Encourage students out of class english learning strategies

Takeda 1998 says that toacquire skills for communication in English, learners need to not only studylinguistic features but also motivate themselves for language learning, andconsider th

SỞ GIÁO DỤC VÀ ĐÀO TẠO THANH HÓA

TRƯỜNG THPT YÊN ĐỊNH 3

SÁNG KIẾN KINH NGHIỆM

ENCOURAGE STUDENTS’ OUT-OF-CLASS ENGLISH

Table of contents Page

1 Introduction ………

1.1 Reasons for choosing the topic.………

1.2 Purposes of the study………

1.3 Objects of the study………

1.4 Methods of the study………

2 Contents ………

2.1 Theoretical background………

2.1.1 Definitions of ‘learning strategies’ and ‘out - of - class learning strategies’………

2.1.1.1 Learning strategies………

2.1.1.2 Out – of – class learning strategies………

2.1.2 Out – of – class learning strategies in learning English

2.1.3 The roles of students’ out – of – class learning strategies on their learning ………

2.2 Students’ out – of – class learning strategies at Yen Dinh 3 high school ………

2.2.1 Language learning strategies……… …….…

2.2.2 Out – of - class Learning activities……… …

2.2.3 The relationship between motivation and out-of-class learning strategies ……… ………

2.3 How to make use of students’ out – of – class learning strategies ……….………

2.3.1 Conducting surveys to determine students’ out – of – class learning strategies ………

2.3.2 Create a classroom that supports differentiated learning 2.3.3 Assigning suitable tasks outside the classroom …….…

2.3.4 Sample tasks outside the classroom ……… …

2.4 Effects of the study on teaching and learning………

3 Conclusion ………

3.1 Conclusion ………

3.2 Recommendation ………

References ………

Appendice 2 2 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 5 6 7 7 7 7 8

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10 10 10 11 13 14

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1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Reasons for choosing the topic

In recent years, many researchers have focused on variables which promotesuccess in language learning The fact is well known that even though studentslearn language in the same class, the degree of their success of language learning

is different depending on students’ individual differences (Motoki, 2006) A lot

of studies focus on these individual differences, and there is an increasingexpectation for research which focuses on the effects of the variables of thoseindividual differences on actual learning conditions Takeda (1998) says that toacquire skills for communication in English, learners need to not only studylinguistic features but also motivate themselves for language learning, andconsider their learning strategies

Within the realm of second language acquisition and learning, a large number

of research bodies (e.g Larsen-Freeman & Long, 1991; O’Malley & Chamot,1990; Oxford, 1990) have agreed that language learning strategy use is one ofthe most important factors in the second language acquisition process Manystudies of second language learning (e.g Green & Oxford, 1995; Griffiths &Parr, 2001; Oxford, 1990; Park, 1997) have extensively documented howsuccessful learners seem to use a wider variety of language learning strategiesthan unsuccessful learners Meanwhile, several studies (e.g Cohen, 1998;Oxford, 1990; O’Malley & Chamot, 1990; Purpura, 1997) have revealed thatselecting appropriate strategies could enhance the learners’ performance ofsecond language learning Therefore, it is clear that the choices of strategiesused by second language learners plays a vital role in second language learning

It is found that information technology permeates students' life, but its vastpotential for learning English is still unexploited Email and surfing the Internet,

in particular, can be more fully utilized with the help of the school As for leisureactivities, the study went in congruence with other studies Listening to songsand watching movies and television are still all-time favourites To heighten theeffectiveness of the learning strategies, their use should perhaps start from theclassroom The study suggests raising learners' awareness of the benefits of out-of-class learning strategies and introducing more activities or schoolprogrammes that lead to access to the resources beyond class

