20 June 2024: The Inductive Learning of Language

The Centre for Language and Communication Research at Cardiff University is organising a hybrid Networking Event for scholars and practitioners with an interest in the Inductive Learning of Language on Thursday 20 June, 13:00-17:00, in Sir Martin Evans Building, Cardiff, CF10 3AT and online. 

The event aims to bring together researchers from different disciplines and practitioners in Welsh language learning sectors, and to offer a space to discuss the pedagogical implications of research on inductive learning approaches (identifying rule/patterns based on examples) and future research paradigms targeting real-life challenges. The event includes three research talks and a Roundtable on the Inductive Learning of Welsh.

• Talk 1: “On a Dynamic Usage-based inspired L2 pedagogy from primary school to university” by Dr Audrey Rousse-Malpat, University of Groningen

• • Abstract: Most foreign language teachers in the Netherlands today have followed what Lightbown and Spada (2013) call a Structure-based (SB) language learning training. This means that they have become proficient in a foreign language by learning and practicing a set of grammar rules that have been explicitly explained to them, in most cases in their L1. At the university level, language programs also have a strong focus on structure with the premise that becoming an expert in a language requires to be able to explicitly analyze the language as a system. Recent findings in implicit and inductive language teaching (Piggott, 2019; Gombert, 2022) suggest that general proficiency in a foreign language in high school can be obtained through exposure, repetition and use, which is in line with Dynamic Usage-based (DUB) principles in that language is viewed as a set of conventionalized routines that are learned through frequent exposure.

• Talk 2: “Harnessing language corpora: Corpus-based pedagogy for inductive learning” by Dr Reka R. Jablonkai, University of Bath

• • Abstract: This presentation explores the potential of corpus-based pedagogy for inductive language learning by providing research evidence and practical approaches. Corpus-based pedagogy including corpus-informed teaching and data-driven learning (DDL) utilizes authentic language corpora, enabling learners to uncover linguistic patterns through real-world examples (Jablonkai & Csomay, 2022). By engaging with corpus data, students can inductively formulate rules and understand language use in contexts, potentially fostering deeper cognitive engagement and retention (Boulton & Cobb, 2017). The session will present empirical research findings and discuss practical applications in classroom settings. Insights into implementing a corpus-based pedagogy to support inductive language learning effectively will be shared and specific pedagogic frameworks and tasks for classroom practice will be discussed (Crosthwaite, 2024; Le Foll, 2021; Pinto et al., 2023).

• Talk 3: “Does inductive learning need to be explicit?” by Prof Dagmar Divjak and Prof Petar Milin, University of Birmingham

• • Abstract: Inductive learning can be broadly described as a family of learner-centred instructional methods for knowledge or skill acquisition – from actively analysing specific observations, cases, and problems, in pursuit of generalisations. These methods have been implemented across various taught subjects, including physics (Meltzer, 2021), engineering (Prince & Felder, 2006), history (Machila et al., 2018), arts (Kroflič, 2012), and language (Williams, 1999). According to R. Ellis (2010), “Inductive explicit instruction provides learners with the data and guidance that they need to derive their own understanding of the grammatical feature” (p.4). Despite being based on practical classroom challenges and effectively being domain-agnostic, we argue that inductive learning shares important traits with general theories of linguistics and formal models of learning rooted in psychology and biology. With the former, it shares the notion of emergence of patterns or abstractions from exposure to usage alone, while the latter offers a mechanism or principle for the gradual discovery of relations that are instrumental for further generalisations. We will illustrate these ideas using a range of case studies conducted by the Out Of Our Minds research group (https://outofourminds.bham.ac.uk/) and open the discussion about how to reconcile an apparent discrepancy where, on the one hand, usage-based theory and models of learning do not presuppose discovery that is conscious and guided while, on the other hand, inductive learning does.

The Roundtable will start with mini-presentations by Welsh language teachers and teacher trainers on the current teaching methodology and challenges in Welsh language learning/teaching, followed by discussions.

We warmly welcome you to join the event and interact with guest speakers. If you plan to attend in person, please register here by 13th June for catering purposes. If you plan to attend online, please sign up here. Please feel free to share it with colleagues and students who might be interested in this event. The detailed programme and Zoom link will be circulated shortly after the registration closes.