Konstruktivistiese taalonderrig: ontwikkeling van ’n navorser se eie epistemologie

This article reflects about the author’s professional development as language practitioner, educationalist and researcher. A literature review conceptualises principles of constructivist learning theories and shows how the (intuitive) implementation of these principles has enhanced students’ ability to construct meaning and accept responsibility for their own learning in the author’s teaching and research programme. Mention is made of different approaches to language teaching that can be integrated successfully in the constructivist paradigm, for instance the communicative and task-based approaches. These are based on recent research on the functioning of the brain when learning takes place, and its implications for the development of creativity in language teaching are discussed.