Jan

4

Definition of Language Learning Strategies

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1. Stern 1983 ‘In our view strategy is best reserved for general tendencies or overall characteristics of the approach employed by the language learner, leaving techniques as the term to refer to particular forms of observable learning behavior.’
2. Weinstein and Mayer 1986 ‘Learning strategies are the behaviors and thoughts that learner engages in during learning that are intended to influence the learner’s encoding process’.
3. Chamot 1987 ‘Learning strategies are techniques, approaches or deliberate actions that students take in order to facilitate the learning, recall of both linguistic and content area information’.
4. Rubin 1987 ‘ Learning strategies are strategies which contribute to the development of the language system which the learner constructs and affect learning directly’.
5. Oxford

1.1989

2.1990

 1.‘Language learning strategies are behaviors or actions which learners use to make language learning more successful, self-direct and enjoyable’.

2. ‘The strategy concept [...] has come to mean as plan, set or conscious action toward achievement of an objective. They are specific actions taken by the learner to make learning easier, faster, more enjoyable, more self-directed, more effective and more transferable to new situations’.
6. Tarone 1980 ‘Learning strategies are concerned with the learners’ attempts to master new linguistic and socio-linguistic information about the target language’.
7. O’Malley and Chamot 1990 ‘The special thoughts or behaviors that individuals use to help them comprehend, learn or retain new information.
8. Rubin 1987 ‘Any sets of operations, steps, plans, routines used by the learner to facilitate the obtaining, storage, retrieval and use of information’.
9. Cohen 1998 ‘Learning strategies are processes which are consciously selected by learners and which may result in action taken to enhance the learning or use of a second or foreign language, through the storage, retention, recall and application of information about the language.

According to Ellis (1994), “the concept of ‘strategy’ is somewhat fuzzy one, [...] not easy to tie down” (Ellis 1994:529) and brings to light many problems. On the basis of a wide variety of definitions by many researchers, Ellis states that it is open to question whether learning strategies are recognized as behavioral, mental or as both. Oxford (1989), on the other hand, appears to see them as essentially behavioral, whereas Weinstein and Mayer (1986) describe them as both behavioral and mental.

Another difficulty emphasized by Ellis is the nature of the behaviors classified as learning strategies. As stated by Stern (Ellis 1994), there is a distinction between ’strategies’, which are defined as approaches to learning, and ‘techniques’, which are observable forms of learning (e.g. grammar or vocabulary). Other researchers (Ellis 1994), however, may refer to techniques as strategies and vice versa, which may further complicate terminology.

Another point raised by Ellis (1994) is whether learning strategies are to be viewed as conscious and therefore intentional or subconscious and unintentional. Most investigators in this area of research have not considered this issue, with the exception of Chamot (1987) who believes that learning strategies are deliberate actions.

The fourth problem mentioned by Ellis examines whether learning strategies are viewed as having a direct or indirect impact on interlanguage development. Various scholars (Ellis 1994) regard them as having an indirect influence, which is an opposite view to that adopted by Rubin (1987).


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