Learning strategies promoting second language


LEARNING STRATEGIES PROMOTING SECOND LANGUAGE

                                                                                                       

                                                      ABSTRACT
Second language learning is considered as a critical task by many of the students. Several strategies were formulated by many research personalities for the learning of the language. Second language learning strategy is a purposeful study to know about the language more deeply. The language learning strategies are classified several types and they are the powerful equipment in learning a language. Recently cognitive and meta cognitive strategies are common strategies followed for the learning of a language. This paper presents elaborately the learning strategies commonly using in second language learning process. 
KEYWORDS : Strategy, learning, second language, process, effective way.
 














INTRODUCTION
According to Oxford dictionary, “Language learning strategies is a term referring to the processes and actions that are consciously deployed by language learners to help them to learn or use a language more effectively.” Language learning strategies are thoughts and actions, consciously chosen and operationalized by language learners, to assist them in carrying out a multiplicity of tasks from the very outset of learning to the advanced levels of target language performance. Second language learning strategies are important tools for controlling and optimizing the learning of second language. It is also a way of encouraging student independence. 

DEFINITION OF LEARNING STRATEGIES

§      According to Jasmina Hasandegovic, “Learning strategies refers to students self generated thoughts, feelings and actions which are systematically oriented towards attainment of their goals.”

§      According to Oxford dictionary, “Learning strategies are specific action taken by the learners to make learning easier, faster, more enjoyable, more self directed , more transferable to new situations. ”

§     According to Nyoleos, “Language learning strategies are the purposeful steps used by language learners to comprehend and process new information more deeply help to recall old information and apply knowledge and skills to facilitate problem solving.”

DEFINITION OF SECOND LANGUAGE

§      “A second language is a language that somebody learns to speak well and that they use for work or at school, but that is not the language they learnt first.”

§      “A person’s second language is the language that is not the native language of the speaker, but that is used in the locale of that person.”


HISTORY OF LANGUAGE LEARNING STRATEGIES

Language learning strategies were first introduced to the second language literature, in 1975 with research on the good language learner. At the time it won thought that a better understanding of strategies deployed by successful learners would help inform teachers and students alike of how to teach and learn languages more effectively.  Initial studies aimed to document the strategies of good language learners.
            In the 80’s the emphasis moved to classification of language learning strategies were first classified according to whether they are direct or indirect and later the strategies divided into cognitive , meta cognitive of affective or social categories.
            In the 1919, Rebacca Oxford published the landmark book, “Language Learning  Strategies  What Every Teacher Should Know” which included the “strategy inventory for language learning  or Sill’’, a questionnaire which was used in a great deal of research in the 1990’s and early 2000’s.


BACKGROUND OF LANGUAGE LEARNING STRATEGIES

Research on language learning strategies has been conducted since the 1960’s Williams and Burdan (1997) stated that development in cognitive psychology influenced much of research done on language learning strategies. In most of the research on language learning strategies’ the principle concern has been on identifying what would language learners report they do not learn a second language on in some cases, are observed along while learning a second language (Rubin and Wenden, 1987) . In 1966, Carton published  THE METHOD OF INFLUENCE IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE STUDY , which was the initial effort to describe second language learning strategies. Then in 1971, Rubin began to conduct research regarding the strategies of successful learners and affirmed that, once acknowledged, such strategies would be made available to less successful learners.  Rubin (1975) , categorized strategies in term of processes contributing directly or indirectly to language learning.  Wang Fillmore (1976), Tarone (1977) , Naiman et al(1978) , Bralystok  (1979) , Cohen and Aphek (1981) , Wenden (1982) , Chamot and O’Malley (1987), Politzer and Mc Groarty (1985) , Conti and Kolsody (1997) and many others have also researched strategies employed by language learners during second language learning.

IMPORTANCE OF LEARNING STRATEGIES
§      Learning strategies are powerful.
§      They help language learners become independent learners.
§      They help language learners make the most of the English they have.

Learning strategies are necessary for students to use in order to foster the results in education. Foresting and improving your students learning strategies is important for them in order to learn successfully.

