Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Brain Studies Boom: Using Neuroscience in ESL/EFL Teacher Training

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Innovative Practices in Language Teacher Education

Part of the book series: Educational Linguistics ((EDUL,volume 30))

Abstract

Neuroscience is changing the world, yet barely ours. Still, we need it. Innovative teacher training requires giving learners access to the amazing things neuroscience is discovering about learning and language, complex neurological processes. This chapter will discuss ways non-experts can incorporate neuroscience in their teacher-training syllabi, and give teacher trainers a short course in key neuroscientific breakthroughs. The topics include: (a) prevalent neuromyths; (b) how learning, memory, and attention work; (c) the role of sleep; (d) embodied simulation; (e) the power of stories; (f) the need for movement; and (g) stress as a teaching tool. While neuroscience might not give us new teaching methods, it explains the processes underlying those we use.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 149.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 199.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 199.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    This is not to say that language researchers are not aware of the importance of neuroscience. Linguists like John Schumann and George Lakoff have made great contributions to the neurobiology of language and the way the brain processes it. Nonetheless, their work has not yet had much impact on teacher training.

  2. 2.

    Suggestion: Watch Molly Crockett’s TED Talk: “Beware Neuro-bunk.” Available at: https://www.ted.com/talks/molly_crockett_beware_neuro_bunk?language=en

  3. 3.

    Memory is a slippery proposition in neuroscience. Does it, as we think of it, even exist? After all, every time you remember something, you change it; reactivating an existing network alters the connections. In fact, all the notions we have about how the mind works are all just one thing, networks activating. According to Spencer Robinson, “learning, cognition, understanding, knowledge and memory are indistinguishable—all simply interchangeable terms for the same process—each thought, idea, feeling, memory, etc., simply a unique pattern of neuronal interconnectivity” (2015, p. 97)

  4. 4.

    Disclaimer: As suggested in Footnote 3, short-term and long-term memory do not really exist in the brain. These are just notions we have developed to frame long-term potentiation.

  5. 5.

    Note the functions of these three neurotransmitters are simplified here. They are also associated with many other behaviors as well, including aggression, addiction, and prejudice.

  6. 6.

    In fact, our motor areas involved in all kinds of processing so any movement might aid learning. For example, numerous studies have found that chewing sugarless gum increases retention, the best known being Scholey’s 2002 study that showed it increased word retention up to 35% (Laskaris, 2006). The exact reason why, though, is still not clear.

References

  • Anderson, M. L. (2010). Neural reuse: A fundamental organizational principle of the brain. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 33(04), 245–266.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ansari, D. (2005). Time to use neuroscience findings in teacher training. Nature, 437(7055), 26.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Aron, A., Badre, D., Brett, M., Cacioppo, J., Chambers, C., Cools, R., et al. (2007). Politics and the brain. New York Times, 14.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bergen, B. (2012). Louder than words: The new science of how the mind makes meaning. New York: Basic Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Berkowitz, S., & Taylor, B. (1981). The effects of text type and familiarity on the nature of information recalled by readers. In M. L. Kamil (Ed.), Directions in reading: Research and instruction (pp. 157–161).

    Google Scholar 

  • Bower, G H., Clark, M C. (1969). Narrative stories as mediators for serial learning. Psychonomic Science, 14(4), 181–182.

    Google Scholar 

  • Campbell, G. (2014). Interview with Penny Lewis, PhD, author of The Secret World of Sleep: The Surprising Science of the Mind at Rest. Brain Science Podcast transcript, Episode 107. Retrieved March 18, 2014, from http://brainsciencepodcast.libsyn.com/podcast

  • Campbell, G. (2015a). Interview with Dr. Bud Craig, author of How Do You Feel? An Interoceptive Moment with Your Biological Self. Brain Science Podcast transcript, Episode 121. Originally aired July 28, 2015, from http://brainsciencepodcast.libsyn.com/podcast

