Learning Strategies Instruction in Second Language Classroom Essay Example

trust and a shared responsibility has to be established between teachers and language learners.

The teacher is a coach who presents different kinds of plays, gives advice and opportunities for practice and provides feedback and support when playing the game. Students are to play, make decisions and evaluate themselves during the game. In the learning process the teacher can guide, facilitate and present materials clearly in an understandable way.

But, the teacher cannot learn the language for the sake of the students. Students must take initiative for seeking opportunity to learn the language. The Chinese proverb “Give a man a fish and feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and feed him for a lifetime”, which can also illustrate how the classroom should operate.

The teacher gives students learning tools which will be useful for language learning. Students must be aware of their learning process and must be able to take control of their learning. A learner-centred classroom must initially be created by the teacher and must be accepted by the students.

A learner-centred classroom cannot be worked at so that all participants support the environment and are supported by the environment.

The stage must be set in order for strategies instruction to occur successfully. Setting Goals to Increase Motivation Students are to set language goals for them and that is a crucial step in second language classroom. Setting personal language goals increase their involvement in the learning process. Giving students an opportunity to establish their own goals allows students to reflect on their reasons for learning a second language which may lead to increased motivation. Oxford 1990) says that more motivated

student tend to use more strategies than less motivated students and the particular reason for studying the language is important in the choice of strategies.

Good teaching strategies can increase students’ motivation for second language learning tasks. Second language learners are more motivated on tasks that they value. They value a task since it is intrinsically interesting or it can be applicable in their lives. Students with self-efficacy have confidence that they can solve problem.

They believe that the more they learn and practice, the more their capabilities will improve.

They understand that mistakes are a part of learning. Teachers should ensure that students experience meaningful successes with teaching strategies by providing authentic, appropriately challenging tasks and by teaching strategies explicitly so that students know how to apply them. Krashen’s Theory of Second Language Acquisition The Acquisition-Learning hypothesis According to Krashen, there are two ways of developing language ability.

Acquisition involves the subconscious acceptance of knowledge where information is stored in the brain through the use of communication.

This is the process used for developing native languages. Learning, on the other hand, is the conscious acceptance of knowledge ‘about’ a language (i. e. the grammar or form).

Krashen states that this is often the product of formal language instruction. According to this theory, the optimal way a language is learned is through natural communication. As a second language teacher, the ideal is to create a situation wherein language is used in order to fulfill authentic purposes. This in turn, will help students to ‘acquire’ the language instead of just ‘learning’ it. The Monitor hypothesis

This hypothesis further explains how acquisition and learning are used. The

acquisition system, initiates an utterance and the learning system ‘monitors’ the utterance to inspect and correct errors.

Krashen states that monitoring can make some contribution to the accuracy of an utterance but its use should be limited. He suggests that the ‘monitor’ can sometimes act as a barrier as it forces the learner to slow down and focus more on accuracy as opposed to fluency. As a SL teacher it will always be a challenge to strike a balance between encouraging accuracy and fluency in our students.

This balance will depend on numerous variables including the language level of the students, the context of language use and the personal goals of each student. This balance is also known as communicative competency.

The Natural Order hypothesis According to Krashen, learners acquire parts of language in a predictable order. For any given language, certain grammatical structures are acquired early while others are acquired later in the process. This hypothesis suggests that this natural order of acquisition occurs independently of deliberate teaching and therefore teachers cannot change the order of a grammatical teaching sequence.

According to this hypothesis, teachers should be aware that certain structures of a language are easier to acquire than others and therefore language structures should be taught in an order that is conducive to learning. Teachers should start by introducing language concepts that are relatively easy for learners to acquire and then use scaffolding to introduce more difficult concepts. The Input hypothesis This hypothesis suggests that language acquisition occurs when learners receive messages that they can understand a concept also known as comprehensible input.

However, Krashen also suggests that this comprehensible input should be

one step beyond the learner’s current language ability. This hypothesis highlights the importance of using the Target Language in the classroom. The goal of any language program is for learners to be able to communicate effectively. By providing as much comprehensible input as possible, especially in situations when learners are not exposed to the TL outside the classroom, the teacher is able to create a more effective opportunity for language acquisition.

The Affective Filter hypothesis

According to Krashen one obstacle that manifests itself during language acquisition is the affective filter; that is a 'screen' that is influenced by emotional variables that can prevent learning. This hypothetical filter does not impact acquisition directly but rather prevents input from reaching the language acquisition part of the brain. According to Krashen the affective filter can be prompted by many different variables including anxiety, self-confidence, motivation and stress. In any aspect of education it is always important to create a safe, welcoming environment in which students can learn.

