Audio-lingualism and Cognitive Code Learning

These two methods are part of the psychological tradition.
The Audiolingual Method is related to behaviorism, in which Skinner stated the concept of operant conditioning. The students learn through the reactions to stimuli. This method describes the learning process of a second language the same as the process of learning the first language: bubbling, imitation, formation of new habits, interpretation of the mother and final pronunciation. So, listening to the target language and repetition of structures are the heart of audiolingualism.
The Cognitive Code Method considers the learner inside a specific context, the student and his environment. The learner is the most important subject in the learning process, because it is considered as an active process where the learners can reflect about their learning. Rules are important, but the new knowledge has to be adjusted with the prior knowledge. Cognitivists think that making mistakes is very important in order to complete the process of learning.

Language Skills

It is difficult to identify which is my strongest and my weakest ability in my second language, because there is a lot to learn and, eventhough there are some skills that are stronger than others, I should continue learning on those.

However, I can say that reading is my strongest ability. I don't have too much problems when reading and I can understand most of the texts that I read. On the other hand, I think that listening is my weakest skill, but only referring to recordings, because when I listen to someone talking or I am participating in a conversation, I do not have any problem to follow it and to express my opinions or to answer questions. But when I listen to a CD or watch a movie, there are some parts that I miss, or don't understand.

I think the reason for this is that I have problems when I am not facing the person who is talking, or that the person who I am listening to is not talking to me.

To improve this skill I should watch more movies in English and also pay special attention to the lyrics of the songs that I listen to, and try to understand the meaning of them.

How did I learn English?

When I think about my experience with English, I inmediately think on the University where I studied for being an English teacher.

Of course I had English lessons at school, but now I realized that those lessons where absolutely focused on grammar. The listening, speaking, reading and writing skills were never taught, but at the end of the unit, we were asked to write something, to speak about a chapter of a book and to listen to a conversation and answer some questions.

At school, I felt very frustrated with English.

Then, I don't know why, I decided to took the English minor at University. I can say that there I learnt English, and I develop all the skills for being able to communicate in the language, and also I learnt the methodology to teach it.

Nowadays, I have been in touch with the language, because I have been studied the Master and also because I have been teaching English for two years to six years old girls.

Eventhough I learnt English according to the cognitive approach, now I teach it according to the communicative approach.