My weakest work

By: Pamela Erices Terán and Erick Melgarejo Caamaño

Career: English Pedagogy

Subject: English as a Foreign Language Methodology

Teachers: Gabriela Sanhueza, Theresa St John

Section: 2

November, 23^th 2018

Theoretical Framework

Language Learning Strategies (LLS) are metacognitive and cognitive processes that help students achieve better understanding of any subject-matter. In consequence, these LLS are totally relevant for the Teaching-Learning process, especially when it comes to learning a new language. However, there is a tendency that Learning Language Strategies have been forgotten by most teachers at the moment of teaching.

Nowadays, students repeatedly use a lot of different strategies without even knowing that those actions complement their learning. We, as future teachers, must know our students, in order to know their preferences, and help them in their learning process. However, how can we be certain about which Learning Strategies work for them?

The main objective of this theoretical framework is to explain what are the Language Learning Strategies, and to establish a relation between the different points of view of Oxford and Chamot about how students and teachers should apply and use LLS.

Learning Language Strategies: perspectives of both authors

The use of Learning Strategies will depend only on the Learning Style of each student. However, we found a relevant question: What exactly is the difference between these two concepts?

Chamot (1998), claims that Language Learning Strategies are procedures or techniques that students can use to facilitate a learning task. In addition, Oxford (1990) adds to this definition the fact that Learning Strategies help the student to develop each of the skills. The term Learning Styles is frequently used in various educational fields, and for this same reason, it has several meanings. One of this, it refers to the uniqueness of how each learner receives and processes new information through their senses. It is of critical importance to learn to differentiate both concepts, in order to gain a better understanding of how the LLS theories, proposed by Chamot and Oxford, work.

First, according to Oxford (1990), Language Learning Strategies are categorized as direct and indirect. Direct LLS aim towards learning the new language, helping the student to acquire new information through the use of cognitive, memory and compensatory strategies. Furthermore, indirect strategies supply indirect backing for language learning with the aid of social, affective and metacognitive strategies (Oxford, 1990). This is because the most important characteristic of the Indirect Learning Strategies is that they help students to lower their affective filter when teaching in order to not been affected by any negative or strong feeling or emotion that could eventually affect any type of academic performance.

Language Learning Strategies, both direct and indirect, are crucial inside and outside the classroom. Learners use direct strategies to improve their proficiency in the acquisition of a new language and indirect strategies to moderate their affective filter when they have a task ahead, this means the way they react when learning.

Reviewing all the work, the author proposes many Language Learning Strategies to encourage and facilitate student learning. But, at the same time we realize that the author does not propose a fixed way to teach LLS; most of these can be explained and applied to students in the classroom, in order for them to reach a better understanding, and eventually, make an active use of these strategies.

Taking in consideration what was already mentioned, not all strategies are applicable for all students, because of course they are all different and all of them have different learning styles. But, most of them can be applied in a Second Language classroom (L2). For this to work, teachers should spend time helping and guiding their students by monitoring and using these strategies, not only when they are required for certain activities, but also for the length of the whole learning process. Applying this correctly, students will be able to choose wisely an appropriate LLS for their daily needs when they want to explore and learn a new language.

On the opposite, Direct Language Strategies target the acquisition of the language in terms of how the student receives and process the new language, Indirect Language Learning Strategies, while moderating the affective filter in students, help with the students’ disposition when they acquire a new language. For this reason, it is better for students to use and reflect on them outside the classroom, since Indirect Language Learning Strategies help in controlling their relationship and emotions towards the target language.

Unlike Oxford, Chamot relates Language Learning Strategies to the fulfillment of a goal. The author states that learning strategies are thoughts and actions that individuals use to fulfill a learning goal (2004). This idea emphasizes the active role of students who need to think and achieve the most appropriate strategies to properly learn a language according to their level of competence, motivation or age, in a way that students can become successful learners. However, the number and variety of strategies used, the way these strategies are applied and the suitability of these used by students are not the same between students that are actually learning a language are the ones that are just learning a random topic.