In language education this may be especially important since in order to take in and produce language, learners need to feel that they are able to make mistakes and take risks.

This relates directly to Krashen’s hypothesis of the affective filter. Strategy Training in LSRW Listening Listening is an active process. It is an integral part of the communication process. Listening comprehension complements reading comprehension.

Wolvin and Coakley (1992) identify four different kinds of listening: • Comprehensive (Informational) Listening-Students listen for the content of the message. Critical (Evaluative) Listening-Students judge the message.

• Appreciative (Aesthetic) Listening-Students listen for enjoyment. • Therapeutic (Empathetic) Listening-Students listen to support others but not judge them

Teachers need to provide experiences in all four kinds. For example, listening to literature read, listening to radio plays, and watching films develop appreciative in addition to comprehensive and critical listening. Students should be able to determine what their purpose should be in any given listening situation.

There are several strategies that students and their teachers can use to prepare for a listening experience. They can: ? Activate Existing Knowledge ? Build Prior Knowledge ? Review Standards for Listening ? Establish Purpose ? Use a Listening Guide Speaking Speaking is an essential tool for communicating, thinking, and learning.

It shapes, modifies, extends, and organizes thought. Oral language is a foundation of all language development and, therefore, the foundation of all learning. It is the base for the other language strands.

Through speaking and listening, students learn concepts, develop vocabulary, and perceive the structure of the English language. To speak fluently and confidently in a variety of situations is a central human need and an important goal of education.

Teachers play an important role in structuring the type of environment that will promote effective oral language development. They can establish a classroom tone which promotes openness, respect, and trust. Students should feel some ownership in the classroom voice.

Language use is a natural part of this learning environment where purposeful talk is seen as an important means to language learning.

An important goal in a language teaching program is to create purposeful and varied activities that will develop individuals who can comfortably and competently participate in a range of situations requiring speech. Hook and Evans (1982) identified four overall kinds of speaking situations that students should

encounter, not only in the classroom but in their adult lives.

Group I - Activities for often-used types of speech: inner speech, conversation, talking circles, question and answer, discussion (both small group and whole class), storytelling, oral interpretation Group II - Activities for less-used types of speech: introduction, interview, panel discussion, seminar, formal speech, illustrated talk, announcement Group III - Activities for more limited types of speech: debating and dramatization (role playing, improvisation, choral reading/speaking, readers theatre, play reading) Group IV - Activities for primarily professional types of speech: special and vocational speeches (e. .

, valedictorian speeches, introductory speeches, acceptance speech). All speech activities are best incorporated into classroom lessons so that they are integrated and not perceived as separate units. Reading Reading is a transaction between the text and the reader. As students read, they search for and construct meaning based on what they bring to the text and what the text brings to them. It is important to develop fluent and proficient readers who are knowledgeable about the reading process.

Effective readers are active readers who use a repertoire of comprehension strategies before, during, and after interacting with texts.

Before reading, strategic readers preview the text by looking at the title and the text to evoke relevant thoughts, memories, and associations. During reading, strategic readers create a dialogue with the author, striving to reformulate what the author is saying. After reading, strategic readers summarize what they have been reading and contemplate their first impressions.

They reflect and take second looks to develop more thoughtful and critical interpretations of the text. Successful language learners adapt these strategies as they construct meaning from a

variety of literary and media texts and experiences.

Teachers need to share their love of literature and teach the strategies that students need. • to read to students • to help students become more successful in the strategies involved in reading literature • to provide opportunities for students to engage in meaningful reading activities • to guide students in their literary choices.

Writing Writing is a powerful instrument of thinking because it provides students with a way of gaining control over their thoughts. The teacher's mandate is to assist adolescents to gain control over the written word.

Students in higher secondary level should: • develop an explicit knowledge of phases of the writing process • write frequently on a variety of topics for a variety of purposes and audiences • develop an understanding of the structures and conventions of language One way of LLS programme includes combining input from the computer and the video disc.

An important component of strategy instruction is the increase in students’ awareness of the background knowledge they bring to the task. Many learners fail to realize that they already know a great deal of grammar, vocabulary and communication. They fail to understand how to transfer that knowledge to learning another language. Language learning strategies are important for language learning because they are tools for active, self-directed involvement, which is essential for developing communicative competence.