  • Campbell, G. (2015b, November 23). Interview with Dr. Richard Anderson, author of After Phrenology: Neural Reuse and the Interactive Brain. Brain Science Podcast transcript, Episode 124. Originally aired July 28, 2015 from http://brainsciencepodcast.libsyn.com/podcast

  • Dekker, S., Lee, N. C., Howard-Jones, P., & Jolles, J. (2012). Neuromyths in education: Prevalence and predictors of misconceptions among teachers. Frontiers in Psychology, 3, 429.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Doidge, N. (2007). The brain that changes itself: Stories of personal triumph from the frontiers of brain science. New York: Penguin.

    Google Scholar 

  • George, Y., & Schaer, B. (1986). An investigation of imposed-induced imagery methods on kindergarten children’s recall of prose content. (ERIC Document Reproduction Services No. ED 278974).

    Google Scholar 

  • Gluck, M., Mercado, E., & Myers, C. (2008). Learning and memory: From brain to behavior. New York, NY: Worth Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goldberg, E. (2002). The executive brain: Frontal lobes and the civilized mind. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • González, J., Barros-Loscertales, A., Pulvermüller, F., Meseguer, V., Sanjuán, A., Belloch, V., et al. (2006). Reading cinnamon activates olfactory brain regions. NeuroImage, 32(2), 906–912.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gould, E., Beylin, A., Tanapat, P., Reeves, A., & Shors, T. J. (1999). Learning enhances adult neurogenesis in the hippocampal formation. Nature Neuroscience, 2(3), 260–265.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Graesser, A. C., Hoffman, N. L., & Clark, L. F. (1980). Structural components of reading time. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 19(2), 135–151.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hartline, D. K., & Colman, D. R. (2007). Rapid conduction and the evolution of giant axons and myelinated fibers. Current Biology, 17(1), R29–R35.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Higbee, K. L. (1977). Your memory: How it works and how to improve it. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Howard-Jones, P. A., Franey, L., Mashmoushi, R., & Liao, Y. C. (2009). The neuroscience literacy of trainee teachers. In British Educational Research Association Annual Conference (pp. 1–39).

    Google Scholar 

  • Irwin, M. R. (2015). Why sleep is important for health: A psychoneuroimmunology perspective. Psychology, 66(1), 143.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Joëls, M., Pu, Z., Wiegert, O., Oitzl, M., & Krugers, H. (2006). Learning under stress: How does it work? Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 10, 152–158.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, L. (2002). Thinking beyond the brain: Embodiment and the psycho-somatic. International Journal of Critical Psychology, 5, 51–70.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kandel, E. (2007). In search of memory: The emergence of a new science of mind. New York: Norton & Company.

    Google Scholar 

  • Koolhaas, J., Bartolomucci, A., Buwaldaa, B., de Boera, S., Flüggeb, G., Kortei, S., et al. (2011). Stress revisited: A critical evaluation of the stress concept. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 35, 1291–1301.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Krashen, S. (2013). Should we teach strategies? Electronic Journal of Foreign Language Teaching, 10(1), 35–39.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kuhl, P. K. (2004). Early language acquisition: Cracking the speech code. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 5(11), 831–843.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lakoff, G., & Johnson, M. (2008). Metaphors we live by. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Laskaris, D. J. (2006). The effects of mastication on memory and recall in elementary students. ePublications at Regis University, Fall 2006. Retrieved from http://epublications.regis.edu/theses/390/

  • Mar, R. A., & Oatley, K. (2008). The function of fiction is the abstraction and simulation of social experience. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 3(3), 173–192.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Medina, J. (2008). Brain rules: 12 principles for surviving and thriving at work, home, and school. Seattle, WA: Pear Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mezirow, J. (1981). A critical theory of adult learning and education. Adult Education Quarterly, 32(1), 3–24.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Montague, R. (2006). Why choose this book? How we make decisions. New York: EP Dutton.

