Strategy Factor in Successful Language Learning (Second Language Acquisition) - Softcover

Griffiths, Carol

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1847699405 ISBN 13: 9781847699404

Verlag: MULTILINGUAL MATTERS LTD, 2013

Inhaltsangabe

This book addresses fundamental questions regarding the relationships between successful language learning and strategy use and development according to learner, situational or target variables. It considers strategy effectiveness from an individual point of view and discusses pedagogical issues, especially relating to teacher perceptions and training, classroom and learner factors, methodology and content. The book begins by discussing underlying theoretical issues and then presents evidence from empirical studies; in addition to presenting a quantitative view, the book also takes a qualitative look at strategy use by individuals. Rather than focusing on strategies divorced from the 'real world' of the classroom, this book explores the issues from the teaching/learning point of view.

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Über die Autorinnen und Autoren

Carol Griffiths has many years' experience as teacher, manager and teacher trainer in the field of English Language Teaching. She completed a PhD researching language learning strategies at the University of Auckland, New Zealand, and learner issues continue to be her main research interest. Carol is currently working as a teacher trainer at Fatih University in Istanbul, Turkey, having previously worked in New Zealand, Indonesia, Japan, China, North Korea and UK.

Carol Griffiths has many years' experience as teacher, manager and teacher trainer in the field of English Language Teaching. She completed a PhD researching language learning strategies at the University of Auckland, New Zealand, and learner issues continue to be her main research interest. Carol is currently working as a teacher trainer at Fatih University in Istanbul, Turkey, having previously worked in New Zealand, Indonesia, Japan, China, North Korea and UK.

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The Strategy Factor in Successful Language Learning

By Carol Griffiths

Multilingual Matters

Copyright © 2013 Carol Griffiths
All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-84769-940-4

Contents

Acknowledgements, 
Introduction, 
1 A Conceptual Perspective, 
2 A Quantitative Perspective, 
3 A Qualitative Perspective, 
4 A Pedagogical Perspective, 
5 Overview, 
Appendix 1: Language Skills Development Strategy Questionnaire, 
Appendix 2: English Language Learning Strategy Inventory (Students' Version), 
Appendix 3: Interview Guide, 
Appendix 4: English Language Learning Strategy Inventory (Teachers' Version), 
Glossary, 
References, 
Index, 

CHAPTER 1

A Conceptual Perspective

1.1 Basic Concepts

There is an old proverb which states: 'Give a man a fish and he eats for a day. Teach him how to fish and he eats for a lifetime.' Applied to the language teaching and learning field, this proverb might be interpreted to mean that if students are provided with answers, the immediate problem is solved. However, if they are taught the strategies to work out the answers for themselves, they may be empowered to manage their own learning. It is on this fundamental premise that this book is based.

Over the years, a great deal of effort has gone into developing theories, methods and approaches for teaching language (such as the Grammar Translation Method, audiolingualism and the communicative approach). However, issues relating to the learner have been treated with 'relative neglect' (Dansereau, 1978: 78) and much less attention has been paid to the language development process from the learning point of view (Tarone & Yule, 1989). Although valuable work has been and continues to be done on the questions of how language is acquired/learnt/developed (e.g. Doughty & Long, 2003; Eckman et al., 1984; Ellis, 1986, 1994, 2008; Krashen, 1981; Spada & Lightbown, 2002; Winitz, 1981), when it is considered that the learner forms one half of the teaching/learning partnership, it might be considered surprising that, in general, the significance of the learner's role has continued to be 'underestimated' (Larsen-Freeman, 2001: 12).

In the 1970s, the possibility that success in language learning might be related to how students go about the task was explored by writers such as Naiman et al. (1978), Rubin (1975) and Stern (1975). Writers such as O'Malley (1987), Oxford (1990, 2011b), Wenden (1991), Cohen (1998, 2011), Chamot (2001, 2008), Macaro (2006) and Griffiths (2008a) have continued to suggest that learners might be able to learn language more effectively by the use of language learning strategies, which have the potential to be 'an extremely powerful learning tool' (O'Malley et al., 1985: 43). O'Malley et al. (1985: 22) noted, however, that there was 'no consensus' regarding basic concepts such as terminology, definition, classification and underpinning theory. Although this was written more than 20 years ago, much of the 'conceptual ambiguity' (Dornyei & Skehan, 2003: 610) remains to this day.

