Learning
is a kind of activity which is done by every student. Learning activity can cover
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 such as
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 language 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 styles.
The
first language learning strategies that students can use to enhance their
learning is cognitive strategies. These strategies enable students 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. There are 6 main cognitive learning strategies
contributing directly to language learning, as identified by Rubin (1987). They
are clarification/verification, guessing/inductive inferencing, deductive
reasoning, practice, memorization, and monitoring. These kinds of activities
can be applied when students are given a particular topic for their lessons.
The first thing they have to do is defining the topic in order to achieve a
good comprehension. To facilitate it, students can transform or restate the
former definition into their own sentence. So, they can memorize and practice
it as the way they think.
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. For
example, they can design what they are going to learn. In order to regulating,
students can monitor their self-development in learning. At the end of the
learning process, they can evaluate and assess what they have learnt by
themselves.
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 entail
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. For instance, students can create some keywords, or even compose a
song to memorize the materials they have learnt. In order to do this kind of
activity, they are demanded to be more creative and aware of their own learning
styles.
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.
Compensatory strategies are often being used for students who have disabilities
or brain injuries, so that they can compensate their difficulties in language
learning. The students can make and carry cards or notes if the information they
have just grasped suddenly gets lost. Using a written template also benefits
them to easily communicate their needs and wants.
In
addition, 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 hate the teacher who sometimes mocks or
hurts their feelings. More than that, the students may even dislike the subject
as long as it is taught by that teacher. Good students then try to create
associations of positive affect towards the teacher and the subject 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. Cooperative learning is one of the related approaches to cover all the
strategies. Here, students build a group of learning to complete the task and
share to their friends what they have learnt about it.
In
brief, students can choose one or more learning strategies which are 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.
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