Moreover, teachers tend to pay more attention to the stratergies students useinside than those outside classroom while “Out-of-class activities are also linkedwith real life applications; this connection is key to fostering more authenticlanguage usage and autonomy” (Pearson, 2004) Having been an English teacherfor sixteen years as well as an experienced second language learner, I have paidspecial attention to the factors affecting students’ second language learning.Besides, I also spent a lot of time studying these factors in my thesis during mypost graduate course at ULIS Therefore, I have written my initiative “encouraging students’ out – of – class learning strategies with the desire to find

better teaching methods and know how to motivate the students to learn moreeffectively, especially outside the classroom

1.2 Purposes of the study

The current study aims at:

- Investigating the choice of language learning strategies, especiallyout of class learning stratergies among grade 10th students at Yen Dinh 3uppersecondary school

- Not only examining students’ out- of –class learning strategies inisolation but also exploring the links between their learning strategies and theirEnglish learning results at school

- Suggesting some methods to make full use of students’ out- of –class learning

1.3 Objectives of the study:

The research focuses on finding what kinds of out – of – class learningstrategies of learning English existing among grade 10th students and ifstudents’ choice out - of - class learning stratergies is related to their motivationand studying result of the subject

1.4 Methods of the study

To realize the aims of the study, the reseacher has used both quantitative andqualitative methods The theoretical background of the study comes from a lot ofpublished books by famous researchers in the field The data for the charts hasbeen collected through survey questionnaire and analyzed by SPSS software The participants are 90 students from the classes of grade 10 at Yen Dinh 3uppersecondary school, both males and females Before being handed out thesurvey questionnaires, the students were explained what to do to complete thepaper correctly Then they were allowed to finish it individually within 30minutes

The survey instruments of these parts involve a set of questionnaires: theStrategy Inventory for Language Learning or SILL (Oxford, 1990) The SILL is

a paper-and-pencil survey and widely used for investigating language learners’strategy use all over the world

The data then were collected to be processed by The Statistical Package forSocial Science (SPSS) Computer Program

2 CONTENTS

2.1 Theoretical background

2.1.1 Definitions of ‘learning strategies’ and ‘out - of - class learning strategies’ 2.1.1.1 Learning strategy

+ Learning strategy concepts

The word “strategy” comes from the ancient Greek word strategia, which

means steps or actions taken for the purpose of winning a war.The warlikemeaning of strategia has fortunately fallen away, but the control and goaldirectedness remain in the modern version of the word (Oxford, 1990)

In defining the language learning strategy, Oxford & Crookall (1989) statedthat “different researchers use different terms and different concepts”.Manyresearchers and experts have defined language learning strategies from differentpoints of view According to Wenden (1987), language learning strategies can bedefined from the aspect of language learning behaviours, such as learning andregulating the meaning of a second or foreign language, cognitive theory, such

as learners’ strategic knowledge of language learning, and the affective view,such as learners’ motivation, attitude, etc It is argued that three points of viewscan improve language learning O’Malley, Chamot and their colleagues(Chamot & O’Malley, 1987; O’Malley et al., 1985a) were devoted to studyingthe use of learning strategies by ESL learners in the US Based on their research,language learning strategies were devided into three main categories,metacognitive, cognitive, and social affective which refer to learners’ planningtheir learning, thinking about the learning process, monitoring their owncomprehension or production, and evaluating the outcomes of their ownlearning Next, Rigney (1978), and Rubin (1987), define language learningstrategy as those “that contribute to the development of the language systemwhich the learner constructs and (which) affects learning directly” (1987).Moreover, the definition by Oxford (1990) also included cognitive, emotional,and social aspects of language learning strategies that enhance learners’language learning proficiency and self-confidence (Oxford, 1990; Ehrman &Oxford, 1990)

+ Language learning strategy system of Rebecca Oxford

Oxford (1990) classified learning strategies inventory as operations employed

by the learner to aid in the acquisition, storage, retrieval, and use of information.Learners can adopt more specific strategies to make their learning more directand effective Oxford categorized these learning actions as direct or indirectstrategies Direct strategies help learners store and recover information; theyassist learners in producing the language to fill in the gap of unknownknowledge Direct strategies include memory, cognitive, and compensationstrategies Meanwhile, indirect learning strategies echo direct strategies, butmanage language learning without direct involvement Indirect strategies are

metacognitive, affective, and social strategies The functions of each strategydefined by Oxford (1990) are as follows:

