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Date Posted: 08:01:06 11/28/04 Sun
Author: Amanda
Subject: Re: Final Paper
In reply to: Aparecida S.Silva 's message, "Re: Final Paper" on 02:53:46 11/27/04 Sat

UFMG 2004-11-27
PRODUÇÃO DE TEXTOS
Prof.. Kátia Modesto
Student: Aparecida S. Silva

Awareness of Learning Strategies in Foreign Language Learning

Strategy is a plan designed for a specific purpose. In Ancient Greece meant the art of war whose tactics were tools for success. Every time we have to carry out a plan, most of us think about the best way to perform it. It is through this process of planning and thinking that we come to the strategies to achieve our goals. Although it seems very important that we have strategies for every action we need to perform, the tactics which we choose does not guarantee that we will carry out the task successfully. Thus, when it comes to learning, having strategies is not enough, it is necessary to know which one is more effective and how to use it. Regarding foreign Language Learning, more specifically, Language Learning Strategies came as a new perspective, because they are communicative and mental procedures that learners use to learn the target language in an easy, fast and enjoyable way.

Richards & Lockhart on their book Reflective Teaching in Second Language Classrooms (pp.3) state: “an important aspect of teaching is to promote learner’s awareness and control of effective learning strategies and discourage the use of inneffective ones” (1). Students may not be able to find out the best strategy for them to use, so it is up to the teacher to introduce it in the ongoing process of the language lesson as soon as possible.

A number of studies on Learning Strategies give important suggestions on how to acquire and learn a foreign language with the aid of Learning Strategies (Nunan, 1996; Richards & Lockhart;Oxford, 1996). Rebecca Oxford in her book “What Every Teacher Should Know” has classified the Learning Strategies into Indirect (2) and Direct Strategies which are basic techniques students should be acquainted with in order to learn a foreign language.

(2a) Direct Strategies are specific actions taken by the learners to internalize the language. The three groups of Direct Strategies are the following: Memory, Cognitive and Compensation.

Memory Strategy is the one which helps students recall and access what they have learned in a more effective way. For this to happen they have to establish links with what is stored on their minds and what they are learning. It is necessary that (3) students make great efforts to use their memories as much as possible. So, activities with flash-cards to remember new words, revision of previous lessons and role-playing can be of great help.

Cognitive Strategy is how to make use of all mental process. Students (4) can do this by reciting and writing words of the target language, speaking to native speakers, practicing the sound of the language, using the same word in a different way, getting in touch with authentic materials and receiving and sending messages through letters or e-mails, for example.

The Compensation Strategy is how students compensate their lack of knowledge. It requires a great effort such as not looking in the dictionary every time (5) they need to know the meaning of a new word. Instead, they should try to guess it intelligently. When listening to a tape, students should pay attention to non linguistic clues in order to guess the meaning of what has been said.

The Indirect Strategies are the ones regarding the learners’ attitude throughout their learning process and they are Metacognitive, Affective and Social Strategies. The first is the one in which students organize and evaluate their learning. They can do this by scheduling the necessary time they need to study the target language, paying attention to their mistakes in order to improve and find a better way of being good learners. Affective and Social Strategies are very similar, in fact, they come together. Affective Strategy aids students to lower anxiety, and this is possible if they encourage themselves talking to other people. By doing this they will be ready to use the Social Strategy which is related to how students interact with one another and the environment of studies. It is very important to ask questions, ask for clarification or verification, empathizing with others. (6)

To conclude, the main objective of foreign language learners is the communicative competence, and if they (7), from the beginning of their learning process, are aware that there are effective tools to support their (7a) learning, such as Learning Strategies, they will certainly succeed.

References:

Oxford, R, 1990. Language Learning Strategies: What Every Teacher Should Know. Boston: Newbury House.

Nunan, D, 1999. Second Language Teaching & Learning, Chaper 6 The Learning Process. Boston, Massachusetts.

Richards, J. Reflective Teaching in Second Language Classrooms, Learning Strategies, City University of Hong Kong.






Aparecida, your paper is very good. I have made some suggestions for you and there they go:
(1) As I told you before, I believe that you should quote first and explain latter so the quotation is not explaining your words but the other way round;
(2) I understood that you are developing about the direct ones, but I think that it would be better if you write the indirect first and (2a) briefly explain what are they about on the next paragraph. Indirect Strategies are…
(6) As you explain the Metacognitive in the same paragraph that you cite the others I guess you shouldn’t change paragraph to explain the affective and social ones.

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