DEVELOPMENT OF PRIMARY SCHOOL STUDENT LANGUAGE SKILLS: APPLICATION OF PRINCIPLES OF NEURODIDACTICS IN LITHUANIAN LANGUAGE CLASSES

Abstract

Neurodidactics, which is grounded on integration of neurosciences into the educational process, and its contribution to education have been more and more extensively analysed lately. The scholarly literature distinguishes four principles of neurodidactics: linking of new information with the already possessed one; revision; positive emotions; information assimilation employing several senses is important for development of school learners’ linguistic abilities. Taking into account significantly lower learning outcomes of Lithuanian as the state language, which were observed among national minority learners, and responding to the unified primary education curriculum of Lithuanian language for schools with Lithuanian as the language of instruction and for national minority schools, which entered into force in 2016, attempts are made to search for well-targeted and neuroscience-based ways of language education. Therefore, the goal of the research is to theoretically substantiate and empirically investigate the development of primary learners’ linguistic abilities applying neurodidactic principles. The phenomenographic research strategy was used to attain the research goal employing the semi-structured interview with Lithuanian teachers from national minority schools. The empirical data was analysed applying the content analysis. The obtained results allow stating that during the lessons only two senses (i.e., sight and hearing) are mainly considered aiming at development of linguistic abilities. While revising the material learnt in the classroom, all the linguistic abilities are developed but revising this material at home the focus is laid only on one of the abilities. It was also revealed that speaking the state language evoked negative emotions to national minority learners. Keywords: development of linguistic abilities, application of neurodidactic principles, primary school learners, schools of national minorities.