Learning strategies

What and why?

Learning strategies are the techniques individual students use to help themselves learn. Classroom research has identified three main types of strategies: meta-cognitive strategies, such as planning, evaluating and monitoring language use; cognitive strategies used in actually 'doing the learning', such as guessing words, repeating, learning things by heart, and working out rules; and social strategies, such as working with others, asking for help and so on. All students come to their English lessons with their own learning strategies. They learn many of these through their other schoolwork, through watching people, and by being told what to do. Learning strategies are very personal - what works for one person may not work for another. Since the strategies students use are influenced by teaching and by others, students may not be using the best strategies for them. Teaching tends to emphasise particular approaches to learning (e.g. an emphasis on 'item' level exercises such as gap-fill, matching, etc.). Students are unlikely to be aware of what the alternatives might be and may assume that the way they learn and are taught is the only way.

Learning about learning is part of the process of education and provides an understanding which is transferable to other subjects, other areas of life and beyond school. It is also important in bringing about STUDENT INVOLVEMENT.

EVALUATION sections also ask students to think about - and discuss - how they learn.

Practical ideas

• CEWw includes exercises which use various kinds of learning strategies. Meta-cognitive strategies are involved in the DECIDE ... exercises, in exercises which include a DO IT YOURSELF element, and in the HELP YOURSELF section in the Workbook. Cognitive strategies are developed all through the Student's Book and are supported by the HELP YOURSELF LIST (or Ideas list). Social strategies are involved in the numerous groupwork and individual tasks, the encouragement to ask others and share ideas, and to use resources from outside the classroom.
• Before giving a test, discuss with the students how they will revise.
• When they choose a DECIDE ... exercise, ask them why they chose that one.
• You could make a POSTER with ideas from the students about how they revise for tests, how they do their HOMEWORK, how they check their work, what they do to learn English in their free time, and so on.
• There are few 'right' or 'wrong' ways to learn a language. Some students may feel happier, for example, looking at a model before they write, while others prefer to 'write from the top of their heads'. The important point is that students are aware of the possibilities. Every now and again, discuss with the students how they are going to do an exercise and allow a variety of learning approaches. In some cases, this may include looking at the answers first, for example.

Researching the classroom

Learning strategies generally take place inside the students' heads, so it is very difficult to find out precisely what strategies they are using. However, there are ways to get a better picture and to determine if students are using the most effective strategies.

• At the end of each lesson ask students to note down (in the mother tongue) what they thought the main point of the lesson was, what they learnt from the lesson, which exercise helped them the most/least and what they found easiest/most difficult. Collect in the papers. This will give you an idea of what they focus on. This may not be the same as what you think is important. (For example, one teacher who did this after a 'grammar lesson', found that the students actually thought the lesson was about 'vocabulary'. In such cases, itÕs not surprising that the students don't learn the key grammar points.) If this is the situation in your class, you may find it useful to discuss it with the students.
• As part of their homework, ask students to write down exactly what they did, how they approached it, where they did their homework, who with, what they used (dictionary, cassette, a friend, etc.) to help them complete it. Collect in their papers.
• You can prepare a brief questionnaire to find out what your students do when they are learning. For example: (i) What makes it easier for you to understand the cassette?; (ii) When you are reading in English and you see a new word, what do you do?; (iii) How do you revise for a test?; (iv) How do you remember English spelling?
• A better idea might be to ask the students to design a questionnaire for another class, perhaps called 'How do you learn?'. This will not only give the students very useful language practice, but will also tell you a lot about what they think is important.
• Watch them! After you have set the students working, watch what they do. You could focus on one or two students and notice the steps that they go through, what seems to be slowing them down or helping them, and so about. Afterwards, you could start a general discussion on this.