This is what they teach in those TEFL courses!!

[missxine]

I am currently completing the online part of a well known TESOL course and came across this statement in my course book.

"The Stimulus–Response Method is the behaviourist way of
showing how people learn. Like B.F. Skinner’s dogs, which learned to
salivate at the ringing of a bell because the bell always rang before
supper, students can learn to speak English through proper reward
systems."

I am astounded!! I cannot believe I paid so much for such bad information. I thought Pavlov's dogs was one of those dead easy trivia questions. Skinner was more famous for keeping his kids in boxes.A supposedly "academic" course should not make such errors!

It makes me curious about the other howlers that may exist in the course book. I have had to reread a few paragraphs and correct their frankly odd mistakes.

[harold h]

I thought Burrhus Frederic Skinner had more notable achievements in his life time. Perhaps it was just too hard for your TESOL course to research their information. I just hope you get more decent information in following lessons.



One idea I do like of his, is the fact that punishment is seen as an ineffective way of controlling behaviour.

[ICAL_Pete]

Slightly digressing, I saw a programme on TV the other day about recruits in the French Foreign Legion. They all had to learn French and when they made a language mistake in class they were corrected in the usual manner. When they made the same mistake again the teacher (a soldier) got annoyed but corrected them again. When they made the mistake for the third time the teacher hit them. A fourth time with the same mistake and they were beasted something rotten.

It seemed to work as well!!

Could this be the way forward???