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“That is what learning is. You suddenly understand
something you've understood all your life,
but in a new way.”
--Doris Lessing
Strategies in the ESL classroom
“Strategies are specific actions, behaviours or techniques used to solve problems and improve
learning.” (PDFQ)
There are two kinds of strategies employed in the MEQ program: communication strategies and
learning strategies. Learning strategies are further divided into three categories: metacognitive,
cognitive, and socio-affective.
Teachers must help students recognize and use appropriate strategies for a particular learning task.
Students must be reminded of strategies that they can use at every possible opportunity. These
strategies must be explained and modeled for them.
When presenting strategies,
- identify the strategy in simple terms,
- tell students how this strategy can help them,
- model and explain its use,
- provide students with a sample situation that allows them to try it out.
Strategies are personal operations and some are less accessible to
observation. Teachers can sometimes only infer that a given strategy
is being employed, for example, paying attention or taking a
risk. Some strategies are particularly useful in language learning and
students should be encouraged to use them. Among these are using
gestures, paying selective attention, inferring, asking for help, repetition, clarification,
and confirmation.
There are many opportunities for students to develop and use both communication and learning strategies
in the ESL classroom. One such opportunity is vocabulary building. During a vocabulary-building
activity, students can draw upon various strategies
to help them complete the task.
Help your students make a strategic use of summer!
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