The neuroscientific approach in teaching English to high school students

Abstract

This research focuses on diagnosing the impact of the neuroscientific approach on English teaching with respect to academic performance and student motivation in secondary education. It employs a mixed-method approach to gather both quantitative and qualitative data on the neuroscientific approach in English language teaching. The study participants included seven English teachers and thirty-nine third-year high school students from a private educational institution in Chone, Manabí, Ecuador. The data collection instruments used for the diagnosis were literature review, a semi-structured interview administered to English teachers, a questionnaire, and a pre-test and post-test administered to the students. The research results indicate that the application of techniques derived from the neuroscientific approach significantly impacts student motivation and academic performance in language learning. Furthermore, it concludes that neuroscientific techniques such as personalized learning plans tailored to each student's needs, spaced repetition, and the use of adaptive learning technologies optimize the language acquisition process. This study will contribute to the existing literature and to future studies focused on the impact of neuroscience on education.