Three most important Characteristics of a ‘good’ language ...



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most important Characteristics of a ‘good’ language learner[Type the document subtitle] Alana Di RitoContents Page Report------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------pages 3 to 11 Reference List---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------page 12AppendicesAppendix One – Questionnaire Sample -----------------------------------------------------------pages 14 to 19Appendix Two- Questionnaire Results--------------------------------------------------------------page 20Learning English as a second language opens up so many doors, job opportunities, new friends, and a chance to learn different cultures. Students who successfully learn English as a second language can interact better with peers, friends, customers and improve their educational, business and career perspectives. However it is difficult to learn a foreign language and not everyone is successful. This paper attempts to identify the three most important characteristics of a ‘good’ language learner. To commence my research, I interviewed a friend studying ESL. I developed a questionnaire which she offered to ask other students in her class to complete. Five students agreed to complete the questionnaire and provided me permission to use the results in this research. Below is a summary of the students provided by my friend, who also completed the questionnaire as Student C. Student AStudent BStudent CStudent DStudent EPrevious Knowledge of EnglishLimitedNilFairLimitedLimitedReasons for learning ESLResiding with host family, want to increase job opportunityFamily migrated to AustraliaOn working holiday loves Australia and wants to learn language and cultureParents sent student to learn language residing with host familyFamily migrated to AustraliaStudent C view on ability of each student as a language learnerExceptionalAverageGoodStruggling but making progress due to desire and commitmentFailing, unable to grasp basic concepts Period Studying ESL6 months 6 months3 months6 months9 monthsTable 1- Summary of Student profilesA large number of studies have been conducted to investigate the characteristics of a ‘good’ language learner. According to Rubin and Thomson (1982) there are fourteen characteristics of a ‘good’ language learner. 14 Characteristics of a Good Language Learner1. Good language learners find their own way and take charge of their learning. They determine the methods that are best for them as individual learners. They learn from others and experiment with different methods. 2. Good language learners organize their study of the language, and they organize information about the language they study. 3. Good language learners are creative. They understand that language is creative. They experiment with the language and play with grammar, words, and sounds. 4. Good language learners make their own opportunities for practicing the language inside and outside of the classroom. 5. Good language learners learn to live with uncertainty by focusing on the meaning of what they can understand, by not getting flustered, and by continuing to talk or listen without necessarily understanding every word. 6. Good language learners use mnemonics and other memory strategies to recall what they are learning. 7. Good language learners make errors work for them and not against them. 8. Good language learners use linguistic knowledge, including knowledge of their first language, in learning a second language. 9. Good language learners use contextual clues to aid their comprehension of the language. They maximize use of all potential contexts around the language attended to for enhancing comprehension. 10. Good language learners learn to make intelligent guesses. 11. Good language learners learn chunks of language as wholes and formalized routines to help them perform beyond their competence. For example, they may learn idioms, proverbs, or other phrases knowing what the whole phrase means without necessarily understanding each individual part. 12. Good language learners learn certain tricks that keep conversations going. 13. Good language learners learn certain production techniques that also fill in the gaps in their own competence. 14. Good language learners learn different styles of speech or writing to learn to vary their language according to the formality of the situation (Rubin, 1982)Lightbown and Spades list resembles Rubin and Thompson, except they also believe good language learners also have good academic skills. Lightbown and Spada’s Characteristics of a ‘Good Language Learner’{1997}1. Good learners are willing and accurate guessers 2. Good learners are willing to make mistakes 3. Good learners try to communicate even without language 4. Good learners look for patterns 5. Good learners practice whenever possible 6. Good learners analyse their own speech 7. Good learners pay attention to their own standards 8. Good learners enjoy grammar 9. Good learners begin learning in childhood 10. Good learners have above average IQs 11. Good learners have good academic skills 12. Good learners have good self image and self confidence (Lightbown, 1997)Tricia Hedge list focuses more on the “Self-Directed” Learner. Tricia Hedge’s Characteristics of a ‘Self-Directed Learner’ {2000}1. Self-Directed learners know their needs and work productively with the teacher towards achieving their objectives2. Self-directed learners know how to use resources independently3. Self-directed learners learn both inside and outside the classroom4. Self-directed learners adjust their learning