Enhancing Students' Language Learning Through Language Learning Strategies

Learning is a kind of activity which is done by every student. Learning activity can refer to all subjects, including English. Learning English for Indonesian students has become a big and also problematic challenge since it was introduced in Curriculum 1994. During the last two decades, many educational actors like curriculum developers and teachers intend to embed English as one of the alternative languages that students can use. But then, not so many teachers are well-trained to be an English teacher. They are trapped in a frame of content which is already set in the textbooks. This is, of course, giving students such a boring experience and making them like a stationary learner. Yet, students should not think as the way the teachers think. They can enhance their learning through several language learning strategies that fit their own learning style.

The first language learning strategies that students can use to enhance their learning is cognitive strategies. These strategies enable learner to manipulate the language material in direct ways. Students can use these strategies to form and revise internal mental models and receive and produce messages in the target language. Cognitive strategies help students to do a problem-solving that requires direct analysis, transformation, or synthesis of the materials. Rubin (1987) identified 6 main cognitive learning strategies contributing directly to language learning, they are clarification/verification, guessing/inductive inferencing, deductive reasoning, practice, memorization, and monitoring.

Besides cognitive learning strategies, students can also use metacognitive learning strategies. O’Malley et al. (1985) define metacognitive as an expression to indicate an executive function, strategies which involve planning for learning, thinking about the learning process as it is taking place, observing of one’s production of comprehension, correcting own mistakes, and evaluating learning after an activity is completed. In short, students can use these strategies to oversee, regulate or self-direct language learning. They involve various processes as planning, prioritizing, setting goals, and self-management.

After the cognitive and metacognitive strategies, there is another learning strategies that can improve students’ language learning. That is memory-related strategies; aid in entering information into long-term memory and retrieving information when needed for communication. Memory-related strategies also entails the mental processes for storing new information in the memory (Oxford, 1990) and for retrieving them when needed. These strategies consist of four sets that include: A. Creating mental linkages, B. Applying images and sounds, C. Reviewing well, and D. Employing action. By these strategies, students can link one language item or concept with another without too much deep understanding. They can implement these strategies in form of grouping, imagery and associating.

The next strategies for enhancing students’ language learning is the compensatory learning strategies. Compensatory strategies are needed to overcome any gaps in knowledge of the language (Oxford, 1990). These strategies enable students to use the language either in speaking or writing despite knowledge gaps. The examples of these strategies are 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, and using gestures or pause words.

In fact, students can also enhance their own language learning using the affective learning strategies. Affective learning strategies enable students to control feelings, motivations, and attitudes related to language learning. In other words, these strategies assist students to manage their emotions, self-encouragement, and behaviors associated with learning. They can be achieved through lowering anxiety, encouraging oneself, and taking emotional temperature. For example, students may have negative feelings about native speakers of the target language. Good students try to create associations of positive affect towards the target language and its speaker as well as towards the learning activities involved.

Social learning strategies are the last language learning strategies that can help students to improve their learning. Language is a form of social behavior and learning it should involve other people. Social learning strategies facilitate this meaning through interaction with others, often in a discourse situation (Oxford, 1990). By these strategies, students are given the opportunities to be exposed to and practice their knowledge. More than that, social learning strategies help the students work with others and understand the target culture as well as the language. They can apply these learning strategies in form of asking questions, cooperating, empathizing and becoming culturally aware with others.

In brief, students can choose one or more learning strategies that is relevant to their learning context. However, all learning strategies mentioned above may have shortcomings for some cases. Therefore, students, guided by the parents and teachers, should identify their own characteristics of learning in order to decide which one of the learning strategies that work best to them. Furthermore, the role of language instructors is needed to incorporate language learning strategies into their teaching methods and approaches and encourage the students to use the strategies as frequently as possible. So, students will be encouraged to learn the target language and use language learning strategies to improve their language skills.