1. Language Learning Strategies & Graphic Organizers
Dr. Latricia Trites
Academic Advisor
Fulbright Yilan Project

2. Language Learning Strategies
As you arrive, please read the article by Pat Beckman that is in the front of your handout.
Make a list of the things that you did to help you learn a second or foreign language.

3. What do good language learners do?
Rubin & Thompson (in Brown, 2007, pp ) provide a list of good language learner characteristics:
Take charge of their learning.
Organize information about language.
Experiment with the language’s grammar and words.
Create opportunities to practice using the language.
Learn to live with not understanding every word.
Use mnemonics and other memory strategies.
Make errors work for them.
Use linguistic knowledge (even from the L1) to work for them.
Use context clues.
Make intelligent guesses.
Learn formulaic language chunks.
Learn tricks to keep conversations going.
Learn production strategies to fill gaps in conversations.
Learn to vary their language.

4. Types of Learning Strategies
Rebecca Oxford (1990) lists six major types of learning strategies:
Cognitive Strategies
Metacognitive Strategies
Memory-related Strategies
Compensatory Strategies
Affective Strategies
Social Strategies

5. Cognitive Strategies
“enable the learner to manipulate the language material in direct ways,…” (Oxford, in Celce-Murcia, M. (2001), p. 363).
Note taking
Summarizing
Outlining

6. Metacognitive Strategies
“identifying one’s own learning style preference and needs,…” (Oxford, in Celce-Murcia, M. (2001), p. 364).
Gathering and organizing material
Arranging study space and schedule
Monitoring mistakes
Evaluating task success

7. Memory-related Strategies
“helps learners link one L2 item or concept with another,…” (Oxford, in Celce-Murcia, M., (2001)., p. 364).
Rhyming
Mental images
Linking words with pictures
TPR
Flashcards
Mneumonic devices

8. Compensatory Strategies
Compensating when the learner doesn’t know a word or expression in language use.
Guessing meaning from context
Circumlocution
Gestures
Pausing
Avoidance

9. Affective Strategies
Strategies a learner uses to lower anxiety during language performance.
Identifying mood
Talking about feelings
Rewarding good performance
Positive self-talk
Deep breathing

10. Social Strategies
Strategies that help the learner adapt to and understand the target culture.
Asking questions to get clarification
Asking for help when performing a task
Talking with a NS conversation partner
Exploring cultural and social norms

11. Things that Affect Learning Strategies
Age
Motivation
Learning Style
Gender
Culture

12. Video Watch Video, looking for the following:
Any strategies that were listed in the readings.
Language specific strategies that the students used.
Affective factors that the teacher planned for or used.
Discuss with a partner the following:
How would you categorize the strategies that you listed at the beginning of the workshop?
Are you aware of any strategies that your students use in your class? Which are used most frequently?
Opp-Beckman, L., & Klinghammer, S. (2006). Module 7: Learning strategies. In Shaping the way we teach English: Successful practices around the world. Washington, DC: Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

13. Implications for the Classroom
No one strategy works for every student.
Strategies must be taught directly to many students.
Strategies must be tuned to students’ learning styles and learning needs.

14. What Are Graphic Organizers?
Communication tools that express ideas and represent connections or relationships between these ideas or concepts.
Often called concept maps, mind maps, advanced organizers, etc.

15. Why Should We Use Them?
They encourage students to think about the information presented in a different way.
They help students identify main concepts and supporting details.
They remove linguistic load of texts.
They help students become more strategic learners.

16. When Should We Use Them?
Use before instruction to prime students’ background knowledge of information to be presented.
Use during instruction to isolate critical information.
Use after instruction to construct students’ understanding of information, represent relationships among concepts, and encourage elaboration.

17. Which Graphic Organizer Should Be Used?
Choose a graphic organizer that best represents the relationship among the information presented.
Hierarchical
Linear
Cause/Effect
Sequential

18. Examples of Common Graphic Organizers

19. Subject Related Graphic Organizers
Textual Organizers
Math Organizers
Science Organizers

20. Essential Issues about Graphic Organizers
No ONE organizer suits all learners
Learning curve for using organizers can be large.
Students must be explicitly taught how to use organizers effectively.
Graphic organizers allow you to teach more than just content – processing skills, patterns of information, analytical & critical thinking skills, etc.

21. Who Should Create Them? Both Teachers & Students
Teachers design them first, use with content
Teachers & students co-construct graphic organizers.
Groups of students construct graphic organizers.
Individual students construct graphic organizers. (

22. Additional Resources
Amin, A.B.M. (2004). Using graphic organizers. Paper presented at the ITE Teachers’ Conference Institute of Technical Education, Singapore. Retrieved, March 1, 2008 from
Ellis, E. (2004). Q&A: What’s the big deal with graphic organizers? Retrieved, March 1, 2008 from
“Graphic organizers.” Retrieved, March 1, 2008 from
“CAST: Graphic organizers.” Retrieved, March 1, 2008 from
“Guidelines for designing graphic organizers.” Retrieved, March 1, 2008 from
“Lesson: Using graphic organizers for sensemaking” Retrieved, March 1, 2008 from
“What is mind mapping?” Retrieved, March 1, 2008 from

23. References
Brown, H.D. (2007). Teaching by principles: An interactive approach to language pedagogy (3rd ed.). White Plains, NY: Pearson Longman.
Opp-Beckman, L., & Klinghammer, S. (2006). Module 7: Learning strategies. In Shaping the way we teach English: Successful practices around the world. Washington, DC: Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
Oxford, R. (2001). Language learning styles and strategies. In. M. Celce-Murcia, Ed. Teaching English as a second or foreign language (3rd ed.). USA: Heinle & Heinle.