1.2 Terminology

Some of this ambiguity arises at the very basic level of terminology. This applies especially to the learning tool phenomenon itself, to the language being learnt, and to those who are trying to learn a new language.

1.2.1 Strategies

Although promising in terms of its potential to facilitate successful learning, there is 'considerable confusion' (O'Malley et al., 1985: 22) in the language learning strategy field; indeed, there is a great deal of controversy over the very term strategy itself, before we even begin to think about definition, classification and theory. Consensus is not assisted by some writers' use of conflicting terminology such as learning behaviours (Politzer, 1983; Politzer & McGroarty, 1985; Wesche, 1977), tactics (Seliger, 1984) and techniques (Stern, 1992). These rival terms are often used more or less (but not always exactly) synonymously with the term strategy as used elsewhere in the literature.

Strategy, of course, is originally a military term, as some (e.g. Larsen-Freeman & Long, 1991; Oxford, 1990, 2011b) point out, and there are those who find the somewhat bellicose overtones of the term unfortunate. A military strategy tends to be an overall plan of attack or 'plans for winning a war' (Oxford, 2011a: 168); the term tactics tends to be applied to smaller manoeuvres within the overall strategy. Perhaps, however, we do not need to concern ourselves too much with the way the term was used in battle when we are applying it to language learning, although it is an interesting comparison!

According to Larsen-Freeman and Long (1991: 199), the term strategy was used by Rubin (1975) 'in perhaps the earliest study in this area and it enjoys the widest currency today' (for instance, among many others, Chamot, 1987; Cohen, 1991, 2011; Cohen & Macaro, 2007; Lam & Wong, 2000; O'Neil, 1978; Oxford, 1990, 2011b; Pearson, 1988; Purpura, 1999; Weinstein, 1978; Wenden, 1985). It is acknowledged, however, that strategy is not the only term which has been, or which might be, used to cover the thoughts and behaviours involved.

Although the term tactics is employed by some writers to denote a specific activity within an overall strategy (e.g. Oxford, 2011b), the point at which a given behaviour ceases to be a tactic and becomes a strategy or vice versa is not entirely easy to pinpoint. Is an action such as asking a teacher for help with words I don't understand, for instance, a tactic or a strategy? If it is considered a tactic within, say, a broader strategy such as reviewing vocabulary regularly, what then would writing down the teacher's explanation become – a sub-tactic? And what about learning what I have written down? It all becomes very messy. And does it matter? Do we really need to introduce yet more terms into an already confused picture?

1.2.2 Target language

No less controversial than the term strategy itself is the term for the language the strategies are being used to learn. Many writers opt for the term second language (SL or L2) (for instance, among many others, Ausubel, 1964; Chaudron, 1995; Cook, 1991; Donato, 2000; Harley et al., 1990; Hylenstam & Pienemann, 1985; Krashen, 1982; Phillipson et al., 1991; Schumann, 1978; Sharwood Smith, 1994; Spolsky, 1989; Wolfson & Judd, 1983), even though it may be used 'somewhat confusingly' (Ellis, 1994: 12). The term is confusing because it does not allow for the many students who may already be multilingual and who may be in the process of learning a third, fourth or subsequent language, and therefore it does not reflect the resource that learners may already possess. There is also frequent confusion between the terms second language (studied in the environment where the language is spoken, for instance international students studying English in New Zealand or the USA), foreign language (FL) (studied in an environment other than where it is spoken, for instance French as it is taught in England or Turkey) and heritage language (the language derived from a particular cultural heritage spoken in a dominant language environment, for instance Hebrew as spoken in the USA).

Other terms such as non-native language (NNL) and non-primary language (NPL), where native and primary are usually...

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: MULTILINGUAL MATTERS LTD
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2013
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 10: 1847699405
• ISBN 13: 9781847699404
• Einband: Taschenbuch
• Anzahl der Seiten: 220
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: Nicht verfügbar
• Verantwortliche Person: Nicht verfügbar