Reading Strategies in Language Learning
Reading doesn’t pose as many difficulties as listening or speaking, because we generally have the time to read through and digest ideas and to reread when necessary or look words up in a dictionary – even if this sometimes leads to even more confusion !
You can use some of the ideas we saw previously in listening strategies to be able to place what you read clearly in context.
You can find learning materials in categories according to level and vocabulary word count to use in Self Managed Learning (SML), even if you still may encounter some words or structures that you are unsure of.
When working with reading in SML, look to see if there any images to help you to second guess the contents. Is there a preface or a summary that helps to get you started or even to decide whether the material is interesting for you – you need to enjoy what you do in learning as much as possible and Reading Strategies in Language Learning will help you get the most out of this.
Start from the global and then go to the detail and not the opposite.
Work on whole passages before cutting it up into more manageable slices to work on.
We call this « Skimming » or « Gist Understanding ».
Think about why you are reading :
- For pleasure
- To learn new ideas
- For your job
- To get specific information
- For your own curiosity
Before looking up words in a dictionary, try to read around the word and guess what it may mean, if you feel that you must look the word up then ensure that you choose the right meaning of the word, look for synonyms or antonyms etc.
In this way you can start understanding a lot more and actually building your vocabulary. Use your imagination again and note words / expressions etc. as we have seen previously.
Avoid over-using a dictionary as this will definitely mar any enjoyment that you could expect to get from reading and you will lose the thread very quickly.
Try to work on the Reading Strategies in Language Learning that work the best for you, as the former tips and ideas are just the tip of the iceberg.
Social Language Learning Scoops
In this section, which is updated regularly, is a collection of curated content based around themes, such as Social Learning, EFL, ESL and language learning.
If you have ever tried to build a conversation with multiple people asynchronously on Twitter, you will know how confusing that can become, but here the interaction appears below the content being discussed, so you can quite easily have multiple conversations on-going at the same time.
You are free, as a reader of this content, to comment or participate in a conversation about the subjects that EFL PodBlog curates in this section, or indeed to recommend some sources that you know that are Scoopable.
Content curation is the process of collecting, organizing and displaying information relevant to a particular topic or area of interest. Services or people that implement content curation are called curators.
Curation services can be used by businesses as well as end users, as we are doing here.
Content curation is not a new phenomenon. Museums and galleries have curators to select items for collection and display. There are also curators in the world of media, for instance DJs of radio stations tasked with selecting songs to be played over the air.
Content Curation and Information Overload
Many content curation services are used to screen out unwanted content from Twitter, Facebook, RSS, and other feeds, thereby reducing the overall flow of information and making it more targeted to the end user’s interest.
The main advantage of curation is that it allows the user to accelerate the process of discovering relevant content, which is especially crucial for those whose work involves processing large amounts of information (which is probably the vast majority of us today).
Content curation is very closely linked to social learning.
Setting objectives for prime time learning
The more motivated you are to learn, the higher your chances of success become.
Why do you want to learn ? is a key question and maintaining your motivation level is crucial for successful long-term learning.
One of the best ways of doing this is to find someone in your circle of friends or colleagues who can learn at the same time as you and act as a support mechanism – a tandem learner.
Being as learning, especially language learning, is ultimately about communicating and making sense of the world, working with another person is a logical step as well as a practical one.
Many adults consider that it is too late to learn new things as their memories don’t work as quickly or effectively as they did when they were 20 year olds.
Some also experience certain hearing difficulties which in turn poses difficulties, especially in language learning.
In spite of this most adults are self-motivated, disciplined, and have at least some idea of learning strategies learnt through experience.
These are some of the learning advantages adult learners have over children – although all is not in their favour.
But even adults can become discouraged, feeling they are on a « plateau » that is difficult to get off in learning terms, when their progress slows down and appears to flatten out.
To get around this, probably one of the most effective ways is to have clear objectives set out in front of you, although this is, at the outset, sometimes a very complex task to undertake.
Here are a few tips:
- Put a time limit in order to know where you are with your objectives at a given time and if you need to accelerate your learning process.
- Review your objectives regularly and especially just before a training or a coaching session
- Make sure you consult with your coach at every occassion where you feel that your objectives need changing and always keep in mind « Stretch objectifs ».
- Be honest and realistic with yourself.
