1 / 36

A Fish or A Fishing Rod- Language Learning Strategies for Successful Language Learning

A Fish or A Fishing Rod- Language Learning Strategies for Successful Language Learning. 語言學習策略工作坊 April 11, 2007 義守大學 藍蕾 東吳大學 英文系 副教授 Rae Lan, Ph.D. Email: rae@scu.edu.tw. Language Learning Strategies (LLSs) Research Implication & Pedagogical Application.

clover
Download Presentation

A Fish or A Fishing Rod- Language Learning Strategies for Successful Language Learning

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. A Fish or A Fishing Rod- Language LearningStrategies for Successful Language Learning 語言學習策略工作坊 April 11, 2007 義守大學 藍蕾 東吳大學 英文系 副教授 Rae Lan, Ph.D. Email: rae@scu.edu.tw Rae Lan, 2007

  2. Language Learning Strategies (LLSs) Research Implication & Pedagogical Application • My Research on Taiwanese Children’s Language Learning Strategies • LLSs for EFL Adult Learners • Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL, Oxford, 1990) • Strategy Instruction for Our Students Rae Lan, 2007

  3. Language Learning Strategy Profiles of Elementary School Students in Taiwan • Introduction • Literature review • Methodology • Results • Implications and Recommendations Rae Lan, 2007

  4. Significance & Purpose of the Study • Significance: • Including the largest-scale sample (N=1190) • Covered four major geographical areas • Investigating eight independent variables • Adopting a mixed-method design (multiple instrumentation) • Purpose: • Exploring the strategies profiles of the EFL young learners • Raising strategic awareness of the teachers and students • Promoting strategy instruction by empirical evidence Rae Lan, 2007

  5. Research Questions • What does the Background Questionnaire tell us ? • What is the total strategy-use mean? • What are the strategy-use means for each of the strategy categories? • Comparing these EFL results with other Children’s studies • what are the five most and the five least used strategies? • Are there significant relationships among the following variables: strategy use (total us and use by strategy category), geographic area, gender, parents’ educational background, prior English learning experience, self-choice of English learning, proficiency self-rating and degree of liking English? • What additional information do 12 students’ think-aloud protocols and strategy interviews provide beyond that offered by the strategy questionnaire given to the whole sample? Rae Lan, 2007

  6. Research Variables Geographic Area Self-choice Liking English Prior English Learning Language Learning Strategies Gender Self-rating Parents’ Education Rae Lan, 2007

  7. Literature Review Definition- • Learning strategies are behaviors or thoughts that the learner uses with some degree of control or awareness to enhance his or her learning. (Oxford, 2003) • Specific actions taken by the learner to make learning easier, faster, more enjoyable, more self-directed, more effective and more transferable to new situations” (Oxford,1990, p.8) Rae Lan, 2007

  8. How Are Strategies Categorized? Oxford’s Six Strategy Taxonomy (1990) Direct Strategies Indirect Strategies Memory Strategies Meta- cognitive Strategies Compensation Strategies Social Strategies Cognitive Strategies Affective Strategies Rae Lan, 2007

  9. Examples of Strategies: • Activating prior knowledge/experiences • Analyzing expressions to uncover the meaning • Planning and organizing • Positive self-talk • Using images to remember words • Categorizing vocabulary for memorization Rae Lan, 2007

  10. Literature Review • LLS in ESL versus EFL contexts (Kojic-Sabo & Lightbown) • Factors affecting LLS use • Gender (Oxford & Nyikos, 1989)proficiency (Chamot & El-Dinary, 1999), motivation (Yang, 1996) and learning styles (Ko, 2002) • Young children’s L2 learning strategies • cognitive strategies, conversation-initiation/social-interaction strategies, private speech strategies and task-related strategy use (See Lan, 2005) • Taiwanese children’s LLSs • vocabulary learning strategies (Kung, 2003; Lin, 2001) • gender and personality traits (Hsu & Huang, 2004) • gender, proficiency, and liking of English (Lan & Oxford, 2003) Rae Lan, 2007

  11. Methodology A mixed method design in two phases Phase I Phase II Quantitative Data Collection Qualitative Data Collection Questionnaire Think-aloud Protocol & Interview Data Integration Rae Lan, 2007

