WHAT STUDENTS OF WHAT STUDENTS OF LCTLS WANT THEIR LCTLS WANT THEIR

TEACHERS TO KNOWTEACHERS TO KNOWAnna Uhl ChamotAnna Uhl Chamot

Jill RobbinsJill Robbins

(thanks to Laura Blythe Liu, (thanks to Laura Blythe Liu, Kristen D’Avolio, & Candice Kristen D’Avolio, & Candice

Michalowicz)Michalowicz)

The George Washington The George Washington University & National Capital University & National Capital

Language Resource CenterLanguage Resource Center

Washington, DCWashington, DC

http://nclrc.org/lctlshttp://nclrc.org/lctls

BACKGROUNDBACKGROUND

National Capital Language Resource National Capital Language Resource Center (NCLRC) one of 15 foreign Center (NCLRC) one of 15 foreign language resource centers in U. S.language resource centers in U. S.Since 1990 NCLRC has conducted Since 1990 NCLRC has conducted research on language learning research on language learning strategies, both identification and strategies, both identification and classroom applications studies.classroom applications studies.Learning Strategy Resource Guides Learning Strategy Resource Guides produced for elementary produced for elementary immersion, high school, and immersion, high school, and university language teachers and university language teachers and students.students.

PURPOSE OF CURRENT PURPOSE OF CURRENT NCLRC STUDYNCLRC STUDY

Explore how US college Explore how US college students learnstudents learn

ArabicArabic

ChineseChinese

JapaneseJapanese

KoreanKorean

RATIONALE FOR THE STUDYRATIONALE FOR THE STUDY

Most learning strategy research on Western languages.Good language learners (of Western languages) use similar strategies.Effect of non-Western writing systems on strategy use?Impact of unique grammar and non-cognate vocabulary?

PARTICIPANTSPARTICIPANTS

College learners of Arabic, College learners of Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, or Korean.Chinese, Japanese, or Korean.

Low Intermediate (fourth Low Intermediate (fourth semester) level at two U.S. semester) level at two U.S. universities.universities.

11 students of Arabic.11 students of Arabic.

10 students of Chinese.10 students of Chinese.

6 students of Japanese.6 students of Japanese.

4 students of Korean.4 students of Korean.

QUESTIONSQUESTIONS

What are the challenges in learning (language) ?What strategies do you use to overcome these challenges?What advice do you give to other students of this language?How are you learning the target language culture?

METHODOLOGYMETHODOLOGY

Record and videotape focus group interview protocols.Transcribe interviews verbatim.Analyze transcripts for learning challenges and responses.Identify student perceptions of effective and ineffective instruction.

FOCUS GROUP FOCUS GROUP INTERVIEW STRUCTUREINTERVIEW STRUCTURE

Writing task with think-aloud prompts.Questions on

SpeakingReadingListeningVocabularyCulture

Advice to a new student of the language.

How students study the language

Why students are studying the language

Student perceptions of

effective language instruction

ARABIC - HOWARABIC - HOW

Online listening: repeat many times (text materials)

Listen to music online

Online authentic materials: use images to guess meaning

Use the strategy of inferencing for live listening

CHINESECHINESEText CD: slow with Windows media

Repeated listening

CHINESE - HOWCHINESE - HOW

Using boxes for reading

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CHINESE - HOWCHINESE - HOW

Working with NS friends

Watching movies

Using online listening

Using online games & quizzes (Quia)

CHINESE - HOWCHINESE - HOW

Listening with an iPod)

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JAPANESE - HOWJAPANESE - HOW

Use flashcards while playing video games

Watch movies in Japanese

Make friends and get involved in martial arts and cultural exchanges

Study radicals to understand kanji

KOREANKOREANUse an online translator

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KOREANKOREAN Internet radio, Korean music

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KOREAN - HOWKOREAN - HOW

Use Imagery

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ARABIC - WHYARABIC - WHYBecoming more bankable

A mission to learn

Getting “a profound sense of the Middle East”

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CHINESE - WHYCHINESE - WHY

Go into International Politics

Just want to speak the language; enjoy the culture

Fascinated with China

To learn more about my heritage

JAPANESE - WHYJAPANESE - WHY

Interest in pop culture; anime

Career involving Japanese or business with Japan

Go for a homestay in Japan

KOREAN - WHYKOREAN - WHY

To get in touch with my identity

To communicate with my parents or relatives better (adopted child who wants to meet birth mother)

ARABIC - INSTRUCTIONARABIC - INSTRUCTION

Students don’t feel they are getting enough listening practice; must puzzle out what the teacher is saying through her gestures

Knowledge of grammar is simple

CHINESE - INSTRUCTIONCHINESE - INSTRUCTION

Pairwork can be productive (or not)

Partners can let you down

Managing time together is crucial

Limited knowledge of structures restricts creativity

Choral reading is “mind-bogglingly” slow

JAPANESE - JAPANESE - INSTRUCTIONINSTRUCTION

More reading wanted

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JAPANESE - JAPANESE - INSTRUCTIONINSTRUCTION

Should start with kanji earlier

Transition from HS to college: “the jump was hard” because there was more review in HS

Students shouldn’t be allowed to NOT speak Japanese in class

KOREAN - INSTRUCTIONKOREAN - INSTRUCTION

Understanding teacher’s questions is difficult and stressful: Students under pressure stop listening and guess “what she must be asking”

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NEXT STEPSNEXT STEPS

Continue data analysis.Continue data analysis.Develop descriptions of Develop descriptions of learning strategy learning strategy applications for each applications for each language.language.Produce resource guide for Produce resource guide for teaching learning strategies teaching learning strategies to students of Arabic, to students of Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, and Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.Korean.

FUTURE RESEARCHFUTURE RESEARCH

Ways to teach learning Ways to teach learning strategies for language-strategies for language-specific challenges.specific challenges.

Effects of strategies-based Effects of strategies-based instruction (SBI) on student instruction (SBI) on student achievement/proficiency, achievement/proficiency, attitude, and motivation.attitude, and motivation.

Instructional model for SBI for Instructional model for SBI for non-Western languages.non-Western languages.

FOR MORE INFORMATIONFOR MORE INFORMATION

Please visit the NCLRC website for Please visit the NCLRC website for free resources on language free resources on language learning strategies and other learning strategies and other topics topics

http://www.nclrc.org

Special thanks to our transcribers: Special thanks to our transcribers: Laura Blythe Liu, Kristen Laura Blythe Liu, Kristen D’Avolio, and Candice D’Avolio, and Candice MichalowiczMichalowicz