- Alongside your long and mid-term objectives you also need to establish
Short term objective (every day and every week) for example a daily or weekly objective to achieve.
A daily objective could be to ….
- Measure your objectives on a regular basis – this will help you to realise that you have accomplished something useful.
When you attempt to set and establish your objectives, try to narrow things down and set clear achievable targets.
Set clear timescales – the end of the month, next week at the beginning of May are not specific enough – set clear dates and times.
If you need to, ask yourself questions and imagine that you are the questionner.
When Setting objectives for prime time learning, set out a number of Wh questions to ensure that the objective becomes clearer, more acheivable and free from ambiguity :
Why / When / What / When / When
You should define priority objectives ; you will experience times when it is difficult to achieve what you have decided to do.
Sort through and decide which is the most important by order.
Do not leave things systematically up in the air, rather you should try to find the priorities in your work and set time aside to do them.
This is especially important for things that never appear at the top of your list of priorities.
Find your Learning Prime-Time
When Setting objectives for prime time learning, find the ideal time for this type of task during the time you have allotted for Self-Managed Learning.
This could be the morning or the evening, you need to find your own « Prime Time » where you are the most awake, receptive and productive.
People learn specific skills easier at certain times of day.
People also learn specific skills easier at certain ages than at others.
Children can be experts at Rollerblading after an hour, but grandfathers probably need a little longer.
These prime times for learning are also called windows of opportunity.
These are times when the brain is most ready to learn something new. It’s as if a window in the brain opens for a while, making it easier to learn certain new skills or gain new knowledge.
Then the window closes.
When it’s closed, we still learn, but it’s harder.
It is virtually impossible to achieve an objective without planning and prioritising it beforehand and then giving the necessary time to be able to achieve it.
One solution is to set aside between ½ and hour and/or 1 hour per day for learning, this may sound a lot, but it does not need to be at one shot – it can be spread throughout the day – we get nothing for nothing and learning by proxy doesn’t exist (yet) !
Some people put a day aside, usually at the weekend, for learning – which may work for when we need to revise and swot up for an exam, although questions remain as to the effectiveness of block-one-shot learning.
However, this model doesn’t work effectively for language learning where regular exposure to the sounds / speaking / reading and writing is absolutely necessary in order to progress.
Setting objectives for prime time learning, it is much more effective and efficace to set aside time EACH & EVERY day for learning, for many reasons :
- We are talking about acquiring an ability to undertake a skill, much like playing the piano where regular practice is a must.
- We are not talking about absorbing a body of information and unchangeable laws to be regurgitated later, such as in maths or physics .
- A more gradual and long-term approach is needed that is very suited to experiential learning in languages, which is easier to achieve, less boring and avoids overload if well managed.
- Being exposed regularly to situations where the language is used / spoken etc. helps memorisation and retention.
- Time is needed to transfer knowledge and concepts from short to long-term memory.
When learners are young and in elementary school, teachers teach the modalities and learning “just happens.”
As learners get older, the delivery system for gaining information is more and more lecture style.
How many learners learn by auditory lectures?
Approximately 30%. So, what is happening to the other 70% of the learners?
If you spend any time in a situation akin to the scenario in a school classroom, you know the answer to this question. The remaining 70% are :
- straining to focus,
- feeling inferior (stupid),
- confused,
- checking out (daydreaming), or
- entertaining themselves.
When is your prime time?
Prime time is when you are most receptive or « awake » for learning episodes.
Any learning requires a certain input and implication of the learner – sometimes this can be called study-time or revision, I prefer to call it “Self-Managed-Learning” – in as much as it is learning that is managed by the learner in terms of :
* What is learnt
* When it is learnt
* How it is learnt
Prime Time for Self Managed Learning (SML) is when you are relaxed, prepared, free of interruptions and ready to learn.
This is the best moment to work on listening skills, writing and other activities which demand concentration.
If you decide to extend your SML session, then don’t forget to take breaks, drink, get up, walk around etc. to ensure maximum concentration stimulus over an extended period.
You will experience times when you lose concentration, but you can still use this time to develop the « unconscious ear » by listening to a CD, TV, podcast or radio programme but in a more distanced and relaxed way.
You could perhaps do this while cooking, doing the dishes or other repetitive tasks.You could even recite sentences aloud from work that you did earlier (as long as the neighbour can’t hear you) – this will also help with memory retention of different concepts.
