Classification of language learning strategies

【Abstract】：Scholars stress different way to classify language strategies. In this passage， there are four language strategies. Each of the strategies has its own value and characteristics.

【key words】language strategies， Cognitive strategies， Metacognitive strategies， Affective strategies， Social strategies

1. Cognitive strategies

Cognitive strategies are very important strategies to improve students' ability. Specifically， these strategies are crucial for academic skills. As examples of practicing， Oxford （1990） lists repeating， formally practicing with sounds and writing system， recognizing and using formulas and patterns， recombining and practicing naturalistically （p.45）. Above all， she emphasizes practicing naturalistically as the most significant strategy. Cognitive strategies are directly linked to the performance of particular learning tasks， and involve applying a specific technique to a learning task. They refer to the steps or operations used in problem-solving that requires direct analysis， transformation or synthesis of learning materials. After the test of the adjusted learning strategy inventory in the cognitive category， some usual thinking ways were found in order to identify the features of using cognitive strategies for students majoring in arts and PE. Cognitive strategies contain receiving messages， analyzing and reasoning， creating structure for input and output， note taking， summarizing and so on.

2 Metacognitive strategies

Chamot， Barnhardt， El-Dinary and Robbins （1999） indicate the insufficient comprehension of metacognitive strategy use of less effective students （p. 166） and they show the four processes of the Metacognitive Model as planning， monitoring， problem solving， and evaluating （p.11）. These processes allow learners to achieve their goals and expand their learning to a further stage. They are included in Oxford's category. Besides the strategies related to goal achievement， Metacognitive strategies especially emphasize the importance of organizing their study. In fact， it is very difficult for some students to u} time effectively， even though they know what they should do. The more efficient students become at budgeting their time， the better their results will be. An organizer would be helpful for them in order to budget their time， and to be used as a study log.

Metaeognitive strategies are higher executive skills， which are considered to be strategies about learning， rather than leaning strategies themselves. For example， thinking about the learning process， planning for leaning， monitoring the learning task， and evaluating how is everything going to study. To be short， Metacognitive strategies constitute attempts to regulate language learning by means of planning， monitoring， and evaluating， which are subdivided into eight types.

3 Affective strategies

Affective strategies should be emphasized in Chinese education， too. The way to lower one's anxiety or take one's emotional temperature is quite new for the Chinese education system. The teaching method， Suggestopedia， shows students can learn best when their anxiety filter is low. Using music in the classroom works to lower students' anxiety either by providing background music or by providing lyrics along with which students can sing. In such a relaxed classroom， students would be more likely to take risks. Encouraging oneself is also an essential strategy. Chinese students have a tendency to lack confidence in their ability to use English. To have students take risks for making mistakes and to lower students' anxiety for learning. It is necessary to create a collaborative atmosphere in the classroom and be careful and tolerant of students' errors and encourage their participation with positive feedback. In addition， if students get positive feedback from their peers， it will facilitate their learning.

4 Social strategies

Social strategies will help students become positive learners. These strategies are not used effectively in Chinese EFL settings. It is in part because of the educational influence， which I have presented in Chapter 1，and in part because of the cultural influence. When Chinese teachers teach their students these strategies and introduce them as their teaching strategies， the lesson will be more effective. To raise students' awareness about the importance of learning from others， again， group work such as discussion or pair work， should be incorporated into the lessons. These activities allow students to interact with peers， which is a necessity for acquiring language.

參考文獻：

[1]Chamot， A.U. Kupper， L. 1989. Learning Strategies in Foreign Language Instruction. Foreign Language Annals 22， pp13-24.

[2]Chomsky， N. 1986. Knowledge of Language： It's Nature， and Use. New York： Praeger

作者簡介：李冰（1981—），女，籍貫山東，碩士研究生，研究方向為英語語言學及應用語言學，現任東北大學秦皇島分校語言學院講師。