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Date Posted: 06:46:15 09/28/04 Tue
Author: Aparecida S.SIlva
Subject: Re: Task 2- revised
In reply to: Aparecida S.SIlva 's message, "Re: Task 2" on 07:33:38 09/20/04 Mon

>UFMG 2004-09-20
PRODUÇãO DE TEXTOS
Prof. Kátia Modesto
Student: Aparecida dos S.Silva

Task 2 - The Importance and Awareness of Learning Strategies to the Learning Process of Foreing Languages.

Strategy is a plan designed for a specific purpose. In Ancient Greece strategies meant the art of war and whose tatics were tools for success. Everytime we have to carry out a plan most of us think about the best way to perform it . It’s 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 tatics which we choose does not guarantee that we will carry out the task in a skillful way. Thus, having strategies is not enough - it is necessary to know the importance of them to the Learning Process, be aware and know how to use them.

Regarding the studies of languages ,in a more specific way, Teaching Foreign Languages classrooms, the Learning Strategies came as a new perspective to learning. So, strategies are communicative and mental procedures that the student use to learn the target language.

There are a number of reasons why students of a Foreign Language should be aware of the importance of some Learning Strategies pointed out by Rebecca Oxford (on the process of acquiring a Foreing Language).

The main objective is that the Learning Strategies contribute to the student to acquire communicative competence, since the main goal of learning a foreign languague is to communicate. Then, they allow the student to become more independent, as the teacher will not always be present. This will aid the one who is more submissive. They are also problem-oriented because if the student needs to use a specific strategy, it means that he has a problem and in order to solve it he will have to take a specific action.

The Learning strategies involve many aspects of the learner, not only cognitive but also social and emotional apects. They are not always observable because when he is working by himself he is using his mind, but working in a group this is possible. Besides of being taught by the teacher, in order to know how and when to use them they have to be something conscious when put into practice.

While the Learning Stragegies are very important to the students, they are useful for teachers too. The teacher may introduce them into the ongoing process of the language lesson as soon as possible, so that he will be able to perceive any problem that may occur. Also they expand the role of teachers, because the teacher will be a facilitator, not a doctor who will cure the ignorance of the students.

There are ongoing researches on Learning Strategies. Each expert has found different approaches but with the same purpose, which is to help student learn and use the target language. A good example of Learning Strategies are the ones classified by Rebecca Oxford (1990:8) , which I have already tested with my own students.

Although, the strategies below will help student improve all the habilities, such as Writing, Listening, Speaking and Reading, each one brings special features related to a specific hability.

The first example of strategy is the Memory Strategy which helps the student recall what he has learned in a more efficient way. For this to happen he has to establish links with what is stored on his mind and what he is learning.
It is necessary that the student makes a great effort to use his memory as much as possible. The teacher may orient the student to do this as soon as he leaves the classroom.

While the first one can help student with Grammar, the second , the Cognitive Strategy , is more connected to Writing– It is how to make use of all mental process. The student 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; receiving and sending messages, more frequently, through letters or e-mails.

The third example of strategy is the Compensation Strategy – It is how the student compensate his lack of knowledge. This has to do with listening comprehension mostly, where the student can guess intelligently what’s been said. Also, it is important to avoid using the dictionary and trying to understand the whole content. When listening to a tape, the student should pay attention to the non linguistic clues in order to guess the meaning.

The next example is the Metacognitive Strategy – It is how the student organizes and evaluates his learning. He can do this by scheduling the necessary time he needs to study the target language; paying attention to his mistakes in order to improve; trying to find a better way of being a good learner. This can be applied to Reading.

The Affective Strategy – It is how the student low his anxiety. This is possible by encouraging himself, testing his emotional temperature talking to other people. This strategy fits on Speaking.

And finally, the Social Strategy – which is alike to the latter, in fact they come together, it is related to how the student interacts with another student and his environment of studies. It is very important that the student ask questions, ask for clarification or verification, empathizing with others.

As outlined above, the knowledge, the awareness and the proper use of the Learning Strategies are very important to the Learning Process of Foreign Languages.


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.

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