What the good language learner can teach us
TL;DR: The authors suggested that teachers can already begin to help their less successful students improve their performance by paying more attention to learner strategies already seen as productive, and gave a list of several widely recognized good learners strategies.
Abstract: The differential success of second/foreign language learners suggests a need to examine in detail what strategies successful language learners employ. An indication is given of what these strategies might consist of and a list of several widely recognized good learner strategies is given. In addition to the need for research on this topic, it is suggested that teachers can already begin to help their less successful students improve their performance by paying more attention to learner strategies already seen as productive.
Citations
More filters
Book•
01 Jan 2000
TL;DR: Fact and fiction in language learning researching identity and language learning the world of adult immigrant language learners Eva and Mai - old heads on young shoulders mothers, migration, and language learner acquisition theory revisited claiming the right to speak in classrooms & communities as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: Fact and fiction in language learning researching identity and language learning the world of adult immigrant language learners Eva and Mai - old heads on young shoulders mothers, migration, and language learning second language acquisition theory revisited claiming the right to speak in classrooms & communities.
2,287 citations
Cites background from "What the good language learner can ..."
...This is not to say that the learners had inhibited personalities, or were not willing to make mistakes (Rubin, 1975)....
[...]
TL;DR: This article found that good language learners use a variety of learning strategies, including cognitive strategies for associating new information with existing information in long-term memory and for forming and revising internal mental models; metacognitive strategies for exercising "executive control" through planning, arranging, focusing, and evaluating their own learning process; social strategies for interacting with others and managing discourse; affective strategies for directing feelings, motivations, and attitudes related to learning; and compensation strategies (such as guessing unknown meanings while listening and reading, or using circumlocution in speaking and writing) for overcoming deficiencies in
Abstract: Learning strategies are operations used by learners to aid the acquisition, storage, and retrieval of information (52). Outside of the language learning field, research comparing experts to novices indicates that experts use more systematic and useful problem-solving and native-language reading comprehension strategies.2 A similar finding occurs with more successful language learners as compared to less successful ones.3 Better language learners generally use strategies appropriate to their own stage of learning, personality, age, purpose for learning the language, and type of language.4 Good language learners use a variety of learning strategies, including cognitive strategies for associating new information with existing information in long-term memory and for forming and revising internal mental models; metacognitive strategies for exercising "executive control" through planning, arranging, focusing, and evaluating their own learning process; social strategies for interacting with others and managing discourse; affective strategies for directing feelings, motivations, and attitudes related to learning; and compensation strategies (such as guessing unknown meanings while listening and reading, or using circumlocution in speaking and writing) for overcoming deficiencies in knowledge of the language." Appropriate learning strategies help explain the performance of good language learners; similarly, inappropriate learning strategies aid in understanding the frequent failures of poor language learners and even the occasional weaknesses of
1,090 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a study of language learning strategy use by students at three different course levels at the University of Puerto Rico relates strategy use to gender as well as to L2 proficiency level and includes analysis of variation in the use of individual strategies on the SILL.
Abstract: This study builds on previous research using the Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL). Most previous SILL research has made comparisons across the entire survey or in terms of strategy categories and has stressed proficiency level at the expense of other variables. The present largescale (N = 374) study of language learning strategy use by students at three different course levels at the University of Puerto Rico relates strategy use to gender as well as to L2 proficiency level and includes analysis of variation in the use of individual strategies on the SILL. Like previous researchers, we found greater use of learning strategies among more successful learners and higher levels of strategy use by women than by men. Our analysis, however, revealed more complex patterns of use than have appeared in previous studies. With both proficiency level and gender, only some items showed significant variation, and significant variation by proficiency level did not invariably mean more frequent strategy use by more successful students. The strategies reported as used more often by the more successful students emphasized active, naturalistic practice and were used in combination with a variety of what we term bedrock strategies, which were used frequently or moderately frequently by learners at all levels. The study's generalizability and its implications for teachers and researchers are discussed.
1,083 citations
739 citations
References
More filters
TL;DR: The writer is grateful to Dr. T. McIlhone, Associate General Director in Charge of English Classes of the Montreal Catholic School Board, for his kind cooperation in making subjects available, and to the Principals and French teachers of each high school for their assistance and cooperation during the testing programs.
Abstract: 1 During the summer of 2005, I discovered that there was not a copy of my dissertation available from the library at McGill University. I was, however, able to obtain a copy of it on microfilm from another university that had initially obtained it on interlibrary loan. I am most grateful to Vicki Galbraith who typed this version from that copy, which except for some minor variations due to differences in type size and margins (plus this footnote, of course) is identical to that on the microfilm. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 1 The writer is grateful to Dr. J. T. McIlhone, Associate General Director in Charge of English Classes of the Montreal Catholic School Board, for his kind cooperation in making subjects available, and to the Principals and French teachers of each high school for their assistance and cooperation during the testing programs. advice on the statistical analysis. In addition, the writer would like to express his appreciation to Mr. K. Tunstall for his assistance in the difficult task of interviewing the parents of each student. Finally, the writer would like to express his gratitude to Janet W. Gardner for her invaluable assistance in all phases of the research program.
1,587 citations
752 citations
"What the good language learner can ..." refers background in this paper
...A recent article by Stern (1974) lists some additional learner strategies which enhance our insights into the process....
[...]
TL;DR: The Cognitive Basis Of Language Learning In Infants as mentioned in this paper was the first work to explore the relationship between language learning in infants and visual language processing in the context of visual gaze.
Abstract: (1984). Cognitive Basis Of Language Learning In Infants. Journal of Visual Verbal Languaging: Vol. 4, No. 2, pp. 43-53.
436 citations
01 Jan 1964
TL;DR: In this article, the authors propose a method to solve the problem of gender discrimination in the workplace, and propose an approach based on self-defense and self-representation, respectively.
Abstract: DOCUMENT RESUME
254 citations