Think about what you could do to make the most of your down-time.
| The types of activities for my down-time |
| 1. |
| 2. |
| 3. |
| 4. |
| 5. |
The image above shows the effect of interest in a given subject on our concentration over a period of time.
The overriding aspect here is to note that whilst you may have to learn and spend time doing this in order to progress, it is of vital importance that what you learn is stimulating and interests you.
When working alone during Self Managed Learning, it is important that you guage when you work, How you work, and have a good idea of why you are working a certain way or on a certain topic and that you ensure that you use your time and energy effectively.
Whilst these points may be blatantly obvious, it is important to underline them as they are often the things that we take so much for granted that we don’t always give them enough thought.
- Always do things that interest you personally when you can.
- Variety is the spice of life – vary your activities
- Think about your preferred learning style
- Keep your objectives clearly in sight when working
Six steps to a personal learning action plan
Step 1 – Determine what you want to accomplish. In other words, set your goal for your personal action / learning plan. Make the goal so clear in your mind that you won’t have a problem knowing when you’ve reached it. Define your goal so that a stranger can read your goal and let you know when you’ve achieved it. Foggy or unclear goals are confusing and tough to reach.
Step 2 Plan the route by which you intend to achieve the goal. For example, if your goal of your personal action / learning plan is to be able to run a meeting with English speakers, decide how you’re going to do it. It may take you a little time and thought to figure it out, but it’s important to plan. If you plan to go nowhere, you usually end up there.
Step 3 – Break your plan down into digestible snippets. If you realize that you have to work on listening to several speakers, then break it down into monthly, weekly and daily goals. Start by listening to short dialogues 5 or 6 times a week is much more digestible than listening to 10 people in a room for 3 hours.
Step 4 – Track your progress and hold yourself accountable. The best way to see how close you are to where you want to be is to be able to see how much you’ve done. Track your progress. Keep in mind that there will be unexpected bumps in the road and you need to forgive yourself if you veered off track for a bit. Just remember to get back on track and remember the goal. Don’t continue going down the wrong path.
Step 5 – Make changes when necessary. If the initial goal in your personal plan was to run a meeting with 10 English speakers in 60 hours of training and 40 hours of Self Managed Learning is unreasonable at the moment and you realise that it will take 120 hours of Self Managed Learning instead, adjust your plan accordingly. Not adjusting your plan will mean that you won’t reach the goal you set out for yourself.
Step 6 – Review your original goal. Take out your personal learning action plan every regularly and do a reality check against your original objectives. Is your original goal still valid or has it changed? If it has changed, make the appropriate modifications. Always remember to write your goals in such a way that anyone reading your goals can tell if you’re on track or not. Always be clear.
If you have followed the Six steps to a personal learning action plan you may notice that is often a cyclic plan, that is to say that you may reach step 6 and need to go back through the process, adjusting as necessary to achieve your final goal.
Be willing to change some of the Six steps to a personal learning action plan, it is organic and not a fixed plan – life often gets in the way and you may need to react to this.
Listening strategies in Language Learning
This is part of a series of posts on process skills in language learning, Listening strategies in Language Learning, where we will examine some ideas and perhaps challenge some received ideas – although you may not always agree with what I say, but I’d really welcome some comments and constructive ideas on this.
Listening is a highly complex process involving a variety of processes.
The first is cognitive in nature this is what is referred to as neurological processes involving hearing which is a physical activity where sound waves are permuted into speech sounds; selective attention that is to say lining up our consciousness and processing energy to something while discharging ourselves from others (Schmidt, 1995).
The second listening process is linguistic.
In linguistic processing, three stages can be discerned: Speech perception, semantic processes, syntactic processes, prosodic and non-verbal behaviour decoding(Rost, 2002)
The final listening process involves pragmatic processes which suggests that there is more to comprehension than the association of discreet language units with meaning.
So as you can see, teaching / training / facilitating (or whatever you call it) listening in language learning involves much deeper and pertinent processes than just listening to answer right / wrong answers or anything that is anchored to any form of content – Listening strategies in Language Learning should equipe learners to adapt to any type of content and later to a variety of speakers.
The primacy of process over content cannot be over emphasised here.
Listening to native speakers will help you to understand a lot, apart from words, and is probably one of the principal objectives of all language learners.
