Escolar Documentos
Profissional Documentos
Cultura Documentos
WHAT IS THE ROLE OF LLS IN THE PROCESS OF TEACHING AND LEARNING EFL?
INDEX
Cover..1
Index..2
Theoretical Framework..3-10
Learners Background...11
Appendix20-23
References..24
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
This Language Learning Profile (LLP) aims to develop the Teaching
Strategies ability in teachers in training. However, it is necessary to fragment and
define some concepts according to specific authors in order to clarify every
possible doubt. Those concepts are the following: English as a Foreign Language
(EFL), English as a Second Language (ESL), what styles are, learning strategies
as well as teaching strategies and the role of LLS in teaching and learning EFL
within a classroom.
To begin with, there are people, nowadays, that still do not know what the
difference between EFL and ESL is. In order to solve this common issue, Brown
(2001) proposes the definition of both concepts. The definition of ESL is going to
be developed in first in this paragraph; thus, according to Brown (2001: 134), ESL
occurs when the classroom target language is readily available out there. It means
that when students have immediate contact with the target language, in this case
English, outside the classroom because the taught language is part of the society.
Brown gives some examples such as teaching English in the United States or in
Australia. On the other hand, Brown (2001: 134) defines EFL in contrast with ESL.
Therefore, EFL arises when foreign language context are those in which students
do not have ready-made contexts for communication beyond the classroom.
According to Brown, EFL learning requires effort to provide the opportunities such
as language clubs, special media opportunities, books or an occasional tourist
(Brown, 2001: 134). Hence, the difference provided between EFL and ESL leads
us to the conclusion which in Chile EFL is taught due to the fact that students do
not have any direct connection to the language whatsoever. However, the teacher
is the preeminent input of the language inside the classroom, leaving aside the
certitude that students may listen to music, watch films and TV series in English,
yet it does not assure a successful learning process, let alone acquisition of the
language. Notwithstanding, students have undoubtedly different ways of learning a
language and those ways might be called styles which is the following concept to
deal with in the following paragraph.
3
When defining EFL and ESL another concept showed up which is styles.
This concept is going to be developed according to what Oxford (2003) and Cook
(2001) defines about this concept and its categories that both authors give to it.
Thus, Cooks definition is going to be discussed first. Cook (2001: 235-236) claims
that a teaching style is a loosely connected set of teaching techniques believed to
share the same goal of language teaching and the same views of language and of
L2 learning. Cook (2001: 236) adds that style refers to a changeability in teaching
as well. This last concept means that styles do not have a precise definition;
however, it is a loose overall label that teachers can use freely when talking about
teaching a language. In addition, six different sort of styles are mentioned in Cooks
which are the academic style, the audio-lingual style, the communicative style, the
task-based learning style, the mainstream EFL style and others. In this paragraph
only one of those styles given by Cook (2001) which is the mainstream EFL style
(pp. 263-266). Furthermore, the mainstream EFL style refers to the use of
situations in a classroom. The term situations, according to Cook (2001: 263),
characterises the mainstream style in two senses. In one sense, situation indicates
that language is taught through demonstrations while the teacher uses different
types of realia, gestures and activities that can be done in a real classroom
situation. On the other hand, the other sense in which situation is used tackles the
language of the real-life situation that students would encounter such as the
railway station, the hotel, and so forth. Moreover, the mainstream style starts with a
presentation stage, then the practice and production follows, those stages are
known as PPP. Cook declares that what matters is how students use the language
in real-world situations rather than in academic situations (Cook, 2001: 265).
Cooks definition focuses mainly in the teaching style and what are the styles for
teaching the language; however, it is also necessary to know how styles work by
the side of the students rather than by the teacher and so does Oxford who is
going to be analysed in the next paragraph.
On the other hand, Oxford (2003: 2) gives the two key variables affecting
language learning which are Styles and Language Learning Strategies. The
previously mentioned is going to be developed later on in this theoretical
4
specifically meant to be used for learning a language; they can also be applied for
other subjects as well. Furthermore, the well-known word strategy comes from the
ancient Greek term strategia which means the art of war. According to this,
strategy in its beginnings involved the acknowledgment of war and what came with
it. For example, optimal management of troops, ships, or aircraft in a planned
campaign (Oxford, 1990: 7). Later on, this term became a non-military one and has
been applied to education and, therefore, it has been transformed to learning
strategies as Oxford (1990) reaffirms and adds that learning strategies are
employed by the learner to aid the acquisition, storage, retrieval, and use of
information. Moreover, learning strategies not only help the learner to acquire, to
store or to retrieve information, but also enhance the learning process making it
easier, faster, more enjoyable, more self-directed, more effective, and more
transferrable to new situations.
