Article review 1

Language learning strategies in foreign lg learning and teaching by Scott Thrnbury

Introduction: this article aims at emphasizing the importance of lg learning strategies in foreign lg learning and teaching. It summarizes the background of lg learning strategies, defines the concept of a lg learning strategies and outline the taxonomy of lg learning strategies proposed by several researchers. It also takes into account the teacher's role in strategy training and poses questions for further research on lg learning strategies.

In fact there has been a prominent shift within the field of lg learning and teaching over the last twenty years with greater emphasis being put on teachers and teaching. In parallel to this new shift of interest how learners process new information and what kinds of strategies they employ to understand, learn or remember information has been primary concern of the researchers dealing with the area of foreign la learning.

In the first section of this article Background of lg learning strategies is concernd.it is mentioned that in most of the research on lg learning strategies, he primary concern has been on identifying what good lg learners report they do to learn a second or foreign lg or ,in some cases, are observed doing while learning a second or foreign lg.The article reports that research into lg learning strategies began in 1960s.in 1966,Aaron Carton published his study entitled The Method of Inference in Foreign Lg Study, which was the first attempt on learner strategies. After Carton,Rubin(1975) classified strategies in terms of processes contributing directly or indirectly to lg learning. Wong-Fillmore(1976),Tarone(1977),Naiman et al.(1978),Bailystock (1979),Cohen and Aphek(1981),Wenden(1982),Chamot and OMALLY(1987),Conti and Kolsody(1977),and many other studied strategies used by lg learners during the process of foreign lg learning.

Then the writer turns to the Definition of a lg learning strategy and gives Wenden and Rubin's(1987:10) definition of the term long learning strategy as any sets of operations,steps ,plans,routins used by the learner to facilitate the obtaining,storage,retrieval,and use of information. He continues that all lg learners use lg learning strategies either consciously or unconsciously when processing new informationand performing tasks in lg classroom. Since lg classroom is like a problem solving environment in which lg learners are likely to face new input and difficult tasks given by their instructions, learners' attempts to find the quickest or easiest way to do what is required ,that is ,using lg learning strategies is inescapable.

In the section of this article the writer presents, How various researchers have categorized lg learning strategies. It will be shortly summarized:

Taxonomy of lg learning strategies --)lg learning strategies have been classified by many scholars. however, most of these attempts to classify lg learning strategies reflect more or less the same categorizations of lg strategies without any radical change. The article follows, Rubin's (1987),Oxford's(1990),O'malley's(1985) and Stern's (1992) taxonomies of lg learning strategies.

Rubin (1981) who pioneered much of the work in the field strategies, make the distinction indirectly to learning. According to rubin,there are three types of strategies used by learners that contribute directly or indirectly to Lang learning .these are learning strategies-communication strategies and social strategies. Learning strategies are of two main types cognitive learning strategies and metacognitive learning strategies. Cognitive learning strategies refer to the steps or operations used in learning or problem solving that require direct analysis,transformation,or synthesis of learning materials.metacognitive learning strategies are used to oversee ,regulate or self-direct Lang learning.

Communication strategies are less directly related to Lang learning since their focus is on the process of participating in a conversation and getting meaning across or clarifying what the speaker intended.

Social strategies are those activities learners engage in which afford them opportunities to be exposed to and practices their knowledge.

Oxford's (1990) classification of Lang learning strategies is another focus in this respect. Oxford sees the aim of Lang learning strategies as being oriented towards the development of communicative competence. Oxford divided lg learning strategies into two main classes, direct and indirect, which are further sub divided into 6 groups. Direct strategies involves memory-cognitive and compensation strategies .indirect strategies involves metacognitive,affective and social strategies.

Omalley's classification of lg learning strategies involves three main subcategories: metacognitive-cognitive and socio affective strategies.

At the end of this section the article presents Stern's(1992)classification of strategies which involves five main Lang strategies. These are management and planning strategies and cognitive strategies ,communicative-experiential strategies, interpersonal strategies and affective strategies.