- Compensation strategies (e.g., guessing from the context in listening andreading, using synoyms and “talking around” the missing word to aid speakingand writing; and strictly for speaking, using guestures or pause words) helps thelearner make up for missing knowledge

Indirect strategies

- Metacognitive strategies (e.g.,identifying one’s own learning style preferencesand needs, planning for an L2 task, gathering and organizing materials,arranging a study space and a schedule, monitoring mistakes, and evaluate tasksuccess, and evaluate task success of any type of learning strategy) areemployed for managing the learning process overall

- Affective strategies include identifying one’s mood and anxiety level, talkingabout feelings, rewarding oneself for good performance, and using deepbreathing or positive self- talk

- Social strategies (e.g., asking questions to get verification, asking forclarification of a confusing point, asking for help in doing a language task,talking with a native speaking conversation partner, and exploring cultural andsocial norm) help the learner work with others and understand the target culture

as well as the language

Rebecca Oxford’s Strategy Inventory for Language learning (SILL) is themost influential instrument in the area of language learning strategies and laysout the most exhaustive hierarchy of learning strategies to date (Rivera-Mills &Plonsky 2007)

2.1.1.2 Out – of - class learning strategy concepts

Much interest has been expressed in out - of - class language learningstrategies Pickard (1996) reported that some studies formulate useful typologies

of strategy use (Naiman, 1978; Oxford, 1990; Rubin, 1975); all highlight theimportance of the out-of-class strategies employed voluntarily by learnersoutside the language classroom Pickard (1996, p 150) also reported that:

“These language learning strategies encompass student-initiated activities, such

as listening to the radio and reading newspapers.”

Rubin (1975) identified seven general characteristics of the good languagelearner, which include such out-of-class strategies as seeking out opportunities

to use the language by looking for native speakers, and going to the cinema or toother cultural events

Out-of-class learning, as it relates to language learning, has recently beenbroadly defined as any kind of learning that takes place outside the classroomand involves self-instruction, naturalistic learning or self-directed naturalisticlearning (Benson 2001: 62)

Benson (2001:62) divides out-of-class learning into three categories:

-Self instruction, where learners deliberately plan to improve the target languageand search out resources to help them do this, for example by using self studygrammar books to improve their grammar

- Naturalistic language learning, where they learn mainly unintentionallythrough communication and interaction with the target language group, forexample when engaged in discussions with English speaking classmates orcolleagues

- Self-directed naturalistic language learning, where learners create or seek out alanguage learning situation, but may not focus directly on learning the languagewhile they are in that situation For example, learners may subscribe to anEnglish newspaper everyday with the underlying aim of improving theirvocabulary, but may read it mainly for the news without undertaking anyspecific learning activities

Benson (2001) referred to the dearth of research on out-of-class languagelearning, and its importance to the theory and practice of autonomy

Macaro (2001) proposed some activities which students would use into thehabits of looking for the foreign language outside the classroom:

- Speaking outside the classroom: Not only can learners maximize exposure tothe foreign language outside the classroom by reading or listening to language,they can also try to speak the foreign language outside the classroom

- Social strategies: There is a list of activities that students can do with theirfriends in order to develop this idea that language learning can take placeoutside the classroom and can involve social activities: writing a letter to theirfriends with 10 deliberate mistakes, asking them to underline the mistakes,recording a dialogue together, practicing a scene together, trying to work out aforeign language text together

-Taking notes: Teachers should allow students to take notes whenever they want

It helps to remember and notice something interesting and different about theircurrent knowledge and the input they are receiving

-Materials: We have also considered a dossier of materials which we can use inorder to train learners to use strategies These materials are designed to

