本書原著1997年出版，作者M·威廉姆斯和R·布爾登是兩位分別來自應用語言學和教育心理學兩個為同領域的英國學者。本書所建立的理解教與學過程的“社會建構主義模式”是對上述理論的整合與詮釋。本書在闡明社會建構主義的一般思想的同時，將其與語言教學的特殊問題相聯繫，試圖幫助讀者將教育心理學的新觀點、新思想應用於對語言教與學過程的認識理解、乃至實際行動中。

導讀
Thanks
Acknowledgements
Introduction
1 An introduction to educational psychology:behaviourism and cognitive psychology
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Educational psychology
1.3 Approaches to educational psychology
1.4 The positivist school
1.5 Cognitive psychology
1.6 Conclusion
2 Further schools of thought in psychology:Humanism and social interactionism
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Humanistic approaches
2.3 Social interactionism
2.4 A social constructivist model
2.5 Conclusion
3 What do teachers bring to the teaching-Learning Process?
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Studies in effective teaching
3.3 A constructivist view of education
3.4 A constructivist view of teaching
3.5 The teacher as reflective practitioner
3.6 Teachers'beliefs
3.7 Conclusion
4 What can teachers do promote learning?
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Feuerstein's theory of mediation
4.3 Application of mediation theory
4.4 Investigating mediation in language classrooms
4.5 Conclusion
5 The contribution of the individual student to the learning process
5.1 Introdction
5.2 Some problems with the notion of indvidual differences
5.3 An altemnative approach
5.4 The development and importnce of self-concept
5.5 Locus of control
5.6 Attribution theoty
5.7 Conclusion
6 What makes a person want to learn?Motivation in language learning
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Early psychological views on motivation
6.3 Motivation in foreign and second language leraning
6.4 A Cognitive view of motivation
6.5 A social definition of motivation
6.6 A proposed definition of motivation
6.7 A model of motivation
6.8 Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation
6.9 Perceived value of the activity
6.10 Arousal
6.11 Learners'beliefs about themselves
6.12 Setting and achieving goals
6.13 The involvement of significant others
6.14 Summary
6.15 Drawing it all together
6.16 Conclusion
7 How does the learner deal with the process of learning?
7.1 Introduction
7.2 Learning strategies
7.3 Skills and strategies
7.4 Learnig to learn
7.5 Metacognitive strategies
7.6 Summary
7.7 Language learning strategies
7.8 Strategy training
7.9 Learner training in foreign language teaching
7.10 Procedures for strategy training in foreign and second language teaching
7.11 Conclusion
8 The place of tasks in the langUage classroom
8.1 Introduction
8.2 Tasks in foreign language teaching
8.3 A cognitive processing approach
8.4 An educational perspective on tasks
9 The learning context
9.1 Why study learning environments?
9.2 Ecological perspectives
9.3 Environmental preferences
9.4 Classroom structure
9.5 Group processes
9.6 Classroom climate
9.7 Teacher behaviour as part of the learning,environment
9.8 Indiyidual perceptions of environments
9.9 Conclusion
10 Putting it all together
References
Subject index
Author index