191
EFFECTIVE METHODS FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING FOREIGN LANGUAGES
WITH 12 BRAIN RULES
Baltabaeva Gulimkhan Kurbanbaevna,
an English teacher at the 37th school in Kungrad
Teaching methodology that aligns with the brain’s natural processes is crucial for
effectively teaching and learning a foreign language for several reasons. Understanding how the
brain learns can lead to more efficient and successful language acquisition. In our interconnected
world, the ability to communicate in foreign languages has become increasingly valuable. Beyond
the practical advantages, learning a foreign language has a profound impact on cognitive functions,
particularly memory. The intricate connection between foreign language learning and memory is
a subject of growing interest among educators, psychologists, and neuroscientists. This article will
discuss the profound role of twelve rules of brain on both acquiring a second language and
effective approaches for teaching a foreign language with some applied theories coupled with
practical experience that have been applied in developed countries’ educational systems as well as
some scientists’ teaching experiences.
“Brain rules” by John Medina is a scientific guide to how our brains work, including how we learn,
remember, and stay focused. It includes practical advice on how to optimize brain function through
exercise, sleep, and stress management. The author’s 12 principles for surviving and thriving at
work, home and school are presented in the table form.
The name of the rules
Characteristics of the rules.
1
Rule 1 Exercise boosts brain
power.
Our brains were built for walking- 12 miles a day! To
improve your thinking skills, move. Exercise gets blood to
your brain, bringing it glucose for energy and oxygen to soak
up the toxic electrons that are left over. It also stimulates the
protein that keeps neurons connecting.
2
Rule 2 The human brain
evolved, too.
We do not have one brain in our head- we have three. We
started with a “lizard brain” to keep us breathing, then added
a brain like a cat’s and then topped those with the thin layer
of jell- O known as the cortex- the third, and powerful,
“human” brain. We took over the Earth by becoming
adaptable to change, coming down from the tees to the
savannah when the climate changed. Going from four legs
to two to walk on the savannah freed up energy to develop a
complex brain.
3
Rule 3 Every brain is wired
differently.
What you do and learn in life physically changes what your
brain looks like- it literally rewires it. The various regions of
the brain develop at different rates in different people. No
two people’s brains store the same information in the same
way in the same place.
4
Rule 4. People don’t pay
attention to boring things.
The brain’s attentional “spotlight” can focus on only one
thing at a time: no multitasking. Emotional arousal helps the
192
brain learn. Audiences check out after 10 minutes, but you
can keep grabbing them back by telling or creating events
rich in emotion.
5
Rule 5. Repeat to remember. The brain has many types of memory systems. One type
follows four stages of processing: encoding, storing,
retrieving and forgetting.
6
Rule 6. Remember to repeat. Most memories disappear within minutes, but those that
survive the fragile period strengthen with time. Long-term
memories are formed in a two-way conversation between
the hippocampus and the cortex, until the hippocampus
breaks the connection and the memory is fixed in the cortex-
which can take years.
7
Rule 7. Sleep well, think
well.
The brain is a constant state of tension between cells and
chemicals that try to put you to sleep and cells and chemicals
that try to keep you awake. Loss of sleep hurts attention,
executive function, working memory, mood, quantitative
skills, logical reasoning and even motor dexterity.
8
Rule 8. Stressed brains do
not learn the same way as
non-stressed brains.
Your div’s defense system- the release of adrenaline and
cortisol- is built for an immediate response to a serious but
passing danger, such as a saber- toothed tiger. Chronic
stress, such as hostility at home, dangerously deregulates a
system built only to deal with short-term responses.
9
Rule 9. Stimulate more of
the senses at the same time.
We absorb information about an event through our senses,
translate it into electrical signals (some for sight, others from
sound etc.) disperse those signals to separate parts of the
brain, then reconstruct what happened, eventually
perceiving the event as a whole.
10 Rule 10. Vision trumps all
other senses.
Vision is by far our most dominant sense, taking up half of
our brain’s resources. We learn and remember best through
pictures, not through written or spoken words.
11 Rule 11. Male and female
brains are different.
Men and women respond differently to acute stress. Women
activate the left hemisphere’s amygdala and remember the
emotional details. Men use the right amygdala and get the
gist.
12 Rule 12. We are powerful
and natural explorers.
Babies are the model of how we learn- not by passive
reaction to the environment but by active testing through
observation, hypothesis, experiment, and conclusion.
Understanding the role of brain rules in learning and teaching second languages is an
important area of research with significant implications for educators and learners. There are
several key principles related to brain rules that can impact the effectiveness of language learning
and teaching. These principles include the importance of engagement, repetition, emotion, and
sensory input in the learning process.
193
One important aspect of brain rules in language learning is the role of
engagement.
Engaging with the material through activities that stimulate the brain can enhance learning and
retention. This could involve using interactive tools, incorporating real-life language use, or
leveraging technology to create a dynamic learning environment. Research has shown that when
learners are actively engaged in the learning process, their brains are more likely to make
connections and retain the information more effectively, which can be crucial when learning a
second language.
Repetition
is another key factor related to brain rules in language learning. Research has
demonstrated that spaced repetition, or the practice of reviewing material and intervals, can
significantly improve long-term retention. Understanding how the brain responds to repeated
exposure to language input can inform teaching strategies that promote effective language
learning. By incorporating spaced repetition techniques into language instruction, educators can
leverage brain rules to help learners store and retrieve language information more efficiently.
Emotion
also plays a crucial role in language learning and teaching, as the brain is highly
responsive to emotional stimuli. Creating a positive and supportive learning environment can help
learners feel more motivated and engaged, which can in turn enhance their language learning
experience. Additionally, leveraging emotionally significant content or personal experience can
help learners connect with the language on a deeper level, facilitating memory and comprehension.
Sensory input
, such as visual and auditory stimuli, also influences language learning and
can be linked to brain rules. Incorporating multimedia and interactive materials that appeal to
different senses can enhance the brain’s processing of language information. Research in this area
can shed light on how different sensory modalities affect language acquisition and how educators
can design diverse learning experiences to cater to individual learners’ preferences and strengths.
REFERENCES:
1. Ammar A (2008). Prompts and reacts. Differential effects on second language morph syntax
Language Teaching Research 12.-183- 210
2.Bygate, M (2001). Effects of task repetition on the fluency, accuracy and complexity of Iranian
EFL
learners’
oral
discourse.
Asian
EFL
Journal.
http://www.asian-efl-
journal.com/September.2008.pdf
3. Davies, M (2006). Paralinguistic focus on form. TESOL Quarterly.
4. Egi. T. (2007) Interpreting reacts as linguistic evidence: The roles of linguistic target, length,
and degree of change. Studies in Second Language Acquisition.
5. Ellis, R. Basturkmen, H, &Loewen, S. (2001a) Learner uptake in communicative ESL lessons,
Language Learning.
6.Faraco, M& Kida, T (2008). Gesture and the negotiation of meaning in a second language
classroom. In S.G McCafferty & G. Stam (Eds). Gesture: Second Language acquisition and
classroom research.
7. John Medina 2014. Second edition. “Brain rules”