strategies as needed5. Self-directed learners manage and divide the time in learning properly6. Self-directed learners learn with active thinking7. Self-directed learners don’t think the teacher is a god who can give them (Hedge, 2000)After analysing the list from these three experts as well as articles written by Oxford and Brown and Reid, it became apparent to me that there were three to four themes emerging. I decided to categorise each of the points listed and found they fit into the following four major categories. Academic Ability MotivationConfidence /Risk takingUnderstanding Learning Strategies MotivationConfidence/Risk TakingUnderstanding Learning StrategiesAcademic AbilityRubin and Thompson1,4,53,7,1012,2,6,8,9,11,13,14Tricia Hedges1,2,3,74,5,6,7Lightbown and Spada5,81,2,3,126,7,49,10,11Table 2- Identified categories for each point The result of this analysis tends to indicate that the three most important characteristics for a ‘good’ language learner may in fact be;MotivationConfidence in Taking RisksUnderstanding Learning Strategies To test this theory further, I decided to analyse the results of the five questionaries received using the same categories. I categorised each question into one of the three categories and scored each question. CharacteristicScore rangeComments Motivation3 to 47 47 reflects student as extremely motivatedConfidence to Take Risks2 to 31 31 represents high degree of self-confidence and is prepared to take risks and make mistakes as a natural part of learningUnderstanding Learning Strategies1 to 31 31 represents student who know what learning strategy works best for them and used various learning strategies to achieve the best learning outcome.Table 3 - Summary of scoring for each categoryThe following results were achieved;MotivationConfidence to Take Risks Understanding Learning StrategiesTotal ScoreStudent A423927108Student B31202273Student C35232583Student D32101052Student E10151239Table 4- Summary of scores per category for each studentInterestingly student A, who was ranked as an exceptional learner by Student C (my friend), scored the highest in all three categories and Student E, who was failing, ranked low in all three categories.I proceeded to investigate each of these characteristics separately in order to support or reject the theory that the three most important characteristics of a ‘good’ language learner are;MotivationConfidence to Take Risks, andUnderstanding Learning Strategies MotivationMost researchers agree that good language learners find their own way and take charge of their learning. They make their own opportunities for practising the language inside and outside the classroom. Results from the responses provided by students A, B and C indicated that they constantly practised English inside and outside the classroom. They spent considerable time working on skills in all areas, speaking, listening, reading and writing, they used various methods including media, radio, television, songs and magazines to help them learn English and did not depend solely on the material provided in the classroom. As Oxford states, ‘they use specific activities to make the learning process easier, faster, more enjoyable, more self-directed and more transferable to new situations” (Oxford, 1989). It was evident that the motivated students spent significant time learning outside of the classroom which was as a strong contributor to the effectiveness of their learning. Crookes and Schmidt suggest that, “intrinsic motivation, motivation from inside, is more powerful than extrinsic motivation, motivation from outside” (Crookes, 1991). Analysing the response from the five students, it is evident that the good learners surveyed were the ones that were not forced to take English classes. It was obvious that the ones internally motivated such as Student A and C were successful learners. Student C is an excellent example of a student who is intrinsically motivated. She wanted to come to Australia to meet people in the community, she attends the local church and gets actively involved in organising fundraising activities, she is also in the choir which she stated, “helps me considerably with the language learning process”. In three months she has taken every opportunity possible to practise the language and has made good progress in such a short time. Student A was on an exchange program. His intrinsic motivation is demonstrated by his desire to become involved in his host family and the community; he constantly seeks opportunities to expand his knowledge. Students E and D however, were motivated extrinsically; consequently the learning has been less successful. The results of the study confirm that motivation plays a significant role in language learning.Confidence to take Risks One of the biggest challenges for people wanting to learn another language is the fear of sounding ridiculous due to mistakes or poor pronunciation. A ‘good’ language learner isn’t afraid to take risks and look foolish. Oxford states, “Successful language learning necessitates overcoming inhibitions in learning, to take reasonable risks as in guessing meanings or speaking up despite the possibility of making a mistake” (Oxford, 1989). Whilst self-confidence is not an essential requirement, willingness to communicate does play an important role in learning a second language. Research has shown that a lack of willingness to use the language results in ineffective language learners. Self-confidence is directly related to being willing to try, take risks and make mistakes. Students, who are able to convince themselves that mistakes are not horrific, quickly build up