disciplines has pennitted scholars to better understand the complexities of learning a LS. The data and insights that such research has generated has been used to develop "bettern methods for teaching languages. Brown (1994: 290) argues that present trends in language teaching are the result of theories in practice, "[als research points the way to ward more effective way s of teac hing and learning, approac hes and techniques are conceived and developed. The use of those approaches and techniques, in tum, continually provides essential data for the enlightening of fiirther research, and the interdependent cycle goes on." One such model for SLA which was proposed by Renzo Titone, in the late sixties, is the Holoa'ynamic Model for Language Learning and Language Behaviour (HDM). This model which is presented as a tri-level interpretation of language acquisition has been identified by the author and others as humanistic in nature (Danesi l988c, Freddi 1994, Porcelli 1994, Titone 1 98 1b, 1982. 1986, Titone & Danesi 1985). The most important aspects of the HDM is its position that, "language behaviour, like al1 behaviour. postulates an adequate concept of 'personality' as the ultimate root and source of incoming and outgoing