STYLES ANDSTRATEGIES

Strategies

What is the diff. bet. styles & strategies?Styles are general characteristics that

differentiate one individual from another.Strategies are those specific attacks that

we make on a given problemThey are moment-by-moment techniques

that we employ to solve problems posed by 2nd lang. input & output.

Strategies are of two types.

learning

Strategies

communication

input output

What is input?It refers to processing, storage & retrieval, that

is, to taking in messages from others.

What is output ?It is how we productively express meaning,

how we deliver messages to others.

The characteristics of good lang. learners:

(cf. p. 123)

Learning Strategies

(cf. table 5.2)

Metacognitive refers to executive function, strategies that involve planning for learning, thinking about learning process, monitoring of one’s production or comprehension and evaluating learning after an activity is completed

Metacognitive Cognitive Socioaffective

Cognitive strategiesIt refers to limited & specific learning tasks

& involve more direct manipulation of the learning material itself.

Socioaffective strategiesHave to do with social-mediating activity

and interacting with others.

Studies on the effectiveness of learners’ using a variety of strategies in their quest for lang. competence

1- 2nd lang. learners developed effective listening skills through the use of monitoring, elaboration & inferencing.

2- 47 reading strategies were identified3- Men & women appeared to use listening

comprehension strategies differently4- even studies of unsuccessful learners

yielded important information

* Two major forms of strategy use proved to be effective for various learners

1- classroom-based or textbook-embedded training = strategies-based instruction (SBI)

2- autonomous self-help training

*Cross-cultural variables may facilitate or interfere with strategy use among learners

Communication StrategiesIt is difficult to distinguish bet. the two types,

however this dichotomy remains useful for pedagogical purposes.

Communication strategies are defined aspotentially conscious plans for solving what to

an individual presents itself as a problem in reaching a particular communicative goal .

Last decade= compensatory natureRecently= elements of an overall strategic

competence* Such strategies may or may not be potentially

conscious

Avoidance Strategies

Avoidance can be broken into several subcategories

1- syntactic or lexical within a semantic category

2- phonological3- topic(cf. table 5.3 offers a list of comm. str.)

Compensatory strategies Involve compensation for missing knowledge .1- prefabricated patterns:Memorized chunks of language, hundreds of

sentences for various occasions

2- Code-switching:the use of a 1st or 3rd lang. within a stream

of speech in the 2nd lang. to fill in missing knowledge

3- Direct appeal for help:

If learners are stuck for a particular word or phrase, they may directly ask a native speaker or the teacher for the form.

* There are more other strategies than the thirteen listed in table 5.3

Strategies-based instruction (SBI)

The application of both learning & communication strategies to classroom learning is known as SBI or learner strategy training

* Tr. Should establish in the classroom a milieu for the realization of successful strategies.

* Learners will benefit from SBI if they(a) Understand the strategy itself,(b) Perceive it to be effective, and(c) Do not consider its implementation to be

overly difficult.

* Thus Tr. efforts to teach students some technical know-how about how to tackle a lang. are well advised

* Several models of SBI are practiced in lang. classes around the world

(see p. 131: 1- 4)

We have much to learn in the creation of practical techniques for teaching learners how to use strategies effectively.

In the Classroom: Styles & Strategies in Practice

* To give you just a few examples of how learner strategy training works, three suggestions are offered here:

1- Administer a learning styles checklist.2- Engage in frequent spontaneous hints

about successful learning & communication strategies

3- Build strategic techniques. Make sure that techniques are directed as much as possible toward good lang. learning behaviors.