their confidence and enjoy the learning experience. A common pattern of the ‘good’ learners surveyed was that they made errors work for them. They were not afraid of making mistakes and learned from their mistakes. Analysing the responses clearly demonstrated that the students who were not afraid of guessing and making mistakes were the ones achieving better results. The study revealed that students A, B and C, who were ‘good’ language learners, used techniques to guess words from context. However, responses from students D and E indicated that they tended to shy away from guessing; instead they would refer to a dictionary and often did not respond due to the possibility of being wrong. To reinforce this theory further I noticed my two year old niece using gestures and noises combined with her limited vocabulary to communicate. She was not worried about correctness but about getting her message across. Even for adult language learners the confidence to try and communicate even when unsure of the correct word or pronunciation is important. The theory that a characteristic of a good learner is the confidence to take risks by guessing is also supported by a study of language learners of French, “this study found that ones who were made to guess words from context, rather than study a list, not only learned more in less time but also retained the words longer” (Weiler, 2013).As discussed earlier, motivation plays a significant role in successful language learners; however the survey revealed that student D was highly motivated to learn but was struggling. Her responses to questions on risk taking indicated that she was self-conscious and unwilling to take risks and make mistakes. This was a cultural issue, where her culture did not encourage risk taking, regardless; it appears to have inhibited her ability to become a good language learner despite her motivation to succeed, reinforcing the theory that confidence to take risks is a characteristic of a ‘good’ language learner. Understanding Learning Strategies that work best “Learning styles refer to an individual’s natural, habitual and preferred way of absorbing, processing and retaining new information and skills” (Reid, 1995). As quoted by Lightbown and Spada, “different learners approach a task with different sets of skills and preferred strategies, students who have some awareness of the way they need to process information have a distinct advantage over those who do not” (Lightbown,1997). Many of the experts I have researched believe that a good learner will try different ways of learning, until they find a way that suits them best. Tricia Hedge believes, “learners who have good learning strategies in place and who are autonomous will likely be more successful then learners who depend on the teacher for everything” (Hedge, 2000). Weden and Rubin reported that “all language learners use some type of strategy to process the information, to improve comprehension, learning or retention of information” (Rubin, 1882). Visual learners record and retrieve information different than auditory or kinaesthetic learners, and global and analytical learners will process information differently, this was evident when I analysed the different styles used by the students surveyed. Student C has a visual learning style. She needs to take notes and needs to see words in print; she labels objects and needs to see words in sentences with contents around them. Student C revealed that studying grammar every night did not work for her, listening to song lyrics, watching television and films was more effective, so she dedicated 80% of her time to media and only 20% of her time to studying grammar. This clearly shows that she has adopted the learning strategies that work best for her. All the good learners, Students A, B and C used cognitive strategies, such as retention and note taking to learn. Student A, who is an auditory, visual learner, writes the English phonemes beside the new word to help with correct pronunciation. Whilst the responses from student D who is struggling, indicated she lacked understanding of her learning style and language strategy preference and followed very rigid instructions provided by the teacher to learn. It is evident from the survey that the good learners adapted different language strategies. There is no one simple formula for successful language learning, what is important is that the student recognises different strategies and uses the ones that work best for them. ConclusionThis study revealed that the ‘good’ learners had similar patterns in developing their learning which differentiated them from the ‘poor’ language learners. The research revealed that the ‘good’ learners were aware of their own learning style and applied the styles that suited them best to learn. It became evident that the ‘good’ language learners were actively involved in the language learning process and took responsibility for their own learning. They were highly motivated and created opportunities to use the language. They understood that practise is important and had the confidence to take risks and learn from their mistakes.I strongly believe that being motivated is the most important characteristic in language learning, however, motivation alone is insufficient. Student D is an excellent example of a highly motivated student who was unable to identify the learning strategy that worked best for her. She lacked confidence and did not take risks which ultimately impacted her ability to be a ‘good’ language learner. My research had identified that the notion of a single profile of the ‘good’ language learner does not exist; it