Despite the fact that strategies can be applied to any subject and not to just
one specifically, our main focus goes to strategies in learning and teaching
languages. Notwithstanding, this new step is going to be spitted up in order to
make everything clearer. Starting with language learning strategies or LLS, it can
be said according to Hismanoglu (2000) that language learners use different
strategies either consciously or unconsciously in the classroom when they are
faced to any task. Finally, an agreement could be withdrawn between Hismanoglu
and Faerch Claus and Casper (1983), as cited in Hismanoglu (2000), when it is
said that these strategies will be used for the development of linguistic competence
in the target language. It can be summed up that strategies in language learning
process are handled by learners in order to fulfil a given task or activity in the
shortest possible time and as Hismanoglu (2000) discloses the issue that a student
using LLS is inescapable.
In addition, Hismanoglu (200) revises the taxonomy of LLS which has been
classified and defined by many scholars, yet as Hismanoglu (2000) mentions that
all those classifications attempt to a very similar categorisation without outstanding
differences. Besides, Hismanoglu (2000) revises some authors classifications
such as Rubin (1987); OMalley et al (1985); Oxford (1990) and Stern (1992).
6
support the language learning process without any direct involvement of the target
language. The indirect strategies can be applied to all four language skills.
Nevertheless, when we talk about language learning strategies, we know
that LLS are altogether learner oriented and that they are techniques, steps,
behaviours, etc. (Oxford, 1990: 2) that learners use to enhance their own learning
process. Hence, there are strategies that teacher use to foster learners learning
process as well. Haynes and Zacarian (2010) classify seven teaching strategies to
provide an effective learning environment and to help make the mainstream
classroom more inclusive for learners. Therefore, those seven teaching strategies
are the following: the first one provided is Provide Comprehensible input for
learners which refers to Krashens comprehensible input hypothesis (1981) and
that teachers must provide a comprehensible input to their students; the second
one is make lesson visual which refers to the use of visual aids such as
photographs, graphics, drawing, charts to introduce the new vocabulary and
concepts or to tell stories using pictures, maps and so forth. In addition to that, link
new information to prior knowledge is the third strategy which means that the
teacher must elicit what the students already know about the topic, their cultural
backgrounds and experiences. Moreover, the fourth strategy is called determine
key concepts for the unit and define language and content objects for each lesson
which indicates that the teacher could post some key concepts on one side of the
wall and the definition on the other, and that the teacher has to make the objective
of the class explicit; the fifth one provided is modify vocabulary instruction for
learners that refers to the action in which the teacher ties the new vocabulary to the
previous knowledge and uses visual reinforcement of meaning, practices
pronunciation and relates the content. Furthermore, number sixth is use
cooperative learning strategies which means that it is beneficial for language
learners to work in groups because it provides the opportunities to practice in an
authentic content the target language and what they have learnt so far. Being the
last one modify testing and homework for learners which indicates that homework
and tests must be linked to the classroom instructions because students would
know what to study as they are guided by what was done inside the classroom.
8
this model, the teacher becomes a facilitator of the language where students,
however, increase their role becoming more active participants in their learning
process. Thus, the role of LLS in the process of teaching and learning a language
is quite undeniable that it helps both teacher and learner to become more proficient
and self-aware of their learning styles and strategies that really help them as
Oxford (1990) points out that there is no good nor bad strategy, yet maybe it is not
a well-made decision.
In the rest of the Language Learning profile, the CALLA instructional model
proposed by Chamot et al (1999) is going to be analysed in deep in the context of
an EFL learner who studies an English program at Universidad Catlica de la
Santsima Concepcin in Chile. The student is supposed to fulfil a written or oral
assignment, however, it was decided that the learner was going to be tested in the
writing skill. Once the learner completed the task, the assignment was analysed by
an analytic rubric. Therefore, depending on the results, a CALLA instructional
model lesson plan was made to provide the learner strategies to overcome his or
her weaknesses and to foster his or her strengths.
10
LEARNERS BACKGROUND
Keila Yez was born on May 2nd, 1996 in Santa Juana. She is eighteen years old
and she is the eldest of two sisters. Her family is composed by four members, and
she lives with her parents and her sisters. Keila studies at Liceo Nueva Zelanda.
She has had English as a mandatory subject since she was in 3 rd grade in
Elementary School.
11
12
were longer, it could have probably been noticed some imperfections about the
content and coherence.
On the other hand, the analytic rubric used to assess the writing task
contains five dimensions and theirs descriptors. An analytic rubric was selected
because of the use of descriptors which help the assessor to maintain the
objectivity of the evaluation process. Therefore, the maximum points for each
dimension is 4 which refers that the learner met all the expectations, and the
minimum points for each dimension is 1 meaning that the learner did not meet the
expectations and her performance needs improvement. The dimensions are the
followings: focus on the assign topic, accuracy, creativity, spelling and punctuation,
number of words.