    Google Scholar 

  • National Sleep Foundation. (2006). 2006 Teens and sleep poll. Retrieved from https://sleepfoundation.org/sleep-polls-data/sleep-in-america-poll/2006-teens-and-sleep

  • Oaks, T. (1995). Storytelling: A natural mnemonic: A study of a storytelling method to positively influence student recall of instruction. Trace: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. Retrieved from http://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss/2540/

  • Pashler, H., Rohrer, D., Cepeda, N., & Carpenter, S. (2007). Enhancing learning and retarding forgetting: Choices and consequences. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 14(2), 187–193.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pashler, H., McDaniel, M., Rohrer, D., & Bjork, R. (2008). Learning styles concepts and evidence. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 9(3), 105–119.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Paul, A. M. (2012, March 17). Your brain on fiction. New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/18/opinion/sunday/the-neuroscience-of-your-brain-on-fiction.html?_r=0

  • Paul, A. M. (2013). Making homework smarter. The Brilliant Blog. Retrieved September 3, 2013, from http://anniemurphypaul.com/2013/09/making-homework-smarter/?utm_source=feedly

  • Pessoa, L. (2013). The cognitive-emotional brain: From interactions to integration. Cambridge: MIT Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Ratey, J. (2008). Spark: The revolutionary new science of exercise and the brain. New York: Little Brown.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ruben, R. J. (1999). A time frame of critical/sensitive periods of language development. Indian Journal of Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery, 51(3), 85–89.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schacter, D. L. (2012). Adaptive constructive processes and the future of memory. American Psychologist, 67(8), 603.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Simmonds, A. (2014). How neuroscience is affecting education: report of teacher and parent surveys. Wellcome Trust. Retrieved from http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/stellent/groups/corporatesite/@msh_peda/documents/web_document/WTP055240.pdf

  • Stamm, J. (2007). Bright from the start. New York: Gotham Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sylvan, L. J., & Christodoulou, J. A. (2010). Understanding the role of neuroscience in brain based products: A guide for educators and consumers. Mind, Brain, and Education, 4(1), 1–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tokuhama-Espinosa, T. (2003). Myths about multilingualism. In The multilingual mind issues discussed by, for and about people living with many languages, 1–12.

    Google Scholar 

  • Widrich, L. (2012). What listening to a story does to our brains. BufferSocial. Retrieved November 29, 2012, from https://blog.bufferapp.com/science-of-storytelling-why-telling-a-story-is-the-most-powerful-way-to-activate-our-brains

  • Willis, J. (2007). The neuroscience of joyful education. Psychology Today, 64. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/files/attachments/4141/the-neuroscience-joyful-education-judy-willis-md.pdf

  • Willis, J. (2012). A neurologist makes the case for teaching teachers about the brain. Edutopia. Retrieved December 23, 2015, from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/neuroscience-higher-ed-judy-willis

  • Wilson, E. O. (2002). The power of story. American Educator, 26(1), 8–11.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zak, P. J. (2015, January–February). Why Inspiring Stories Make Us React: The Neuroscience of Narrative. National Institutes of Health, Cerebrum, 2. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4445577/

  • Zambo, D., & Zambo, R. (2011). Teachers’ beliefs about neuroscience and education. Teaching Educational Psychology, 7(2), 25–41.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Commerce, Kansai University, Suita, Osaka, Japan

    Curtis Kelly

Authors
  1. Curtis Kelly
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Curtis Kelly .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Languages and Literatures, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, Iowa, USA

    Tammy S. Gregersen

  2. Department of Psychology, Cape Breton University, Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada

    Peter D. MacIntyre

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2017 Springer International Publishing AG

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Kelly, C. (2017). The Brain Studies Boom: Using Neuroscience in ESL/EFL Teacher Training. In: Gregersen, T., MacIntyre, P. (eds) Innovative Practices in Language Teacher Education. Educational Linguistics, vol 30. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-51789-6_5

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-51789-6_5

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-51788-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-51789-6

  • eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation