Effective Language Learning

By Melahat Jahansouz

Effective Language Learning

By Melahat Jahansouz

Introduction

According to cognitive psychology, there is no doubt that learners are not passive when learning a foreign or second language, but they are actively involved. According to a study conducted by Lilly Wong Fillmore (1982), language use patterns, organization for instructional activities, and the student composition of classrooms interact to produce either high levels or low levels of language learning. Factors stemming from the way in which classrooms are organized for instruction are within the control of the teacher. Over the last few decades a gradual but significant shift has taken place, resulting in less emphasis on teachers and teaching and greater stress on learners and learning as Northeast Conference (1990) entitled “Shifting the Instructional Focus to the Learner” and annual “Learners’ Conferences” held in conjunction with the TESL Canada convention since 1991, to key works on “the learner-centered curriculum” (Nunan, 1988, 1995) and “learner-centeredness as language education” (Tutor ,I. 1996). If teachers want to help their students become independent and successful, they need to help them develop appropriate learning strategies so they can deal with language tasks successfully. Language programs must have the support of principals, teachers, parents, and the community. Teachers and administrators should understand that native language instruction provides the foundation for achieving high levels of English proficiency (Cummins, 1994; Krashen, 1991; Thomas & Collier, 1997). Students must have access to high-quality instruction designed to help them meet high expectations. Teachers should employ strategies known to be effective with English learners, such as drawing on their prior knowledge; providing opportunities to review previously learned concepts and teaching them to employ those concepts; organizing themes or strands that connect the curriculum across subject areas; and providing individual guidance, assistance, and support to fill gaps in background knowledge. A language learning strategy is ‘like a tactic used by a player. It is a series of skills used with a particular learning process in mind’ (Williams and Burden 2002:145). Some of these strategies are observable but most are mental processes that are not directly observable. Both observable and non observable strategies help students become autonomous and successful language learners. (more…)