«scaffold» the strategy in question

2.1.1.3 The roles of students’ out – of – class learning strategies on their learning

The significance of out-of-class learning is evident in a seminal study on GoodLanguage Learners (GLLs) by Rubin in 1975 (as cited in (Mohamed, 2000;Marefat and Barbari, 2009)) One of the characteristics of GLLs is their interest

in looking for opportunities to use the language, for instance speaking to nativespeakers and going to the cinema This notion is strengthened by Stern (1983 ascited in (Marefat and Barbari, 2009) who highlights that a GLL possesses sociallearning strategy The strategy includes making communicative contact withtarget language and target language community Nunan’s studies of successfullanguage learners from variety of contexts and language learning backgroundsdemonstrate, ‘the determination to apply their developing language skills outsidethe classroom’ can play a crucial role for learners in terms of their secondlanguage development (Nunan, 1991: 175)

Field (2007) also states: “Students need to develop the ability to acquire theinformation that is available both inside and outside the classroomcontext”.What facilitates or inhibits our students' out-of-class English learningactivities? It will be interesting and important for language teachers to knowwhat atually happen beyond the classroom One cannot naively assume that alllearners know the importance of exposure or practice outside class or how tocapitalize on available resources A better understanding of theìr own work onimproving English will inform our teaching strategies Out-of-class learningshould be part and parcel of the whole learning issue as it can supplement in-class learning and enhance one's learning effectiveness

There is cultural shift within education field as autonomy is increasinglytransferred to students’ self guided language learning outside the classroom(Benson, 2011) Learning is a life-long endeavour Teachers cannot learn fortheir students nor can they help them all their lives Besides, even in a formallearning institution, who can ensure that learners learn what teachers teach,given the complex relationship between instruction and learning? There aremore distance or on-line courses, more self-learning programmes and self-accesscenters If students are empowered to learn on their own, they can take charge oftheir own learning and life and become, as Benson (2001: 19) remarks, 'fullyfunctioning members of a modern society.'

2.2 Students’ out – of – class learning strategies at Yen Dinh 3 high school 2.2.1 Language learning strategies

As illustrated in table 1, the means of the strategies rang from 2.70 to 3.20which are all above the average of the five – point scale Metacognitive strategy

is the most frequently used (M = 3.2) and is followed by affective strategy (M =3.20) Memory strategy with M = 3.05 ranks third in decending scale Threeother strategies, scocial, cognitive and compensation have the means 2.82, 2.79and 2.70 respectively Compensation strategy is the least frequently adopted, so

it can be infered that students do not always try to guess the missing words inthe context or use guesture to explain for the word they forget From this result,

it can be infered that students tend to prefer indirect learning strategies with itssub-types, metacognitive and affective, have the highest mean scores whiledirect strategies seem not to be their favorite ones with the mean scores of thetwo sub-types, cognitive and compensation, are both at the lowest level

Table 1: Summary of descriptic statistic for language learning strategy use

2.2.2 Out – of – class learning activities

The results from the second section of part I in the survey questionnairesprovide some information about what students do to learn English outside class.Students do not only acquire English through one activity but many of themchoose more options, so the total response adds up to 204 There is a bigdifference in the percentage of the choice the students have made ‘Listen toEnglish songs’ ranks first on the list with 76.1 percent of the cases, so thestudents prefer learning English through English songs to the other activitiesoutside class This option is followed by ‘play games in English’ with only fivecases fewer Far from the two options on the top list is the activity ‘read books inEnglish’, which accounts for 40.9 percent of the cases Half of that numberbelongs to ‘chat with foreigners on line’ Apart from the above mentionedactivities, three point four percent of students learn English through otheractivities As being specified in the survey, these activities include watchingfilms in English, sending emails or talking to foreigners in English Lastly, fewstudents read English newspapers to improve their English and their choice lies

at the end of the list which makes up three point four percent of the cases Moreinformation about these activities is showed in the table 2 below

Table 2: Out – of – class learning activities

Responses Percent of

Cases

Listen to English songs

Play games in English

Read books in English

Chat with foreigners on line

67623618

out-of-nitive

2.3 How to make use of students’ out – of – class learning strategies

2.3.1 Conducting surveys to determine students’ out – of – class learning strategies

Everyone is unique From the fingerprints on our fingers to the way we learn,our uniqueness is what makes us different from everyone else For teachers,learning to complement the unique learning styles of their students cansometimes be a bit of a challenge Fortunately, using differentiated learningstrategies greatly improves a teacher's ability to cater to students' individualneeds.

