Effective Language Learning Strategies and Examples

Describe two direct and another two indirect strategies you usually use for language learning. Write about the specific strategy and not about the strategy group. Explain them and give one example of how you use them for language learning.

1. Direct Strategy Grouping (Memory Strategy)

Involves classifying or reclassifying what is heard or read into meaningful groups, thus reducing the number of unrelated elements. It sometimes involves labeling the groups, as well.

In my case, when I am learning a foreign language, in this case, English I tend to use this Strategy. While I read a text I underline the words I did not understand such as, friendly, lively, lonely, much, little, several, as soon as, after, however, etc. Then I group them in three groups labeled: adverbs (friendly, lively, lonely), determiners (much, little, several) and conjunctions (as soon as, after, however)

Example: Alberto, who is learning English, writes down in his notebook new word when he hears them, and he categorizes them grammatically: for example, you, he, she, they, someone; hard, easy, kind, soft; markedly, completely, quickly. Then, he labels these categories: pronouns, adjectives and adverbs.

b. Repeating (Cognitive Strategy)

Saying or doing something over and over: listening to something several times; rehearsing; imitating a native speaker.

In addition, when I repeatedly play an English song and listen to English words, trying to understand them while silently rehearsing them.

Example: Zuhaitz listens to the weather report in Basque every day while eating breakfast. He is now very familiar with weather-related terms such as eguzkia (sun), beroa (hot), hotza (cold) and euria (rain).

Indirect Strategy Cooperating with peers (Metacognitive Strategy)

This strategy can involve a regular learning partner or a temporary pair or small group. This strategy frequently involves controlling impulse toward competitiveness and rivalry.

Sometimes, my small group works on English jigsaw listening activities, which requires individual language learners (me) to listen to different pieces of a story and the figure out the whole story by putting the pieces together in the right order.

Example: Alberto writes a journal and share it with his English-language classmate, who responds with comments. Beate participates in brainstorming activities to generate ideas for writing. Daniel takes notes on his friend Max´s writing and shares comments with him. Unai writes in Portuguese to a pen-pal in Lisbon. Before sending a letter, Unai shows it to his language partner, Iker, to obtain a feedback.

b. Developing Cultural Understanding (Social Strategy)

Background knowledge of the new culture often helps learners understand better what is heard or read in the new language. Such knowledge also helps learners know what is culturally appropriate to say aloud or in writing.

Usually I put this strategy into practice when I am outside of the classroom. On the one hand I see films, going to lectures etc in the target language. All these activities have developed greater cultural awareness, which is necessary for achieving proficiency in the new language, English.

Example: Jo, who is studying in England, listens to the BBC to try to get a flavour of the culture. Roman and his classmates sign up for a trip to Central America so they can learn about the culture in person as they speak the Spanish language