CLASSIFICATION OF LANGUAGE LEARNING STRATEGIES

There are two major classification in the language learning strategies
§      O’Malley and Chamot classification
§      Oxford Taxonomy

O’Malley and Chamot classification
In 1990, O’Malley and Chamot developed a classification of three types of language learning strategies.
§      Meta cognitive Strategies, which involved thinking about (or knowledge of) the learning process, planning for learning, monitoring learning.
§      Cognitive Strategies, involved mental manipulation or transformation of materials or tasks, intended to enhance, acquisition.
§      Social /affective strategies, which consisted of using social interactions to assist in the comprehension, learning or relation of informations.


Oxford Taxonomy

In 1990, Rebecca Oxford developed a taxonomy for categorizing strategies under six headings. They are
  • Cognitive- making associations between new and already known information.
  • Mnemonic-making associations between new and already known information through use of formula, phrase, verse or the like.
  • Metacognitive-controlling own cognition through the co-ordination of the planning, organization and evaluation of the learning process.
  • Compensatory-using context to make up for missing information in reading and writing.
  • Affective-regulation of emotions, motivation and attitude toward learning.
  • Social-the interaction with other learners to improve language learning and cultural understanding.



LEARNING STRATEGIES PROMOTING SECOND LANGUAGE
Wan Haluan explains some of the learning strategies for promoting the second language, say English.

§     Keep talking in English
Make sure to use English to contact with people, whether at home or out. They can be  one’s friends, siblings, or someone from their own society or local people. By interacting with someone from educated background in regular basis, it enables to utilize in an advanced level.

§     Mingling with native second language speakers

Second language is possible at in best when mingling with the second language native speakers. From the conversation with those native people, it is easy to learn the fluency, as well as the right pronunciation. Research shows that mingling with native second language speakers give a good positive outcome of enhancing the second language age fluency among the language learners.

§      Motivation

Motivation in learning a second language is an internal process that gives energy and good direction to learn a second language. It is also identified as the learner’s orientation with regard to the goal of learning a second language. All learning is basically dependent on one’s urge or desire to learn a language, he/she would learn the language as as soon as possible. The students should have a motivation as an urge to learn a second language. Then, they automatically expose themselves to all other learning strategies which promote second language learning.

§     Language as a skill subject
Second language should be learned by means of exposing to the language, by conversation but not as a string of separate words. One can be master in second language only if he is master in fluency, vocabulary, pronunciation as well as in delivering the string of words. He should be able to choose right vocabulary at the right time. All these vocabulary and fluency can be learnt only if the language is taught as a skill subject. The pupil should be taught the entire sound system of English including pronunciation, stress and intonation through a lot of speech and oral work. Learning English through speech gives a lot of time and scope for immediately and meanings are suggested by the context. Even reading and writing skills should also be taught with full practice works. Only a continued practice help in learning a language.

§     Expose to the language

A language can be best learnt when a student is constantly exposed to a language. Exposure to the language can be in the form of constantly listening to English news, listening to English songs, orations etc. while listening vocabulary as well as pronunciation should be given importance.



CONCLUSION

Learning a language is not similar to that of learning mathematics or physics. It is a unique exercise totally different from that of others. A large amount of research provides valuable might about the language and the way they are learnt. Second language such as English is an important language in the modern world. It is the link language, window on the world, International language, library language and so on. Such a valuable language can be learnt through certain strategies. Finally it is concluded by certain researches that second language can be best learnt only when the strategies for learning are strictly followed.

















REFERENCES

David, A. (2007). Teaching English as a second language. New Delhi : Common Wealth
              Publishers.

Kohli, A. L. (2012). Techniques of teaching English. New Delhi : Dhanpat Rai Publishing
              Company Private Limited.

Mowla, S. (2001). Techniques of teaching English. Hyderabad : Neel Kamal Publications.

Retrieved from
              https://www.google.co.in.

Retrieved from
              www.ukessays.com.

Retrieved from
             www.oxfordlearnersdictionary.com.














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