It's extremely hard to teach a certain topic to an entire class when the studentsaren't on the same level of knowledge Teachers who deploy differentiatedlearning strategies attempt to reach everyone in the class at the same time At thesame time, they still understand that everyone is on a different level

Chances are many teachers have heard of this teaching method but maybethey've never put it to use On the other hand, perhaps they're currently usingdifferentiated learning strategies but not enjoying as much success with them asthey thought Whatever the case may be, I 've put together a helpful go-to guidewith five differentiated learning strategies to lean on

1 Use formative assessments to pinpoint student learning styles

2 Design lesson plans based on the student's learning styles

3 Separate students into different groups based on their learning styles

4 Create a classroom that supports the use of differentiated learning

5 Continue to perform formative assessments and tweak groups to meet the current learning style needs of the students

Over the past decade, countless advancements in technology have made theirway into the classroom Schools offer students access to tablets and mobiledevices which can be used to fuel learning success However, not all of thestudents are going to be proficient with these tools How do we usedifferentiated learning strategies to get around this? At the beginning of the year,spend two to three weeks getting to know the various learning styles of thestudents During that time there should be a focus on determining whichstudents can work well with mobile technology and computers It's a good idea

to document which devices can be used in an advanced manner by whichstudents, too Once I've done this, I can then spend the rest of the year carryingout various differentiated learning assignments that ensure all students are able

to effectively use technological tools before the school year is over

2.3.2 Create a classroom that supports differentiated learning

Set up the classroom so that students can be placed in groups Student deskscan easily be rotated in their positions to form a whole-class learningenvironment Afterward, they can be transitioned back into their normal

positions to create a differentiated learning environment that supports grouplearning Your formative assessments will dictate which students should beplaced in each group.

You can also rotate stations back and forth for completing differentassignments For example, in one learning station you can have students create apiece of artwork In the other three they can complete a puzzle, listen to awebinar lecture, and read an article

Provide multilevel resources to the different groups and offer assignments on atiered basis For example, advanced learning resources will be provided to thosewho display advanced learning styles Harder assignments are given to studentswho do exceptionally well in problem-solving and research These students will

be able to use learning tools to teach themselves and complete their coursework.This means the bulk of your attention will likely be provided to strugglingstudents

2.3.3 Assigning suitable tasks ouside the classroom

Whenever talking about English teaching situation in Yen Dinh 3 high school,

we always mention to limited time in class as the first problem We certainly donot want our students to restrict themselves to using English in class We wantthem to get as much practice as possible One solution can be come up witheasily, that is assigning homework activities However, I question how muchlearning actually takes place Do they really try to do their homework bythemselves? Are they interested or not? Can they actually get something fromthose homework activities? …

Having experienced failures in piling on homework, I decided to try someother ideas, something easier, more interesting and more inspiring to both mystudents and me Some of them have been used in my classes and they reallywork; some still need improving to be able to keep students motivated; andsome are just ideas I think of when working on this research paper However, allthe assigned tasks are applied the following principles:

- They must be within our students’ linguistic reach

- They must be meaningful so that the students can use English outside ofclass to get particular goals

- They must be able to exploit the power of enthusiasm, which means theycan keep the students interested

The followings are two ways to help ESL students expand theirclassroom learning into real-world settings:

+ Groups and Clubs

Often, the less-structured environment of extracurricularactivities such as clubs and sports teams is a great arena inwhich to motivate ESL students to use the language The low-pressure environment lets youngsters practice communicating