In addition, you will be able to find the rubric used to analyse the writing task
in the appendix section as Figure 3 and Figure 3.1 is the rubric with the points
given to the task.
13
Objectives
Language objectives: By the end of the lesson, SWBAT write a story from a
starting sentence.
14
Procedures
Preparation
-S is asked if he/she knows what strategies are. Whether S answers yes or no,
Teacher explains what they are by giving examples. E.g. When you study and
highlight some ideas that is a strategy , When you take notes while listening to the
teacher that is also a strategy , If you write summaries to study for a test that is a
strategy as well.
-S is asked if he/she uses any strategy to study and what strategies he/she uses.
-S is asked if he/she uses any strategy in writing and what she does to before
writing.
Presentation
-Teacher presents the name of the strategy: what if I tell you that there is a
strategy that can help you improve your quality of writing. The name of the strategy
is Organisational Planning.
-T shows the stages to write. (prewriting, draft, revising, editing and publishing or
handing in)
-T explains the stages and gives examples of what Ss can do on each stage, such
as for pre-writing, brainstorming can be applied.
-T asks Ss if they have used this strategy to study before.
-T presents some examples of PET writings.
-T compares and shares some experiences.
Practice
-T give to the S a sentence to write something from it.
-T elicits knowledge Ss might have about the topic and writes what she says on the
whiteboard.
-S writes the draft of the writing.
15
-T and S revise the draft together to find grammar, spelling and punctuation
mistakes.
-T makes S be aware about why those are mistakes in order to make it meaningful.
-S edits her draft.
-S hands in the task.
Evaluation
-S is asked to share if the activity was easier or more difficult to fulfil this time using
the taught strategy.
-T asks S why it was easier or more difficult.
-T and S discuss about the use of the strategy.
-T asks S if she might use this strategy in the future.
Expansion
-T tells S that this strategy can be applied to every sort of writing she does in any
language, not just for English.
-T tells S that it might be tedious at the beginning, yet in the end it will come up as
naturally as breathing before she starts writing and that this strategy can be applied
mentally as well.
16
17
18
APPENDIX
Figure 1: Mock PET Writing Exam.
PART 2: Question 6
You have recently moved to a town and have bought this postcard of the town to
send to your pen friend.
19
20
4
The entire story is
related to the
assigned topic and
allows the reader to
understand much
more about the
topic.
Accuracy
Writer makes no
errors in grammar
such as tenses,
complete sentences
and word order.
Creativity
Spelling and
Punctuation
Number of
words
Points:
3
Most of the story is
related to the
assigned topic. The
story wanders off at
one point, but the
reader can still learn
something about the
topic.
Writer makes 1-5
errors in grammar
such as tenses,
complete sentences
and word order.
2
Some of the story
is related to the
assigned topic, but
a reader does not
learn much about
the topic.
1
No attempt has
been made to relate
the story to the
assigned topic.
Accuracy
Creativity
Spelling and
Punctuation
Number of
words
4
3
The entire story is
4 Most of the story is
related to the
related to the
assigned topic and
assigned topic. The
allows the reader to
story wanders off at
understand much
one point, but the
more about the
reader can still learn
topic.
something about the
topic.
Writer makes no
Writer makes 1-5
errors in grammar
errors in grammar
such as tenses,
such as tenses,
complete sentences
complete sentences
and word order.
and word order.
2
Some of the story
is related to the
assigned topic, but
a reader does not
learn much about
the topic.
1
No attempt has
been made to relate
the story to the
assigned topic.
22
REFERENCES
Brown, H. (2001). Sociopolitical and Institutional Contexts. In Teaching by
Principles: An Interactive Approach to Language Pedagogy. White Plans:
Pearson Longman.
Cook, V. (2001). Second language learning and language teaching style. Second
Language Learninig and Language Teaching. Routledge: NY.
Chamot et al (1999). The Learning Strategies Handbook. Longman: NY.
Hismanoglu, M. (2000). Language Learning Strategies in Foreign Language
Learning
and
Teaching.
Retrieved
November
03,
2014
from:
http://iteslj.org/Articles/Hismanoglu-Strategies.html
Hynes, J. (n.d.) Seven Teaching Strategies for Classroom Teachers of ELLs.
Retrieved
November
06,
2014
from:
http://www.everythingesl.net/inservices/seven_teaching_strategies_clas_06140.ph
p
Oxford, R. (1989) Language Learning Strategies. Heinle & Heinle Publishers:
Boston, Massachusetts.
Oxford, 2003. Language Learning Styles and strategies: an overview. Retrieved
November
04,
2014
from:
http://web.ntpu.edu.tw/~language/workshop/read2.pdf
23