Chamot (1999), proposes a Metacognitive Model of Strategic Learning. This model is designed to help both students and teachers to manage the LLS, and how they can use them in a real context throughout different subjects. The model consists of four metacognitive processes or steps: Planning, in which the students must think what strategy they can use focusing on the task to be done; monitoring, in which students monitor their performance within the activity, so that students can successfully apply their learning process; problem solving, this is used when students have had some difficulty with the task, and in consequence they use this strategy to solve the problem and continue with it; and evaluating, through self-reflection, students can determine whether or not they have met the goal, and whether they can perform better next time. In addition, it is important that teachers can explicitly teach the model to create a meaningful impact on students. In this way, students can use it in a variety of tasks that not only have to do with the language acquisition, but also with other contents.

Chamot (2005) also proposes the use of the Cognitive Academic Language Learning Approach (CALLA), which is an instructional model for students of a second language based on cognitive theory. This model integrates the teaching of priority topics within the curriculum, using Learning Strategies for the development of academic tasks, also promoting the language skills necessary to learn. The objectives of CALLA consist in the fact that students can learn content and essential academic language.

Learner’s background

The student’s name is Nicole Erices. She is a twenty-six years’ old who studies Elementary Pedagogy at the Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción. Nicole is from Arauco, but during the week she stays in Concepción to attend her classes.

She studied in a subsidized private school called Liceo San Francisco de Asís since she was six years old. At school, she had two hours of English classes per week. Then, she started to study at the university, where she had two courses of English (General English I and II) and passed it with 5,9 and 6,1, respectively.

Although her pronunciation is good, Nicole feels uncomfortable talking in English. She says that of the four skills, her strength is listening because she listens to a lot of songs (as she is a dance teacher), and she also says that the skill that is more difficult for her is reading because she feels herself a visual person more than a reader.

Diagnose task

Dear best friend!

Instructions:

Imagine that you have not seen your best friend from months, and you will write an email to tell her your recently activities and some anecdotes that you have lived during this time.

You will have half of a page to write this email (about 80-90 words).

________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________

Evidence

Dear best friend!

Instructions:

Imagine that you have not seen your best friend from months, and you will write an email to tell her your recently activities and some anecdotes that you have lived during this time.

You will have half of a page to write this email (about 80-90 words).

Hi Karen!

How are you? I miss you so much. When will you go to see me? I hope soon because I had to tell you a lot, so well, I will tell you now. I'm still dancing, my childs are more and more excited about the presentation, so we are rehearse every day until it happen. I wish you were here, maybe you can dance with us.

Later I'll tell you more, but now I wanted you to know that I need you, nobody laughs at the same jokes that I do.

Hugs and kisses

Nicole

Analysis and assessment

As a general analysis, we can realize that the learner is able to follow the instructions as the amount of words and content. Even though she tried to use multiple tenses, she failed in singular/plural situations. She also forgot the correct greeting and use of punctuation.

Next, we present the error analysis and a corrected version of the task, which was evaluated with the rubric attached below.

Error analysis highlighted in yellow

Hi Karen!

How are you? I miss you so much. When will you go to see me? I hope soon because I had to tell you a lot, so well, I will tell you now. I'm still dancing, my childs are more and more excited about the presentation, so we are rehearse every day until it happen. I wish you were here, maybe you can dance with us.

Later I'll tell you more, but now I wanted you to know that I need you, nobody laughs at the same jokes that I do.

Hugs and kisses

Nicole

Corrected version

Dear Karen,

How are you? I miss you so much. When will you go to see me? I hope soon, because I had to tell you a lot, so I will tell you now. I'm still dancing, my children are getting more and more excited about the presentation, so we are rehearsing/ we rehearse every day until it happens/ will happen. I wish you were here, maybe you could dance with us.

Later, I'll tell you more, but now I wanted you

to know that I need you. Nobody laughs at the same jokes that I do.

Hugs and kisses,

Nicole

Assessment (analytical rubric)

Criteria

4

3

2

1

Points

Earned

Mechanics

Writer makes no mistakes in grammar or spelling that distract the reader from the content.

Writer makes 1-2 mistakes in grammar or spelling that distract the reader from the content.

Writer makes 3-4 mistakes in grammar or spelling that distract the reader from the content.

Writer makes more than 4 mistakes in grammar or spelling that distract the reader from the content.

1/4

Use of tenses

(x2)

Writer perfectly uses the tenses.

Writer makes 1 or 2 mistakes in the use of tenses.

Writer makes 3 or 4 mistakes in the use of tenses.

Writer makes 5 or more mistakes in the use of tenses.

