Learning strategies

Abstract

Learning a foreign language is different from learning one's mother tongue. We know from our own experience that there is no magic formula for a successful language acquisition. What is required for such success is a persistent use of the whole amount of strategies for learning the language and its vocabulary. Learning involves a certain degree of investment of learners’ time and effort. Learners should realise that they learn for themselves and therefore should face the learning process consciously and actively. Every language skill and vocabulary as well is acquired through constant observing, focusing, practising, revising, interacting, and experimenting. Learners may differ in the way they are able to use learning strategies effectively. The task of the teacher is to find out which strategy suits best to individual learners and consequently adapt his/her teaching to learners’ needs. Learning strategies can be divided according to various criteria. They can be divided into two groups – direct (memory, cognitive and compensation) and indirect strategies, which are further subdivided into more categories. We are going to look at the strategies from the point of view of learning vocabulary, and therefore we are not going to deal with all of them. From the direct strategies (memory, cognitive and compensation) the most important for learning the lexis are memory and compensation strategies.