Language Learning Strategies Recognizing your strengths and weaknesses, and practicing to improve what you can Adapted from Lessons From Good Language Learners (Griffiths, 2008).

Learner Variables Things you cannot control (easily) (This is what good language learners ARE)

Do you... ●have a sincere interest in the language, people, and culture? ●see a practical value in learning the language? ●enjoy a challenge? ●want to please others? What is your motivation? Motivation!

Will interacting with other Spanish speakers keep you motivated? How? Will you get down when you are challenged? Be honest, now... What kind of goals can you set to help you understand what you need to do? How can you reflect and truly evaluate yourself? Motivation Regulation

Adults learn faster, but children learn better. Introverts and intuitive people learn languages well because they reflect internally and trust what they learn. Motivated people learn best. Males need explicit and concrete examples, and females do well in groups. Age, Personality, Gender

Better at: ● interpreting sounds and forming words ● quick recall ● recognizing grammatical differences ● understanding using previous examples and input Higher aptitude (IQ)

Actions that you consciously utilize that facilitates your learning. You decide which strategies help you best! ➢ Limit: games, study alone, music while studying ➢ Do: dictionary usage, complete homework, questions teacher, converse with peers, maintain a learning notebook, listen to native speakers (store, movies, radio) Strategies for Learner Variables

➢ recognize when you do not understand and decide what to do about it ➢ talk to others about how they learned something ➢ share what you don’t know ➢ be healthily critical and determine what you grade might be for an assignment More strategies for “the self”

Learning Variables Things you CAN control and change over time (This is what good language learners DO)

Ask why you are learning a vocab list and later how were you successful in learning it. Reflect on what worked for you and what didn’t. Guess meaning from context and key words, use flashcards, break down the word’s meaning, use mnemonic devices, use dictionaries to look up words. The more you do what works, the quicker you get. Vocabulary

● recognize your mistakes; why did you miss something? why did you get a different question right? ● accept advice and feedback from teacher and peers ● set goals and remember that learning is an active and ongoing process Grammar

● speech is more common than writing ● learning good pronunciation is comparable to learning a new physical activity ● record yourself for listening and critique; listen to others (native speakers AND classmates) Pronunciation

● predict what might be said based on the topic ● concentrate and clear your mind ● listen to pauses, intonation, and words that you understand ● visualize what you hear to form meaning ● may be difficult, but remember why it is important to practice listening Listening

Good pronunciation is necessary, but not sufficient: ★ Take full advantage of speaking activities by applying vocabulary and grammar that you are currently learning with vocabulary and grammar that you have already learned. Speaking

● determine the specific goal of reading an excerpt, paragraph, etc. ● reconstruct the author’s goal and purpose ● monitor your comprehension in order to secure your comprehension of the entire text Reading

to write well, you must read more (in Spanish) and look up any new vocabulary ➢ newspapers, web sites, books, instruction manuals, etc. Writing

What can you do to be a good language learner? Find your motivation. Reflect on what you learn and do. Ask questions and trust what you learn. Dedicate yourself to good pronunciation and speaking opportunities. Set personal goals and talk to your peers. Everyone can learn another language! Become something more. Put forth an effort to better understand the world.