Constructivism, Connectivism, and Language Learning

Over the recent decades, with the advent and comfort of the internet and computers, language learning platforms have integrated technology into their programs. Textbooks and workbooks have started being sold accompanied by discs and softwares, and more recently apps. Other programs have completely done away with workbooks. Bets on these new tools, along with the development of different approaches, have allowed for different learning experiences.

Some of these new experiences, however, are still based on the same principles and epistemologies as the experiences learners had with workbooks. Not that the workbooks per se came with certain epistemologies, but the multiple choice and fill-in-the-blank questions are present both in old and new learning resources. On the other side of the coin, not-so-new constructivist approaches and connectivist methods now have more platforms to explore the creation of more immersive, interactive language learning experiences.

I believe all the different school of thoughts are present and useful when learning a language. At this moment, I am wondering how English speakers who are on an advanced level can benefit from constructivism and connectivism to keep improving their English language skills. This is a group of learners who have mostly successfully learned grammar structure and do have the vocabulary to live in English-speaking environments. They are now looking to expand their vocabulary in very specific contexts and acquire the fluidity and social-cultural expressions (idioms, slangs, etc) that could allow them to belong or easily communicate with native English speakers on equal footing.

Over the past year, I've iterated on different versions of a program for advanced English language learners in Brazil. The program, called Master, aims to help learners focus on English communication and writing at an academic level. A format consisting of group discussions with open-ended prompts followed by presentations delivered in different formats has been a successful approach, as learners feel the need to research and find answers to their own questions.

As advanced English speakers, these learners are no longer learning to know what is "right" or "wrong" in the language. Instead, they are expanding their knowledge and finding out what all they are able to do in a second language. It's all about curiosity and discovery. I make the case that approaches for this group of learners should be mostly based on connectivism and constructivism, as these epistemologies suggest effective learning experiences that go beyond learning what's "right" or "wrong"—they are about learning what makes more sense to the learners.