Includes bibliographical references (p. 209-227) and indexes.

"Psychology for Language Teachers examines the field of educational psychology and considers various ways in which a deeper understanding of this discipline can help language teachers. The first part presents an overview of educational psychology, and discusses how different approaches to psychology have influenced language teaching methodology. Following this, four themes are identified: the learner, the teacher, the task and the learning context. Recent psychological developments in each of these domains are discussed and implications are drawn for language teaching.

Areas considered include approaches to learning, motivation, the role of the individual, attribution, mediation, the teaching of thinking, the cognitive demands of tasks and the learning environment.

Psychology for Language Teachers does not assume previous knowledge of psychology.

Only book at present dealing with psychology from social constructivist view point in ELT.

Presents an overview of eductional psychology, and discusses how different approaches have influenced language teaching methodology.

Potential as adoptable text on MA courses in ELT / applied linguistics." (Publisher's Website)

CONTENTS:

Chapter 1: An introduction to educational psychology: Behaviourism and cognitive psychology
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Educational psychology
1.3 Approaches to educational psychology
1.4 The positivist school
1.5 Cognitive psychology
1.6 Conclusion

Chapter 2: Further schools of thought in psychology: Humanism and social interactionism
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Humanistic approaches
2.3 Social interactionism
2.4 A social interactionism
2.5 Conclusion

Chapter 3: What do teachers bring to the teaching-learning process?
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Studies in effective teaching
3.3 A constructivist view of education
3.4 A constructivist view of teaching
3.5 The teacher as reflective practitioner
3.6 Teachers' beliefs
3.7 Conclusion

Chapter 4: What can teachers do to promote learning?
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Feuerstein's theory of mediation
4.3 Application of mediation theory
4.4 Investigating mediation in language classrooms
4.5 Conclusion

Chapter 5: The contribution of individual student to the learning process
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Some problems with the notion of individual differences
5.3 An alternative approach
5.4 The development and importance of self-concept
5.5 Locus control
5.6 Attribution theory
5.7 Conclusion

Chapter 6: What makes a person want to learn? Motivation in language learning

6.1 Introduction
6.2 Early psychological views on motivation
6.3 Motivation in foreign and second language learning
6.4 A cognitive view of motivation
6.5 A social constructivist perspective
6.6 A proposed definition of motivation
6.7 A model of motivation
6.8 Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation
6.9 Perceived value of the activity
6.10 Arousal
6.11 Learners' beliefs about themselves
6.12 Setting and achieving goals
6.13 The involvement of significant others
6.14 Summary
6.15 Drawing it all together
6.16 Conclusion

Chapter 7: How does the learner deal with the process of learning?
7.1 Introduction
7.2 Learning strategies
7.3 Skills and strategies
7.4 Learning to learn
7.5 Metacognitive strategies
7.6 Summary
7.7 Language learning strategies
7.8 Strategy training
7.9 Learner training in foreign language teaching
7.10 Procedures for strategy training in foreign and second language teaching

7.11 Conclusion

Chapter 8: The place of tasks in the language classroom
8.1 Introduction
8.2 Tasks in foreign language teaching
8.3 A cognitive processing approach
8.4 An educational perspective on tasks

Chapter 9: The learning context
9.1 Why study learning environments?
9.2 Ecological perspectives
9.3 Environmental preferences
9.4 Classroom structure
9.5 Group processes
9.6 Classroom climate
9.7 Teacher behaviour as part of the learning environment
9.8 Individual perceptions of environment
9.9 Conclusion

Chapter 10: Putting it all together