Learning strategies are the operations that a learner utilizes to facilitate the acquiring, storing, retrieving and using the information. In short, learning strategies are the particular actions that a learner may take to make his or her learning process easier. There are five strategies for learning TESOL; cognitive strategies, mnemonic strategies, metacognitive strategies, effective strategies and finally social strategies.
The cognitive strategies allow learners to learn by making associations between the new information and the already known information. They also facilitate the mental restructuring of information. Examples of such learning include; analyzing, guessing when relying on the context, taking systematic notes, reorganizing information and reasoning inductively and deductively. A different approach to cognitive learning, Tapestry approach, Vygotsky emphasized this in his works. Here learning occurs through interactions with other people. Rather through interactions with a “more capable” person. The more capable person is often a teacher. In the approach, the student can develop cognitive learning strategies like analyzing, reasoning, and synthesizing.
Mnemonics strategies help the learner link a new item with something that he is familiar with such as a song. The mnemonic strategy is especially useful for learning and memorizing information in an orderly string. Examples of this strategy are acronyms, rhyming, trough body movement or total physical response, or even the locus technique. The mnemonic strategies function by relating items in a simple, stimulus-response manner and therefore do not allow deep associations. Consequently, they are distinguished from the cognitive strategies.
Metacognitive strategies aid the learner to manage themselves as learners, help in their general learning process and assist in specific learning tasks. The self-knowledge strategies involve the learner to identify their interests, learning style preferences and needs. Example of these strategies includes Visual vs. Auditory vs. Kinesthetic, Global vs. Analytic, Ambiguity-tolerant vs. Ambiguity-intolerant, Intuitive-random vs. concrete-sequential. The knowledge allows the learner to pick strategies best suited to them.
Affective strategies involve the identification of the learner’s feelings and the situations or tasks that evoke the feelings. The viability and acceptability of affective strategies are influenced and determined by cultural norms; some cultures discourage the probing or expression of feelings. Considering that learning anxiety can impede the learning process positive self-talk allow the learner to deal with the anxiety. Negative attitudes, emotions and beliefs impair the learner’s motivation and their learning, positive emotions and attitudes reverse this process. As such, affective strategies are handy when dealing with such situations.
Social strategies involve learning with others and help the learner to understand the language's culture better. Examples of the method include asking questions regarding confirmation and clarifications along with learning more about the cultural and social norms by studying together with other learners outside the classroom.
References
L, R. (2003, November 29). Language Learning Styles and Strategies: An Overview. Retrieved from Oxford Archives: http://web.ntpu.edu.tw/~language/workshop/read2.pdf
Rebecca, O. L. (1990). Language Learning Strategies: What Every Teacher Should Know. Stamford: Heinle & Heinle.
Richards, Renandya, W. A., & Jack, C. (2002). Methodology in language teaching: An anthology of current practice. London: Cambridge University Press.