  12. Methodology • Participants • 1190 6th grade students from north, central, south and east of Taiwan (Phase I) • 12 6th graders from each area (Phase II) • Instruments • Taiwanese Children’s Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (Adapted from Gunning, 1998 based on Oxford, 1990) (Phase I) • Think-aloud Protocols (Phase II) • Interviews (Phase II) Rae Lan, 2007

  13. Results-Phase I • Overall medium range of strategy use (H=23%/M=53%/L=24%) • Affective>Compensation/Social>Metacognitive>Cognitive/Memory • Highest - ask for help/clarification, analyze/avoid errors • Lowest - read English books, use flash cards, learn words in context • Pearson correlation – liking of English, self-choice, self-rated • proficiency • Multiple regression – 40% of variance, liking, self-choice, self-rating • ANOVA- All eight independent variables bear significant effect on • LLS use except for geographical areas • 37% disliked English, 78% with prior learning, English ranked as # 4 • favorite subject Rae Lan, 2007

  14. Results-Phase II (1) Association of the words - using imagery, associations, story-making, sequencing, and location of words (10/35, Consolidation) (2) Emphasizing the words - repeatedly spelling, repeatedly writing, underlining (7/35 Consolidation) (3) Meta-cognitive aspects – self-testing, using a spiral pattern, over-viewing, skipping difficult words (6/35 Consolidation) (4) Analyzing the words - dividing up words (5/35 Consolidation) (5) Understanding the meaning of words - using L1, using pictures (4/35, Discovery) (6) Sounding out words - sounding out words based on phonetics, phonics, Ju-Yin, or previously known words (3/35, Consolidation) Rae Lan, 2007

  15. Rae Lan, 2007

  16. Rae Lan, 2007

  17. Rae Lan, 2007

  18. Implications For Research • A rich repertoire of strategies are used by EFL elementary school students in Taiwan • Linear relationships exist between EFL children’s LLS use with a variety of variables including (a) degree of liking of English, (b) proficiency level, (c) gender, (d) self-choice of studying in a private English school, (e) prior English learning, and (f) father’s education • Context makes a difference • Research instruments for identifying and measuring children’s LLSs Rae Lan, 2007

  19. Pedagogical Implications • Employ games with both age-appropriateness and proper cognitive demands for vocabulary learning • Start incorporating systematic instructions on teaching vocabulary so that they can equip their students with strategies to cope with the challenges in vocabulary learning, • Approach vocabulary teaching by first teaching their young students how to use dictionaries as a learning tool Rae Lan, 2007

  20. Conclusions • EFL elementary school students employed • a variety of strategies for vocabulary • learning • The students’ strategy use was related to • their proficiency, prior learning, time spent • and their performance on the vocabulary • quiz • Vocabulary learning plays a key role in • their English learning experience and is • related to the use of games. Rae Lan, 2007

  21. Factors Affecting LLSs Use Learning Styles Proficiency Attitude Language Learning Strategies Prior Learning Gender Learning Context Self-rating Rae Lan, 2007

  22. EFL College Students’ LLSs Use • Learning contexts- Kojic-Sabo & Lightbown, 1999; • Park, 1994; Yang, 1994; Green & • Oxford, 1995 • Proficiency-Chamot & Kupper, 1989;Dreyer & • Oxford, 1996; Gu & Johnson, 1996; • Park, 1997/Chen, 2001; Lin, 1999; • Wang, 2001; Wu, 2000 (in Lan & • Oxford, 2003) • Gender-Ehrman & Oxford, 1989; Oxford & Nyikos, • 1989; Yang, 1993; Zoubir-Shaw & • Oxford, 1995 • Motivation, attitudes & beliefs- Liao, 2000; Peng, • 2001; Yang,1996; • Learning styles-Ko, 2002; Rau, 2001 Rae Lan, 2007

  23. Considerations for Implementing Strategy Instruction • Policymakers, School authorities, teacher educators and parents need to be informed by research to advocate the values of SI in both English and other disciplines. • Teacher education programs need to include and highlight SI as an important component to build up teachers’ knowledge, interests beliefs, and confidence in implementing SI. • Strategy instructional models should provide specific steps and procedures to help teachers with their job. • Teachers need to guide and facilitate students in understanding the need and value of using learning strategies for effective learning Rae Lan, 2007