However, we must be clear that the first objective is NOT to understand, as this is a counter-productive aim and one which will often leave us feeling disappointed with our performance, as in real-world situations, we will not understand everything that is said, and sometimes very little.
Now, not understanding when listening, may seem a little strange and almost illogical; I will explain.
The idea is that we tune our ear into listening, by first being able to hear what is said – a lot harder than it would seem, but there is a lot more to listening than you may have heard.
If I ask you the question, “What is the opposite of listening?”
Most will reply, after a great deal of thought, as many feel that this is a trick question with a simple, and almost obvious answer – ‘Well, it’s speaking … isn’t it?’
Well, in fact no, the opposite to listening is what we call ‘turn-taking’ – in other words, formulating a response to a question etc., then awaiting your turn to speak, which means that most of us don’t fully listen to what is said in a conversation – think about it.
That said, for language learners, turn taking often takes second place to understanding what is said.
In foreign language learning, we have the problem not only of a foreign language, in terms of grammar, vocabulary etc., but also of foreign sounds; those sounds which don’t exist in our native language.
So there is a lot to cope with here, that is why it is primordial to be able to hear a language before we have the slightest chance to understand it.
This is why it is important to adopt and work on our Listening strategies in Language Learning.
For example the following diagrams show the rhythm and intonation pattern of a French person and an English person saying the same word / sentence :
FRENCH NATIVE
ENGLISH NATIVE
The French speaker is the first image which shows a much lower and monotone tonal range – the liaison between words is more broken and less fluid that the English speaker. This illustrates why listening is sometimes difficult – not being able to reproduce the range of tone means often that we don’t HEAR the tones etc., even before being able to understand the words.
The last word used in the sentence was « vegetables », as you can see on the image the French speaker considered that the word consisted of 4 distinct syllables and a flat regular tone–
VEG––ET—AB—LES
The result being VEG-E-TA-BLES (as we hear it)
Whereas you can see that the English native used 2,5 syllables and stress on the the first and last syllable
VEG —‘T—-BLES
The result being VEG te BULLS (as we hear it)
This is an easy word that everyone knows, but when it is in a sentence or spoken at natural speed with liaison between preceding and following words or sentences this could be totally misunderstood. The French speaker will be listening out for 4 syllables, whereas there are actually 2,5 which can be confusing.
There is also a change in the pronunciation, intonation and stress pattern which may lead to a native not understanding the word spoken by a second language speaker – so as you see, it can go both ways.
When listening, practice imitating native speakers – of what you hear and not what you think you hear. You need to make a clear imprint in your oral memory of words and sentences which will help your listening skills.
It has also been proved that improved listening skills also help speaking writing and reading – what a bonus!
If you must note down words – do so, but try to note the whole phrase or sentence, rather than isolated words, and try to write it as you hear it.
For example the French word ‘Souhaite’ sounds close enough to ‘Sweat’ for me and that’s how I learnt it (better).
For those that resort to translating back into their own language, or fishing around for other words to make a sentence, avoid making lists of unconnected words – go for phrases or sentences.
A written sentence would be written thus :
We are going to go to London.
By a French speaker :
By a native English speaker :
Spoken it would probably sound like :
We’re gonna go ‘t Lundun.
Here we have the effects of the liaison between words and also the sound ‘Schwa’ in English, which changes the vowel sounds and sometimes even changes the sounds of whole words such as ‘of’ etc.
I don’t suggest that two words and a short sentence hold the key for all Listening strategies in Language Learning, but this type of strategy may be a start, and maybe even better than what you are doing at the moment – only you can answer that one.
There are some really useful resources on Schwa here to help both pronunciation and hearing skills and especially Listening strategies in Language Learning.
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wg0P0oYkniE[/embedyt]
Now, I don’t suggest that we take a spectral analysis of each speech pattern, but it is interesting to see the differences of intonation, stress and word length between native and non-native speakers, and learning these can really help.
You may or may not agree with what I have written here – that’s fine, as long as you can logically come up with other ideas or complimentary ideas for improving Listening strategies in Language Learning, but this is just the tip of the iceberg and will be a subject that we will go on to discuss in other blog posts on the subject.
Listening strategies in Language Learning will also be a feature of our monthly bite-size learning newsletter, which you can sign up to below.
