TEACHING,LEARNING,TESTING THE CHANGES SCENARIOS

1. TEACHING,LEARNING,TESTING THE CHANGES SCENARIOS TOPIC : TRENDS IN LEARNING STRATEGIES AND PREFERENCES PRESENTED BY S.MOHANA PRIYA RASAMA EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION ,KARUR-DT

2. Trends in Learning Strategies And Preferences Introduction : • Language learning strategies (LLS) are seen as a shift from focusing on • teachers and teaching to learners and learning. • Cohen (1998) defined such a shift when he states that “one potentially beneficial shift in teacherroles is from that of being exclusively the manager, • controller and instructor to that of being a change agent – afacilitatoroflearning,whose role is to help their students to becomemoreindependentandmoreresponsible for their own learning. • In this role the teachers become partners in the learning process. • Language learning strategies are different from teaching strategies (the techniques used by teachers to help learners learn) in that, the learnerandnotthe teacher, • is the one who exercises control over the operations of the designated activity

3. Definitions of Learning Strategies: • Different ‘learning strategies’ (LS) definitions have been used in second or foreign language learning context. Learning strategies seem to be "tricks" learners how to help them remember things better or to do tasks more efficiently.  Several researchers have studied what learning strategies are and why they are effective in the learning process. What are Learning Strategies?       Oxford (1990) takes us to a definition which breaks the term learning strategies down to its roots--the word strategy.  She informs us that this word comes from the Greek word 'strategia' which means generalship or the art of war.  Strategy meant the management of the troops, ships, or aircraft in a war situation.  She points out a similar word tactics which are tools to achieve the success of strategies.  These two words, used interchangeably mean planning, competition,consciousmanipulation,andmovementtoward a goal.    In a problemsolvingsituation,itwouldimply"usingaplan,steporconsciousaction toward  achievement of an objective."  Oxford continues to expand on this definition by stating that "learning strategies are specific actions taken by the learner to make learning easier, faster, more enjoyable, more self-directed, more effective, and more transferrable to new situations." Later, Mayer (1988), more specifically, defined LS as “behaviours of a learner that are intended to influence how the learner processes information” Examples of learning strategies include actively rehearsing, summarizing, paraphrasing, imaging, elaborating, and outlining”

4. The basic characteristics of Learning Strategies: • Learning strategies are a set of processes and a routine for organising those processes ·  •        LLS allow learners to become more self-directed. They are a desire for control and autonomy of learning on the part of the learner. •  Only conscious strategies are LLS, and there must be a choice involved on the part of the learner (Cohen, 1990). • They may be visible as they are “specific actions or techniques” • or invisible as they can involve “mental processing” • Learning strategies use is determined at a metacognitive level (Garner, 1988).     • Learning strategies are under the active, strategic control of the student while in use •   Learning strategies have certain broad dimensions relating to their functions, their generalizability across texts, the scope of the learning task, and the extent to which they demand cognitive effort (Dansereau, 1985). •  Transfer of a strategy from one language to another or from a language skill to another is a related to the goal of LLS (Pearson, 1988; Skehan, 1989).

5. The classification framework of learning strategies: Language learning strategies can be classified according to whether they are cognitive, metacognitive, affective, or social Six major groups of foreign or second languagelearning strategies have been identified by Oxford (1990b). 1.Cognitive strategies  are mental strategies the learner uses to make sense of learning. They enable the learner to manipulate the language material in direct ways. When manipulating cognitive strategies, the learner is involved in practicing, receiving and sending messages, reasoning, analysing, note-taking, summarizing, synthesizing, outlining, reorganizing information to develop stronger schemas (knowledge structures), practicing in naturalistic settings, and practicing structures and sounds formally. 2.Metacognitive strategiesare essential for the leaner to plan, monitor and evaluate learning. They are employed for managing the learning process. Learners are required to centre, arrange, plan and evaluate their learning. 3. Memory-related strategiesare used for storage of information. They help learners link one second or foreign language item or concept with another but do not necessarily involve deep understanding. Learners are to be given the chance for linking mental images, applying images and sounds, reviewing well, and employing action. 4. Compensatory strategieshelp the learner make up for missing knowledge. Examples of such strategies include guessing from the context in listening and reading, using synonyms and “talking around” the missing word to aid speaking and writing and strictly for speaking, and using gestures or pause words. 5.Affective strategiesare concerned with the learner’s emotional needs such as identifying one’s mood and anxiety level, talking about feelings, rewarding oneself for good performance, and using deep breathing or positive self-talk.

6. Considerations before applying learning strategies in classroom Before applying LLS in classroom the teacher should 1. Investigate the teaching-learning situation: Teachers have to take into account: (1)    their students’ aptitudes, attitudes, needs, and interests; also they should consider learners’ motivations and attitudes concerning the leaning of new language and the improvement of existing ones (2)    their teaching methods and how to enhance their students’ LLS, the choice of strategies for training “based on the following criteria: related to needs of the learners; more than one kind of strategy; useful and transferable strategies; different degrees of difficulty (e.g. not all complex strategies at once)” (ibid.). (3)    the syllabus and how to integrate LLS in the teaching learning context. The teacher has to: “Prepare materials and activities for training strategies. Learners can also contribute to the materials collections or development. Make sure that materials and activities are interesting and varied” (ibid.). 2.Consider how strategies should be trained: Research suggests that teachers can succeed in training learners to use LLS throughcombining explicit and implicit means “Strategies should be trained using a coherent, step-by-step model. Strategy training or learner training must deal with issues like degree of motivation (high or low), kind of motivation (instrumental, integrative, etc., related to purpose for language learning), and attitudes (toward self, teacher, peers, target language, and target culture)”

7. General procedures for teaching learning strategies: 1.Explain to students that you will be showing them specific techniques that they can use on their own to improve their English 2. Tell students why they are learning about the strategy. Explaining the purpose of the lesson and its potential benefits seems to be a necessary step for moving from teacher control to student self-control of learning. 3. Describe, model and give examples of potentially useful strategies. 4. Teach the strategy in conjunction with a typical class activity, such as listening comprehension, pronunciation drills, grammar practice, or reading and writing lessons. 5. Elicit additional examples from students based on the students’earning experiences. 6. Delineate appropriate circumstances under which the strategy may be employed. Teachers may describe inappropriate instances for using the strategy. 7. Lead small-group and whole-class discussion about strategies. 8. After the strategy has been practiced in class, ask students to practice it on their own outside of class. Suggest specific situations in which they could practice the strategy, and ask for their own suggestions for additional situations. 9. Encourage students to experiment with a broad range of strategies. 10.Integrate strategies into everyday class material, explicitly and implicitly embedding them into the language tasks to provide for contextualized strategy practice. 11. Have students report on their use of the strategy outside of class. 12. Remind students about using a learning strategy when you introduce new material and make assignments.

8. Conclusion: This article suggests that teachers should consider integrating language learning strategies in their teaching. Learners have to explore ‘how’, ‘when’, and ‘why’ to use learning strategies, and evaluate and monitor their own learning (Cohen, 1998). Teachers have to study their teaching context before they applying LLS in their classroom. They have to reflect and encourage their students’ reflection on the teaching/learning context. Teachers are to take into account students’ cultural context, as there is a relationship between strategy preferences and learners’ cultural background, which can have an impact on strategy choice and training. The teacher is recommended to use several different strategy assessment methods to best collect data for students’ development use in learning strategies.