6/8

Punctuation

Writer makes no errors in capitalization or punctuation, so the paper is exceptionally easy to read.

Writer makes 1 or 2 errors in capitalization or punctuation, but the paper is still easy to read.

Writer makes a few errors in capitalization and/or punctuation that catch the reader's attention and interrupt the flow.

Writer makes several errors in capitalization and/or punctuation that catch the reader's attention and greatly interrupt the flow.

2/4

Total points

9/16

Strategic Proposal: LLS lesson

Content Area: English

Topic: Writing an Email

Grade: A1 level (beginner)

Objectives

• Content knowledge/skill: Student will be able to write an email to a friend following a determined structure.
• Learning strategy: Real experiences and background knowledge.

Preparation - How will you find out what strategies your students are already using for this type of task?

As a lead-in activity, SS will write an express letter to the T in groups of 2 or 3. Here, SS will be able to activate their previous knowledge about the structure of a letter, and as is a collaborative activity, it will given enough time to create and check their letter.

Presentation - How will you model and describe the strategy? what name will you give the strategy in your target language?

T will present the topic of writing a email, showing SS some examples and then, explaining the correct structure of a letter/ email.

Practice - How will students practice the strategy using the content and language you want them to learn?

T will ask SS to write 5 different types of letter during the class: a formal letter, an informal one, a letter of forgiveness to a friend, a letter of ask for job, and a complaining letter.

Evaluation - How will your student assess whether the strategy helped them learn?

The evaluation will be divided. Your work will be evaluated in classes (the 5 letters written) and then a new context will be explained for the new letter you should write. This will be individual work, monitored by the teacher.

Expansion - How will your students transfer the strategy to other tasks and situations?

The student will be asked to reflect on what she was able to learn, creating a list of the facts she feels she has learned and also what she believes it should continue to work on. Then, Nicole will be given her corrected evaluation, with the necessary feedback so that she can learn from it, do not making the same mistakes and improving her English language level, specifically in writing skill.

One to one lesson

Preparation

With the lead in activity, we could see that the apprentice was more comfortable writing than talking, so we say explain and expose the topic and the grammar rules and then in practice, we will apply written exercises.

Presentation

To introduce the topic, we will show her examples of different types of letters. Then we will teach her the structure and how each tense should be correctly used. Punctuation, greetings and farewell styles, and everything she will need to know so she will be able to write a letter of any kind.

Practice

To practice, she must create 5 types of letters, which will be different: formal, informal, apologizing, claiming and asking for job. She will be given 3 minutes for each letter and then she must give them to the teacher.

Evaluation

For the evaluation, which will last 6 minutes, she will be given a specific context to create a letter with all its parts. Then, it will be evaluated with the same rubric of the diagnostic task, concentrating on mechanics, punctuation and specifically in the correct use of tenses.

Expansion

Here, the learner will be asked to reflect on what she has learned, what has become more difficult and what she already knew before this lesson.

Discussion and conclusion

Language Learning Strategies are methods and procedures that can help teachers and students to teach, learn and develop different objectives. LLS provide autonomy to the students, as well as they can regulate by themselves their learning through cognitive and metacognitive processes.

We, as students and future teachers, know the importance of Learning Strategies, since each one of us has our own method to study and learn. However, students do not know that a specific procedure used for learning any topic or subject-matter could be a LLS. Another important reason that is often forgotten is the fact that not all students learn in the same way, because of this we, as future teachers, need to know which LLS will be suitable for our students.

Regarding how to teach Language Learning Strategies, we realized that to do it in one single lesson is not enough, the student cannot acquire and internalize the strategy in that time. Therefore, the learner will not be able to apply the strategy properly, even though when s/he has understood it completely.

References

• Chamot, A. (1998). Teaching Learning Strategies to Language Students. Washington, DC: Center of Applied Linguistics.
• Chamot, A. (2004). Issues in Language Learning Strategy Research and Teaching. In Electronic Journal of Foreign Language Teaching, 1, pp.14-26. Singapore: National University of Singapore.
• Chamot, A. (2005). Language Learning Strategy instruction: Current issues and research. Annual review of Applied Linguistics, 25, 112-130.
• Oxford, R. (1990). Language Learning Strategies: What every teacher should know. Boston: Heinle and Heinle.
• Oxford, R. (2003). Language Learning Styles and Strategies: An Overview. GALA, pp.1-25.