coflt_oct_07

Presenters: William B. Fischer (email • website), replacing Kathie Godfrey; and Emily Minty (email), both of Portland State University, Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures, German Section

Summary from conference program: In the summer of 2006, the PSU langusge department conducted an intenseive teacher-training workshop on Styles- and Strategies-Based Instruction for K-12, taught by Andrew Cohen and Martha Nyikos. The follow-up included lesson planning, implemementation, and data colelction. The presenters summarize the results and their implications for both learner and outcomes and teacher -ed programs.

Members of the grant/ workshop team: Mary Bastiani, PPS; William B. Fischer, PSU; Emily Minty, PSU; Anne Mueller, retired teacher & COFLT VP

Funding: $50,000 (NCLB/ Oregon University/ School Partnerships [formerly: Oregon Eisenhowers] via Western Oregon University Teaching Research Institute) (RFP)

“Overt strategy training is essential in the language classroom. Language learners are often frightened by the new language, its many complex structures, and its tens of thousands of words and expressions. They often do not know how to approach the subject in either a cognitive or an emotional sense. Language learning is not like learning mathematics or biology or typing; it requires an understanding of the nature of language and the process of language learning, including useful techniques or strategies.” --Rebecca L. Oxford, The Univ. of Alabama

Key points: Sometimes the learning strategy must be taught; AND: learners will better acquire the learning strategy if they consciously use it to achieve better language learning.

Upon completion of these activities, participants will be able to:

• Analyze, break down, and demonstrate the instructional content for students in order to show them strategies for easier and more efficient learning of the target language;
• Develop target language lessons that incorporate a minimum of three strategies for language learning and are appropriate to the learning styles of all their students;
• Utilize explicit styles and strategy training activities with everyday classroom language instruction;
• Disseminate SSBI knowledge and materials through presentations and publications.

• Conduct the summer workshop;
• Develop a collection of SSBI resources;
• Research the effectiveness of the training delivered by the workshop and the followups;
• Improve our own language programs;
• Work toward making SSBI training part of teacher ed, especially for pre-service;
• Disseminate the results

“A learner-focused approach to language teaching that explicitly highlights within everyday classroom language instruction the role of the learners’ styles and strategies in performing instructional activities” (Cohen & Weaver, 2006)

Strategy Preparation: How much do they know about strategies, and how much do they use them?

Strategy Awareness Raising: How do I learn best? What type of learner am I? Which strategies fit my learning style? Which strategies work for me? Which strategies do not work for me? Are there other strategies I should try?

Strategy Instruction: In an SSBI lesson, students are given the opportunity to practice using the strategies they have discussed while learning course content

Personalization of Strategies: Transfer of strategies to new language learning situations.

Evaluation: Learners evaluate how they are using strategies and look at ways they can use them in other contexts

Main resource: Cohen, Andrew D., and Susan J. Weaver. Styles- and Strategies-Based Instruction: A Teachers' Guide. Minneapolis: Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition, 2006. ISBN: 0-9722545-4-4. Available through University of Minnesota bookstore.

• one week, 5 all-day sessions, 26-30 June at PSU
• conducted by Andrew Cohen and Martha Nyikos, with incidental presentations by the grant core team
• followup activities developed by the core team and conducted into the 2006-2007 school year - most important: participants design an SSBI module for their classrooms and implement it there, with followup reflections

• combination of expert presentation, discussion, group activities (self-related, teaching techniques), and individual projects;
• leaders provided fast followup through PowerPoint tutorials (example: Language Learning Strategies - Issues in Classification)
• highlights: "culminating" pro-and-con discussion of the value of SSBI

4) A hands-on SSBI activity for those participating in this meeting: Use pp. 59 & 71of SSBI manual in "cocktail party" small-group conversations about learning strategies (speaking in your own identity or simulating a language learner); followup: What about YOUR language learners?

a) develop SSBI module (1 or more lesson plans) by late summer 2006 (1 academic credit); sample for ESL middle-schoolers; sample for college second-year Spanish

c) Research activities: 1) Trial questionnaires in summer 2006 GER103; 2) Mary Bastiani & Anne Mueller: baseline assessment in K-12 classrooms

-----1. On-line SSBI intake questionnaire (=Cohen/ Weaver pp. 68-74), followed by student identification of positive/ negative strategies and a language-learning activity;

Student reflections about the SSBI activity as it relates to their language learning (here a sample):

"So, what works for me is a hands on style. Now I interperate hand on differently than
others, for example, you drawing the map of Germany works for me, I can see it and then
draw it my self in my notes.

What doesent work for me is when a teacher lectures....lectures...and lectures! I get
bored, and then end up daydreaming about some random things.

Im whilling to try anything in the learning feild, Ill try it once and if it doesent
work...Ill ditch it!"

-----2. GER 101 intake questionnaire: Student explores course materials, comparing them to: a) expectations brought to the course (with expression of like/dislike on 5-item likert scale); b) previous language course experience, if any (resource X was similar/ dissimilar, with expression of liked/ disliked, both on 5-item likert scales)

b) In the PSU Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures: learning outcomes assessment; mapping of courses onto learning goals

c) University-wide: PSU activities in Learner Outcomes and assessment, as part of the development of the University Studies program (1993-); there is reason to believe that these initiatives are the result not merely of pressures for enrollment chare and continued accreditation, but even more of sincere concern for student learning, with particular attention to the non-ideal/elite learner. (PSU Center for Academic Excellence assessment page) (PSU Fall 2007 Symposium on Learner Outcomes)

7) Implications for the profession, especially for the teacher education curriculum

• SSBI training "early and often" in teacher ed - certainly in basic pedagogy courses (side issue: all upper division undergrad language students should be exposed to language pedagogy and career information)
• tactical flaws of the grant project: a) need better integration of the participants' followup activities (SSBI modules and implementations); b) inadequate research procedure (the idea was fine, the follow-through not: we bit off more than we could chew; the sample got too small)
• SSBI training of language teachers won't succeed if fundamental attitudes are inconsistent with it
• The field of SSBI needs more research: a) learner outcomes; b) effectiveness of teacher training

Baker El-Dib, Mervat Abou. "Language Learning Strategies in Kuwait: Links to Gender, Language Level and Culture in a Hybrid Context." FLA 37.1 (Spring 2004): 85-95.

Khalil, Aziz. Assessment of Language Learning Strategies Used by Palestinian EFL Learners. Foreign Language Annals Spring 2005): 108-••

Riazi, Abdolmehdi. Language Learning Strategy Use: Perceptions of Female Arab English Majors. FLA 40.3 (Fall 2007): 433-440.