REVISION: COGNITIVE STYLE

Cognitive styles are general psychological

dimensions by which people differ. Cognitive
styles refer to individual differences in ways of
perceiving, remembering or thinking. Thus, we
can say that the main element of cognitive styles
is not the efficiency with which it is done, but
rather how it does what it does.
Language Learning Strategies
“specific actions, behaviors, steps, or
techniques that students (often intentionally)
use to improve their progress in developing L2
skills. These strategies can facilitate the
storage, retrieval, or use of the new language.
Strategies are tools for the self-directed
involvement necessary for developing
communicative ability.” (Oxford, 1992/1993, p. 18)
Learning strategies – the conscious
decisions we make about the learning task.

1. cognitive strategies;
2. metacognitive strategies;
3. social strategies;
4. affective strategies.
Cognition vs
metacognition
 Cognitive strategies

involving the manipulation or

transformation of learning materials
/ input (e.g., repetition,
summarizing, using images)
Metacognitive strategies

involving higher-order strategies

aimed at analyzing, monitoring,
evaluating, planning, and organizing
one’s own learning process
 Social strategies
involving interpersonal behaviors
aimed at increasing the amount of
communication and practice the
learner undertakes
(e.g. initiating interaction with native
speakers, cooperating with peers);
 Affective strategies
involving taking control of the
emotional conditions and
experiences that shape one’s
subjective involvement in learning.
Some strategies
 Highlighting  Graphic organizers
 Listening to media  Draw pictures
 Peer tutors  Physical gestures
 Study groups  Flashcards
 Color Coding  Note taking
 Self Talk  Paired items
 Visual imagery
Why Use Strategies?
 learner-centered and allow learners to become
more self-directed
 expand your role as the language teacher
 are problem-oriented
 involve many aspects, not just the cognitive
 can be taught
 are flexible
 are influenced by a variety of factors
(Oxford, 1990, p. 9)
Why are these important?
 “… they are tools for active, self-directed
involvement, which is essential for
developing communicative competence”
(Oxford, 1990)

 “…help students become better language

learners.” Graham (1997)
Strategies they use…

Students are already using strategies to learn

language and to learn in other subjects. However,
many of them are not conscious of the techniques
they are using. By explicitly identifying learning
strategies as learners use them, you can
empower learners to use these strategies more
effectively and in a wider context.
Good Thinking! — That’s so
Meta(cognitive)!
Metacognitive Strategies
Organize/Plan •Plan the task or content sequence.
•Set goals.
•Plan how to accomplish the task.

Manage your own •Determine how you learn best.

•Arrange conditions that help you learn.
learning
•Seek opportunities for practice.
•Focus your attention on the task.
 Metacognitive Strategies
Monitor While working on a task:
Check your progress on the task.
Check your comprehension as you use the
language. Are you understanding?
Check your production as you use the language.
Are you making sense?
Evaluate After completing a task:
Assess how well you have accomplished the
learning task.
Assess how well you have applied the strategies.
Decide how effective the strategies were in
helping you accomplish the task.
Determining Success!
Knowing Learning Style

Applying Appropriate
Learning Strategies

Accomplishing the
Task