revealed that there can be a striking difference amongst equally successful language learners, however the research supported the theory that the three most important characteristics of a ‘good’ language learner are;MotivationConfidence to Take Risks and make mistakes Ability to Understand and Apply Learning Strategies that work best for the individual Reference ListCrookes, G. and Schmidt, R. (1991) 'Motivation: reopening the research agenda'. Language Learning 41:469-512. Lightbown, P. M. and Spada, N. (1999) How Languages are Learnt. (2nd edn.) Oxford: OUP. O'Malley, J. M., Chamot, A. U., Stewner-Manzanares, G., Kupper, L. and Russo, R. P. (1985a) 'Learning strategies used by beginning and intermediate ESL students'. Language Learning 35:21-46. Ruben, J. (1975) 'What the 'good language learner' can teach us'. TESOL Quarterly 9:41-51. Skehan, P. (1998) A Cognitive Approach to Language Learning. Oxford:OUP Rubin, J., & Thompson, I., How to be a more successful language learner. Boston: Heinle & Heinle, 1982.Nunan, David (2000), Language Teaching Methodology (2nd Impression), Harlow, Pearson Education Ltd.VAGINALightbown, Patsy M. and Spada, Nina (1997), How Languages are Learned (7th Impression), Oxford, Oxford University Press, page 34Hedge, Tricia (2000), Teaching and Learning in the Language Classroom, Oxford, Oxford University Press, page 76Oxford, R. & Nyikos, M. (1989). Variables affecting choices of language learningstrategies by university students. Modern Language Journal, 73, 291-300.Weiler, Andrew, 2013, The power of guessing in Language Learning, , accessed 10/11/13Reid. M (1995). Learning Styles and Strategies in Adult Immigrant ESL Students.In J. M. Reid (Ed.) Learning Styles in the ESL/EFL Classroom, ( 118-125).New York: Heinle and Heinle Publisher.AppendicesAppendix One – Questionnaire Sample QuestionnaireLearning English as a Second Language What is your native language?What motivated you to learn English?Describe your Knowledge so far?1. Do you know what learning style suits you best? 1. Yes2. No2. Do you choose learning situations that suits your learning?1. Always2. Occasionally3. Follow methods recommended by teacher3. In the last 9months, besides classes, have you planned other activities to use and learn English?1. Rarely (one in the last 2 months +)2. Always (at least once/week)3. Occasionally (at least once/month)4. NeverJ. I choose activities that I do not normally do to assist with learning English?1. Always2. Occasionally3. Rarely6. What do you pay more attention to?1. Grammar2. Pronunciation3. Vocabulary4. All of the above5. None of the aboveK. Do you look for clues to help you understand?1. Always2. Occasionally3. RarelyL. Do you guess when you are not sure?1. Always2. Occasionally3. RarelyM. Do you ask for help when unsure?1. Always2. Occasionally3. RarelyN. Do you ask people to correct your mistakes?1. Always2. Occasionally3. RarelyO. if you guess, do you check that you guessed correctly but asking or comparing with another?1. Always2. Occasionally3. RarelyP. Do you believe you are a confident English speaker?1. Always2. Occasionally3. RarelyQ. Do you laugh at your mistakes?1. Always2. Occasionally3. RarelyD. How often do you speak English outside the classroom?1. 70-100%2. 50-70%3. 20-50%4. Less than 20%5. NeverA. Do you believe you are a1. Gifted language learner2. Average language learner3. Poor language learner B. Do you remember by 1. Visual2. Repeating what you hear or learn 3. Practising4. Understanding rules/patterns5. All of the above6. Combination of 1,2 and 3 onlyE. How important is it for you to become a fluent English speaker?1. Extremely2. Fairly3. SlightlyR. if reading sentences and several words are unfamiliar, do you1. First try to guess from the context2. Look up some words and guess others3. Look up all words you don’t know4. Give up, skip wordsS. When you are speaking and suddenly lack the necessary vocabulary, do you1. Use circumlocution (ie, say “where you buy things” if you don’t know the word for ‘shop’ 2. Skip the word3. Stop SpeakingT. When you are speaking do you1. Try to get meaning across without worrying about being correct and by using gestures, synonyms etc2. Worry about being correct rather than the meaning3. Say as little as possibleF. When learning language are you1. Highly motivated2. Quite motivated3. Not very motivatedDaily3Weekly2Mthly1Rarely0When outside the classroom how often do youRead in EnglighListen to English musicWatch English movies/TVGo to community eventsSpeak EnglishAttend social groupsPublic speaking forumsAlways 3Occasionally2Rarely0Outside the classroom, how often do youRecord new information in a journalUse memory techniquesWrite words phonetically to help pronunciationWrite SynonymsUse the English Dictionary to check words and meaningsUse repetition to rememberLook for patternsTake risks (guessing)Ask for help if unsureCorrect othersG. Do you experiment with language playing with grammar, words and sounds?1. Always2. Occasionally3. NeverV. How often do you make error?1. Always2. Occasionally3. RarelyW. How do you rate your progress so far?1. Poor2. Fair3. ExcellentX. How do you respond when you make a mistake?1. Embarrassed and stop talking 2. Learn from mistake and keep going or use technique to fill gapH. Is the teacher and your classroom your primary source for learning?1. Yes2. NoI. How important is it to learn about the community and be a part of the community to you?1. Extremely2. Moderately3. Not importantThank you for your time and help Alana Di Rito Appendix Two – Questionnaire Results (on next page) ................
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