NEUROPLASTICITY-INFORMED PEDAGOGIES: OPTIMIZING SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Abstract

Higher education Second language acquisition (SLA) has been based on structural and memorization-based approaches in the past. Nevertheless, neuroplasticity breakthroughs indicate that neuroplasticity, the ability of the brain to restructure and create new neural pathways during life, can bring revolutionary changes to the practice of teaching and learning a second language by enhancing engagement, retention, and fluency.This paper discusses how neuroplasticity-based pedagogies are able to optimize SLA in higher education. It seeks to illuminate pedagogical practices that are consistent with neural adaptability and analyze systemic obstacles to their wider implementation.A mixed-methods design was used. To measure the perceptions of neuroplasticity-informed teaching practices, qualitative data were collected by the means of questionnaires among the language learners and teachers. In depth information about classroom experiences, difficulties and the possibility of neuroscience integration into pedagogy was found in qualitative interviews with educators. Triangulated findings were obtained using thematic analysis and descriptive statistics.Results reveal that neuroplasticity-oriented pedagogies have a profound impact in language acquisition as they provoke multisensory experiences, emotion, and shared learning. Students claimed to have been more confident, motivated and retained better, instructors reported more adaptable and more fluency building in students. However, the institutional barriers (inflexible curriculums, inadequate training of faculty, and conventional assessment systems) were singled out as primary impediments to implementation. Neuroplasticity-based pedagogies provide an effective model to maximize SLA in higher education. Through the processes of adaptation in the brain, these strategies not only improve language fluency but also the confidence and the strength of the learner. To maximize potential, institutions of higher learning should invest in professional education, flexible curriculum and cross-disciplinary partnership between neuroscience and language education.