The next section of this article is devoted the importance of lang learning strategies in Lang learning and teaching. It is mentioned that since the amount of information to be processed by lg learners is high in lg classroom, learners use different lg learning strategies in performing the tasks and processing the new input they face. lg learning strategies are good indicators of how learners approach tasks or problems encountered during the process of lang learning. The writer states that l g learning strategies, while non observable or unconsciously used in somecases,give Lang teachers valuable clues about how their students assess the situation,plan,select appropriate skills so as to understand, learn, or remember new input presented in the Lang classroom. He continues that helping students understood good lg learning strategies and training them to develop and use such good lg learning strategies can be considered to be the appropriate characteristics of a good teacher. He includes that research into the good Lang learning strategies revealed a number of positive strategies so that such strategies could also be used by Bad lang learners trying to become more successful in Lang learning.

At the last section The teacher's role in strategies training is considered. The writer states that the Lang teacher aiming at training his students in using Lang learning strategies should learn about the students, their interest, motivations and learning styles. The teacher can learn what lang learning strategies students already appears to be using ,observing their behavior in class. He continues that the Lang teacher should,therefore,provide a wide range of learning strategies in order to meet the needs and expectations of his students processing different learning styles,motivations,strategy preferences,etc. therefore ,it can be stated that the most important teacher role in foreign lang teaching is the provision of a range of tasks to match varied learning styles.(Hall 1997:4).

At the conclusion in this article is mentioned that lang learning strategies ,being specific actions, behaviors, tactics ,or techniques ,facilitate the learning of the target lang by the lang learner. Since the factors like learning age ,gender, personality, motivation, self-concept, life experience , learning style,excitement,anxiety.etc affect the way in which lang learners learn the target lang,it is not reasonable to support this idea that all lang learners use the same good lang learning strategies or should be trained in using and developing the same strategies to become more successful learners .as Lessard-Clouston(1997:8) mentioned, studies to be done on lang learning strategies and strategy training should move beyond descriptive taxonomies of lang learning strategies and attempt to seek for answer to a wide range of questions such as: what types of lang learning strategies appear to work best with what learners in which context? Does lang learning strategies or lang learning strategies training transfer easily between l2 and f1 context? what is the role of lang proficiency in lang learning strategies and training? how long does it take to train specific learners in certain lang learning strategies? how can one best assess and measure success in lang learning strategies use or training? are certain lang learning strategies learned more easily in classroom and non-classroom contexts? what lang learning strategies should be taught at different proficiency levels?

It can be expected that answers to the above mentioned and many other questions from research in a variety of setting will pave the way for building the theory that seems necessary fore more lg learning strategies work to be relevant to current l2/f1teaching practice.

Critique: as it was mentioned this article aims at emphasizing the importance of lang learning strategies in foreign lang learning and teaching. the article was successful in achieving this aim. in fact the writer took some stages in persuading his readers. at first he gave the background of lang learning strategies and then he turned to the definition of lang learning strategies .at the next section he presented how various researchers have categorized lang learning strategies and after this he mentioned why lang learning strategies in lang learning and teaching is important. At the last section he considered to the teacher's role in strategy training.

I should mention that this article is somehow historical and descriptive and there is a need for more practical works. As the writer himself emphasized we should move beyond descriptive taxonomies of Lang learning strategies and there must be an attempt to seek for answers to a wide range of questions in this respect. at the end I should add that this article was conclusive and comprehensive in achieving its goal and it showed the shared attempts of many researchers in the field of lang learning strategies. However it was not so practical and to a larg extent was descriptive but writer himself referred to it and at the end importance of doing more practical researches in this field. In fact there must be more attempts to fill the gap among theory-research and practice.

1)Brown,Douglas.1987."principles of lg learning" and teaching

2)Lessard-Clouston,Michael."1997.language learning strategies"

3)Fearch,Claus and G.kusper.1983.strategies in interlanguage communication.

4)Oxford,Rebeca.1990.lg learning strategies.