  24. Strategy Instructional Models • Preparation: Raising students’ awareness through retrospection, think-alouds, and discussion • Presentation: Developing students’ knowledge about strategies by providing rationale, describing/naming strategies and by modeling strategy use • Practice: Developing students’ skills in using strategies for academic learning through cooperative learning tasks, thnk-alouds, peer tutoring, and group discussions. • Evaluation: Developing students’ ability to evaluate their own strategy use through recording strategies used, discussions, and keeping dialog journals. • Expansion: Developing transfer of strategies to new tasks by discussions on metacognitive and motivational aspects of strategy use, additional practice, and assignments. (Chamot & OMalley (1990) Rae Lan, 2007

  25. Typical Steps in Strategy Instruction • Determine the learners’ needs and the time available • Select strategies well • Integrate SI into language teaching • Consider motivational issues • Prepare materials and activities • Conduct completely informed SI • Evaluate the SI • Revise the SI • (Oxford, 2004) Rae Lan, 2007

  26. Warm-Up Activity Audrey Keiko Azuma A short film directed by Stanley Nakazono *What is an asianphile? *What are the two metaphors used *What is the story about? Q: What strategies did you apply to help yourself understand the film? Rae Lan, 2007

  27. StrategiesUsed In Various Situations: • When listening to a passage,… • When speaking to foreigners,… • When reading a paragraph,… • When writing an essay,… • When memorizing a list of words,… • When preparing for a trip abroad,… • When studying in an EFL context,… Rae Lan, 2007

  28. Listening • Depending on the contexts or situations • Determining your purposes • Making use of any resources available • Getting the whole picture v.s. listening for details (top-down v.s. bottom-up) • Selecting materials that fit i+1 • Practicing makes perfect! Rae Lan, 2007

  29. Speaking • Depending on the contexts or situations • Using verbal / non-verbal communication • Applying compensation strategies • Listening carefully (receiving input) for speaking appropriately (strategizing output) • Consciously using new vocab/expressions Rae Lan, 2007

  30. Giving Oral Presentations • Setting your goals • Highlighting your strengths and eluding your weaknesses (improving later) • Avoiding reading from your paper • Applying technologies (power point slides) • Using attention-getters • Opening, closing, manners, CONFIDENCE! Its’ a learned skill, not a natural talent. Rae Lan, 2007

  31. Reading • Depending on the contexts or situations • Applying pre-, during- and after-reading strategies • Using stickys, taking notes on the margins, underlying, • Predicting, questioning, clarifying and summarizing http://www.greece.k12.ny.us/instruction/ela/6-12/Reading/Reading%20Strategies/reading%20strategies%20index.htm Rae Lan, 2007

  32. Writing • Depending on the contexts or situations • Employing pre-, during-, and after-writing strategies • Process writing stages- • Prewriting • Drafting • Rereading • Peer-revising • Revising • http://depts.gallaudet.edu/englishworks/writing/main/prewrite.htm Rae Lan, 2007

  33. Memorizing A List of Words • Identify what strategies you are already using and see how they work for you • Brainstorming on a vocabulary task with other learners • Exchange ideas and experience • Expand your strategy bank • Practice Rae Lan, 2007

  34. Vocabphobia – a Think-aloud Prtocol • Arachnophobia • Social Phobia • Aerophobia • Agoraphobia • Claustrophobia • Acrophobia • Emetophobia • Carcinophobia • Brontophobia • Necrophobia Rae Lan, 2007

  35. Strategy Mascots • Planning Panda • Picturing Penguin • Cognates Camel • Monitoring Monkey • Cooperative Cow • Researching Raccoon • Hands-on Hippo • Checking Chick • Background Bear • Singing Seal (Robins, 2005) Rae Lan, 2007

  36. Conclusions- • Take initiatives in exploring learning • strategies used for all discipline • Identify your own strategies that work • Expand your strategies • Being metacognitively aware of your • strategy use • Use strategies that fit your learning style • Employ strategies at the right time in the • right place on the right task to the right person • Reflect and evaluate your strategy use • Practice, self-esteem and motivation! Rae Lan, 2007

More Related