Language Learning Strategies and Second Language A

LanguageLearningStrategiesandSecondLanguageAcquisitionAbstract:Therehasbeenaprominentshiftwithinthefieldoflanguagelearningandteachingoverthelasttwentyyearswithgreatemphasisbeingputonlearnersandlearningratherthanonteachersandteaching.InParalleltothisnewshiftofinterest,howlearnersprocessnewinformationandwhatkindsofstrategiestheyemploytounderstand,learnorremembertheinformationhasbeentheprimaryconcernoftheresearchersdealingwiththeareaofforeignlanguageleaming.(MuratHismanoglu,2000)Thispaperprovidesthebackgroundoflanguagelearningstrategies,andgivesclassificationanddefinitionsofdifferentlearningstrategies,aimingtofindtheproperstrategiesfordifferentaspectsoflearning.Italsostressestheimportanceoflanguagelearningstrategiesforforeignlanguagelearningandtheteacher’sroleinstrategytraining.Keywords:learningstrategies,strategytrainingIntroductionFromGrammarTranslation,DirectMethod,andtheAudiolingualMethodtoCommunicativeTeachingApproach,TotalPhysicalResponseMethos,theSilenceMethod,andSuggestopediaMethod,thenewmethodsofteachingturnuponeafteranotherinordertoimprovetheefficiencyofteaching.Thelearningresult,however,isnotgreatlyenhancedbytheuseoftheseteachingmethodsinthesecondlanguageclassroom.Teachersandresearcherscametorealizethatteachingisabilateralactivitiesincludingteachers’teachingandstudents’learning.(TIANJinping,2006)Itiscertainlyunsuccessfulifyouonlyemphasizeonteachingbutnotlearning.Astheknowledgeofsecondlanguageacquisitionincreasedmarkedlyduringthe1970s,thefocusoftheresearchesshiftedfromexaminingtheteachingmethodtoinvestigatingtheprocessesoflearning.Mostoftheresearcherwerepromptedbyoneintriguingquestion:whydoindividualachievedifferentoutputwheneverythingelse,includingteachers,teachingmethodandteachingmaterials,remainsthesame?Andwhatattributestothesedifferences?Therefore,thecognitiveandsocioculturalfactorsofthelearnerwerestudiedextensively.Itwasagainstthisbackgroundthattheissueoflearningstrategyinsecondlanguagelearningisbroughtintofocus.Uptonow,ithasbeenwidelyacknowledgedthatlanguage-learningstrategiesexistandinfluencetwoaspectsofsecondlanguagelearning:“therateofacquisitionandtheultimatelevelofachievement”.(Ellis,1994)1ThebackgroundanddefinitionoflanguagelearningstrategiesThewordstrategyoriginatesfromtheancientGreektermstrategia,meaninggeneralshiportheartofwaranditinvolvestheoptimalmanagementoftroops,ships,oraircraftinaplannedcampaign.Laterthespecificimplicationofthetermistomeanaplan,steporactiontowardachievementofanobject.(YUBo,2001)Whenthestrategyconceptisintroducesineducation,ithastakenonanewmeaningandhasbeenfurthertransformedintolearningstrategies.Beforedefininglanguagelearningstrategies,weshouldcharacterizeitfirst.Althoughthereisconsiderabledebateastoappropriatewaysofdefininglanguagelearningstrategies,therearenumberofbasiccharacteristicsinthegenerallyacceptedviewoflanguagelearningstrategies.First,languagelearningstrategiesarelearnergenerated.Inotherwords,theyarestepstakenbylanguagelearners.Second,languagelearningstrategiesenhancelanguagelearningandhelpdeveloplanguagecompetence,asreflectedinthelearner’sskillinlistening,speaking,reading,orwriting.Thelanguagelearningstrategyliteratureindicatesthatanumberoffurtheraspectsoflanguagelearningstrategiesarelessuniformlyaccepted.Whendiscussinglanguagelearningstrategies,Oxford(1990)andotherssuchasWendenandRubin(1987)notadesireforcontrolandautonomyoflearningonthepartofthelearnerthroughlanguagelearningstrategies.Cohen(1990)insistedthatonlyconsciousstrategiesarelanguagelearningstrategies,andthattheremustbeachoiceinvolvedonthepartofthelearner.Inadditiontothecharacteristicsnotedabove,Oxford(1990)summarizesherviewoflanguagelearningstrategiesbyotherkeyfeatures:·Theyallowlearnerstobecomemoreself-directed.·Theyexpandtheroleoflanguageteachers.·Theyareproblem-oriented.·Theyinvolvemanyaspects,notjustthecognitive.·Theycanbetaught.·theyareflexible.·Theyareinfluencedbyavariety.Thetermlanguagelearningstrategyhasbeendefinedbymanyresearchers.WendenandRubindefinedlearningstrategiesas“...anysetsofoperations,steps,plans,routinesusedbythelearnertofacilitatetheobtaining,storage,retrieval,anduseofinformation.”RichardsandPlattstatethatlearningstrategiesare“intentionalbehaviorandthoughtsusedbylearnersduringlearningsoastobetterhelpthemunderstand,learn,orremembernewinformation.”FaerchClausandCasperstressthatalearningstrategyis“anattempttodeveloplinguisticandsociolinguisticcompetenceinthetargetlanguage.”AccordingtoStern,”theconceptoflearningstrategyisdependentontheassumptionthatlearnersconsciouslyengageinactivitiestoachievecertaingoalsandlearningstrategiescanberegardedasbroadlyconceivedintentionaldirectionsandlearningtechniques.”Alllanguagelearnersuselanguagelearningstrategieseitherconsciouslyorunconsciouslywhenprocessingnewinformationandperformingtasksinthelanguageclassroom.Sincelanguageclassroomislikeaproblem-solvingenvironmentinwhichlanguagelearnersarelikelytofacenewinputanddifficulttasksgivenbytheirinstructors,learners’attemptstofindthequickestoreasiestwaytodowhatisrequired,thatis,usinglanguagelearnin