Teach English in Xiaozhuang Zhen - Liaocheng Shi

It is well known that language learners face a lot of difficulties when learning a new language so in order to successfully learn the target language, they make use of numerous learning techniques. Learners will obviously have different difficulties (this may sometimes depend on how similar or different the target language is from their native language) and as result, learning techniques will vary amongst learners. The questions we must answer here therefore are: 1. what is learning techniques? Why is it important in language learning? 2. What are some of these learning techniques？How can teachers train learners to use them? Definition and importance of Learning techniques. Learning techniques are the various approaches, steps, methods, strategies usually adopted by language learners in order to effectively master the language system, develop language skills and communicative competence, and solve problems encountered during the learning process. Learners will either consciously or unconsciously use cognitive or metacognitive techniques to perform tasks and process new information in a language classroom. Cognitive techniques will involve using previous knowledge to solve new language problems; while metacognitive techniques will involve making necessary plans for learning, monitoring learner’s output and understanding, and also evaluating learning after completing an activity. Learning techniques are great indicators to teachers of how their students solve the problems they encounter during the learning process. Learning techniques are important because they not only promote and facilitate language learning, but also act as ‘tools for self-directed involvement, which is essential for developing communicative competence’ (Oxford, 1990). Learning techniques will not only contribute to the development of learners’ communicative skills, but will also make learners autonomous and independent, creating enough self-confidence for them to take control of their own learning. Learning techniques give valuable clues to teachers to help them understand how their students will normally assess language problems, plan and choose appropriate skills that will help them learn, comprehend, or remember new information presented in the classroom. However, not all the learning techniques learners use are good; there are some bad learning techniques that will negatively influence learners’ learning process, that is why it is necessary for teachers to train their students to develop and use learning techniques so that they can become good language learners. Some Learning techniques and how to train learners to use them. 1. Planning While techniques such as planning may not be very popular amongst language learners, it is however very important because it sets expectations and goals to reach. Teachers can make weekly plans of their lessons and share to students to encourage them to make study plans. If students know beforehand what their next lesson will be then they will be motivated to read about it before coming to class. 2. Monitoring Training learners to monitor their progress will make them responsible for their own learning and also massively accelerate their learning. Teachers can again share their weekly plans and walk learners through it, encourage learners to refer to them by asking often what stage they should be at, what topic will be covered next and whether or not they feel they are meeting their goals. In this way, students set objective and expectations at each stage and are able to monitor their progress. 3. Evaluating Teachers should encourage students to self-assess their learning progress. Asking questions at the end of every activities, giving assignments, quiz or exercises at the end of each week will help both teachers and students evaluate their progress and check if objectives have been met. 4. Using Imagery It is usually very easy for learners to remember words if they see a picture of it. Teachers should therefore use flash cards to teach vocabulary items that can easily be represented in pictures. 5. Inductive inferencing or guessing Inductive inferencing is very important because it helps learners think for themselves rather than expecting the teacher to provide answers. Through gap-fill exercises, teachers can train learners to observe, assess, pay attention to context and then induce corresponding answers. Text books and workbooks should include exercises that will develop such skills. 6. Practice Practice in language learning is very important as it ensures readiness to perform a task. Teachers should encourage learners to practice their language before use, it gives the student confidence and makes them want to experiment with the language. Teachers can give students time before activities such as ‘role play’ so that they can see the importance of preparing and how it can positively influence output. 7. Language transfer Teachers can also take advantage of the learners’ native language to teach language items that are similar to the target language. For this, teachers will need to have an understanding of the learners’ native language. Using this technique will help learners to easily remember such language items. However, teachers must be careful not to let students overuse this as there are usually ‘false friends’ that mislead. 8. Memorization Teachers can encourage students to memorize, it will help the memory to produce an automatic output that can’t be more correct. Teachers can teach students tongue twisters or rhymes to help memorize the right pronunciation of sounds; and poems to help them memorize grammatical structures. 9. Reviewing Since the target language is not one mastered by the learners, it is very important for them to constantly review past lessons, if not they will forget. It is therefore important for teachers to emphasize on this, beginning a class with a revision of the previous lesson by asking questions related to previous topics will make the students conscious and encourage them to review. It is true that teachers play a great role in the learning process, however, the responsibility still heavily rests on the shoulders of the learner. Ignacio (1996) mentioned ‘learners themselves are the actual agents in their use and choice of strategies as they are directly affected by them’. If the learner cannot come up or summarize his or her own learning techniques, then, the efforts of the teachers will be futile no matter how much they give in. Every learner is different; learning motivation, style, attitude, and many more will greatly influence their choice and use of learning techniques. References 1. Palacios, I. (1996). The Importance of Language Learning Strategies in Foreign Language Teaching. Santiago de Compostela: Universidad de Santiago. 2. Oxford. R. (1990). Language Learning Strategies: What Every Teacher Should know. New York: Newbury House.