Behaviorists and Cognitivists and Constructivists, oh my!

As I'm sure happened to a lot of us, today's class left me considering the three different schools of thought touched upon in the Dede article and how each might be present and/or beneficial to my field (second language education, specifically the teaching of Spanish to university students). Here are my thoughts:

• Objectivism/Behaviorism: I feel like it's popular in second language acquisition to bash on this one, but I don't think that's entirely fair. As we discussed in class, there is value in being able to recall facts quickly and correctly, and when learning a second language, there are plenty of things you just have to memorize/internalize (e.g. basic vocabulary, verb conjugations, etc.) before you can move on to the "next step". When I study a new language, for example, I often spend a great deal of time on drill websites like conjugemos making sure that I can correctly conjugate a verb because I want to be able to express myself clearly and accurately. I also drill with picture flashcards (i.e. picture on one side, term in whatever language I'm learning on the other) so that I get used to making instant connections between a physical representation of an object and the term for it in the target language rather than relying on mental translation, and I frequently recommend these methods to my students because they have worked well for me over the years.

• Cognitivism/Pragmatism: This one fits it quite nicely with second language teaching, in my opinion.Through drawing upon their preexisting grammatical knowledge of English, students are able to make connections with Spanish grammar that help them make sense of what they read in the textbook and practice saying in class. I as an instructor aim to present information in an organized, sequential manner à la Krashen's input hypothesis and try to help my students develop strategies for processing/recalling new information.

• Interpretivism/Constructivism: This one is also heavily present in today's scholarship on second language education, particularly within the communicative approach. The idea that the instructor is a guide rather than an expert who lectures all the time and the concept of using authentic activities to help learners develop new skills are things I've been taught since my undergrad days, so Interpretivism/Constructivism and, to a slightly lesser extent, Cognitivism/Pragmatism definitely feel the most like "home" to me when it comes to what happens within the classroom, whereas the types of mechanical drills associated with Objectivism/Behaviorism are something best left (in my opinion) for individual study outside of class.

What do you guys think? (How) do you (think you should) utilize elements from each of the three schools in your field?