What do you think good language learners do as they learn? Seven Hypothesis about good language learners (Naiman et al.) 1.The good language learner is a willing and accurate guesser. 2.The good language learner has a strong drive to communicate, or to learn from communication. He is willing to do many things to get his message across. 3.The good language learner is often not inhibited. He is willing to make mistakes in order to learn and communicate. He is willing to live with certiain mount of vagueness. 4.In addition to focusing on communication the good language learner is prepared to attend to form. 5.The good language learner practices. 6.The good language learner constantly monitors his own speech and the speech of others. 7.The good language learner attends to meaning.

Learning Strategies L2 learning strategies are specific behaviors or thought processes that students use to enhance their own L2 learning. Oxford (1990) argues that there are ‘direct’ and ‘indirect’ learning strategies. When using direct strategies, the language user is like the performer in a play. The language learner’s direct strategies help him to come to grisps with language. They deal with things like memorizing vocabulary, and for getting to understand new grammar rules. The learner’s indirect strategies are more akin to the role of the play’s director. They deal with regulation and control. In the case of the language learner, this would include planning issues (like how many hours you spend on learning, and what you do in preparation for each lesson).

 Six Main Categories of L2 Learning Strategies (Oxford, 1990) A) Direct strategies 1. Cognitive strategies 2. Memory strategies 3. Compensation strategies B) Indirect strategies 4. Metacognitive strategies 5. Affective strategies 6. Social strategies

1. Cognitive Strategies: Cognitive strategies are helpful for understanding and producing the language. They enable the learner to manipulate the language material in direct ways, e.g., through reasoning, analysis, note- taking, summarizing, synthesizing, outlining, reorganizing information to develop stronger schemas (knowledge structures), practicing in naturalistic settings, and practicing structures and sounds formally.

2. Memory Strategies Memory strategies are useful for remembering and retrieving new information. They help learners link one L2 item or concept with another but do not necessarily involve deep understanding. Various memory-related strategies enable learners to learn and retrieve information in an orderly string, while other techniques create learning and retrieval via sounds (e.g., rhyming), images (e.g., a mental picture of the word itself or the meaning of the word), a combination of sounds and images, mechanical means (e.g., flashcards), or location (e.g., on a page or blackboard).

3. Compensation Strategies Compensation strategies are useful for using the language despite knowledge gaps. (e.g., guessing from the context in listening and reading; using synonyms and “talking around” the missing word to aid speaking and writing; and strictly for speaking, using gestures or pause words) help the learner make up for missing knowledge.

4. Metacognitive Strategies Metacognitive strategies are useful for coordinating the learning process. (e.g., identifying one’s own learning style preferences and needs, planning for an L2 task, gathering and organizing materials, arranging a study space and a schedule, evaluating task success, and evaluating the success of any type of learning strategy) are employed for managing the learning process overall.

5. Affective strategies are used for regulating emotions. Affective strategies such as identifying one’s mood and anxeity level, talking about feelings, rewarding oneself for good performance, and using deep breathing or positive self-talk have been shown to be significantly related to L2 proficiency in research.

6. Social Strategies are useful for learning with others. (e.g., asking questions to get verification, asking for clarification of a confusing point, asking for help in doing a language task, talking with a native- speaking conversation partner, and exploring cultural and social norms) help the learner work with others and understand the target culture as well as the language.