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Sandra Briggs talks about the importance of learning strategies
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November 2009
Learning requires some sort of "experience" to take place. And the experience may be quite different for each learner in that we have to consider differences in interest spans, needs, aptitudes, achievements, variations of time needed to master a specific learning task, abilities to deal with abstractness or concreteness, degree to which a learner needs to be guided, abilities to deal with complexities, abilities to manipulate objects (such as equipment or machines), the degree to which imaginations can be involved, degrees to motivate creativity, problem solving differences, etc. Thus, good instruction provides individual learning experiences within the learning environment with a mixture of media, strategies, and methods. These learning experiences promote interactions that allow the learners to recall information and combine it with other experiences so that new knowledge bases may be formed.
Sandra Briggs was in Greece some time ago (at the TESOL GREECE 30th Annual Convention) and delivered a plenary on the importance of learning strategies.
“I am a secondary school teacher and teacher trainer. I work with students who are learning English as a second language. But I want to stress that the division we had made between ESL and EFL is really disappearing because of technological reasons.”
∙What are learning strategies?
“Language learning strategies are specific actions, behaviours, steps, or techniques that students (often intentionally) use to improve their progress in developing language skills. These strategies can facilitate the internalization, storage, retrieval, or use of the new language. Strategies are tools for the self-directed involvement necessary for developing communicative ability. Learning strategies:
•allow learners to become more self-directed
•expand the role of language teachers
•are problem-oriented
•involve many aspects, not just the cognitive
•can be taught
•are flexible
•are influenced by a variety of factors.
Within ‘communicative’ approaches to language teaching a key goal is for the learner to develop communicative competence in the target language and learning strategies can help students in doing so. In addition to developing students’ communicative competence, they can help them become better language learners.
There are three types of social language strategies: asking questions, co-operating with others, and empathising with others.
Asking questions
1.Asking for clarification or verification
2.Asking for correction
Co-operating with others
1.Co-operating with peers
2.Co-operating with proficient users of the new language
Empathising with others
1.Developing cultural understanding
2.Becoming aware of others’ thoughts and feelings
As teachers we should constantly revise our teaching methods to accommodate the diversifying demographic catchments of students. In the last 10 to 15 years, teaching has evolved from teacher centred chalk and talk to student centred online learning. Technology has driven further changes in pedagogical strategies. Delivery methods have evolved to reflect these pedagogical strategies often resulting in a blended solution.”
∙What can the average teacher do to improve his/her teaching methods?
“At first, it is crucial for teachers to study their teaching context, paying special attention to their students, their materials, and their own teaching. It is crucial to know something about your students: their interests, motivations, learning styles, etc. By observing their behaviour in class, for example, you will be able to see what learning strategies they already appear to be using. Do they often ask for clarification, verification, or correction? Do they co-operate with their peers? Beyond observation, however, one can prepare a short questionnaire that students can fill in at the beginning of a course, describing themselves and their language learning objectives. Talking to students informally before or after class can also provide a lot of information about them, their goals, motivations etc.
Teachers need to study their own teaching methods and overall classroom style. One way to do so is to consider your lesson plans. Do they incorporate various ways which appeal to a variety of learning styles and strategies? Does your teaching allow learners to approach the task at hand in a variety of ways? Is your class learner-centred? Do you allow students to work on their own and learn from one another? As you circulate in class, are you encouraging questions, or posing ones relevant to the learners with whom you interact?
Teachers also need to reflect on their teaching. In addition to the teacher’s own reflections, it is essential to encourage learner reflection. David Nunan does this by asking his students to keep a journal in which they complete sentences like: This week I studied..., I learned..., I used my English in these places..., I spoke English with these people..., I made these mistakes..., My difficulties are..., I would like to know..., I would like help with..., My learning and practising plans for the next week are...
Many language students (even adults)...like to be told what to do, and they only do what is clearly essential to get a good grade -even if they fail to develop useful skills in the process. Attitudes and behaviours like these make learning more difficult and must be changed, or else any effort to train learners to rely more on themselves and use better strategies is bound to fail.
Motivation is a key concern both for teachers and students. If our teaching is appropriate and learner-centred, then our students will be encouraged to develop and use their own learning strategies.Learning is the student’s responsibility.”
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