Language Learner

Profile Project

Natalia Gonzlez Aburto

07/10/2014

Language Learning Strategies framework

Although the terminology is not always uniform, with some writers using the terms
"learner strategies" (Wendin & Rubin, 1987), others "learning strategies" (O'Malley
& Chamot, 1990; Chamot & O'Malley, 1994), and still others "language learning
strategies" (Oxford, 1990a, 1996), there are a number of basic characteristics in
the generally accepted view of LLS. First, LLS are learner generated; they are
steps taken by language learners. Second, LLS enhance language learning and
help develop language competence, as reflected in the learner's skills in listening,
speaking, reading, or writing the L2 or FL. Third, LLS may be visible (behaviours,
steps, techniques, etc.) or unseen (thoughts, mental processes). Fourth, LLS
involve information and memory (vocabulary knowledge, grammar rules, etc.).
According to Oxford (1994), some of the characteristics of LLS are the following:

allow learners to become more self-directed

expand the role of language teachers

are problem-oriented

involve many aspects, not just the cognitive

can be taught

are flexible

are influenced by a variety of factors.

In the following learners profile, I will base my report and analysis of different
features according to the strategies of LLS for developing the communicative

competence in the student. As Oxford (1990a) puts it, LLS "...are especially
important for language learning because they are tools for active, self-directed
involvement, which is essential for developing communicative competence" (p. 1).
The strategy used will be according to Michael Canale and Merrill Swain (1980)
Strategic Competence which is composed of verbal and nonverbal
communicative strategies that are used to compensate for breakdowns in
communication due to performance factors or to insufficient grammatical or
sociolinguistic competence. It is suggested that the value of such a theoretical
framework for second language learning is that it provides a clear initial statement,
or construct, of communicative competence. Such a statement is helpful not only
for the purposes of second language teaching but also for those of second
language testing.
.

Learners Background

Daniel Hernn Vega Reveco is a student from the Gran Bretaa School located in
Hualpn. He is seventeen years old and he is in fourth grade in high school.
Gran Bretaa School is a subsidized school which has as one of its biggest
priorities the teaching of the English language, for what theyve created and
English department in which students have many extracurricular activities related
to the English language. At this school the students have 5 hours of English per
week from pre kinder. Although, Daniel has been studying English since 5th year
because he is only at the Gran Bretaa School since 8th grade, he has a very good
level of English among his classmates.

Daniel is a very good student, he is the second of his class and he is also well
known for being a good friend, he says that he is always trying to help his
classmates out in all kinds of ways. Even though English is not his favourite
subject, he says that he really enjoys learning English because he would like to
travel to another country someday. In fact, he is really into applying for the
CORFOs scholarship pinguinos sin fronteras.

According to what Daniel stated, the main skills promoted in his English lessons
are the passive ones, which are reading and writing. He says that they work a lot
with their English book and the exercises that there appear. Lessons are mostly
directed to a grammar approach, so there is clearly a lack of communicative skills
in his process of learning the new language.

Regarding his learning habits, Daniel says that playing a lot of video games as well
as listen to music in English has helped him to develop his use of the language, to
understand and gain vocabulary.

Interview transcription
Wednesday, October 1st, 17:00 pm

1. Hi, how are you?

Daniel: Fine and you?

2. Fine thanks, can you tell me a little bit about yourself?

D: Okay, my name is Daniel, I have seventeen years old, I am studying at the
Great Britain eschool, right now I am fourth grade senior.

3. Do you have any hobbies?

D: Yes, I usually go skate during the weekends and Iplay the guitar in a
band.

4. And, which one of these hobbies do you enjoy the most?

D: Im sure it is skateboarding.

5. Why?
D: Because is more funny and,... I feel more happy, more confident doing it.

6. Ok, what is your favourite subject at school?

D: Maths.

7. Why?
D: Because I am good at it.

8. What about the other subjects?

D: I sometimes, I feel bored, the while I study.

9. Do you participate in any extracurricular activities at the school?

D: No.

10. Do you have any best friends at school?

D: Yes, I have a group of friends there.

11. Do you have any best friend?

D: Maybe, yes, one thats called Vicente.

12. Why do you think he is a good friend?

D: Because she havent failed me anything.

13. Now, changing subjects tell me about your family, who do you live with?
D: I laiv with my mom and my sister.

14. And who do you get along with better?

D: With my sister.

15. Whats your sisters name?

D: Analy.

16. Can you spell her last name please?

D: V-E-G-A

17. Ok, well tell me, what are your plans for the future?
D: Next year Im going to the university, I want to study engineering.

18. Why do you want to study that?

D: Because Im good with maths and physics and, yeah, I think it will be good
for me.

19. Okay, I hope everything works out for you, thanks for your time Daniel.
D: Youre welcome, bye.

20. Bye.

General Analysis
Overall, the student knows how to convey meaning effectively, he has some
issues but this does not prevent the listener from understanding what he is
trying to say. Also he is accurate in the production of sentences the most
part of the time, and this is one of the reasons why he produces coherent
sentences. On the other hand, even though he was relaxed he was not too
confident and he was a little bit worried about making mistakes while
speaking what made his speech not very fluent and answering in short
sentences or phrases.
His main issue is pronunciation, because he has too much influence of his
native language and might also be due to the lack of speaking practice in his
English lessons at school.

As for grammatical issues, he needs to work on prepositions and learn how

and when to use gerunds. His vocabulary does not show much variety but it
is good in general.

Phonetic transcription
Questions 2- 8-13
Transcription Question 2:
/ fan ks kn ju tel mi ltl bt bat jself /
/ke ma nem z d nl a hv sevntin jiz ld a m std t
ret rtn es l rat na a m f red sin/
Transcription question 8:
/wt bat i s dekts/
/a smtamz a fil red wal a stdi/
Transcription question 13:
/na t end s dekts tel mi bat j fmli hu d ju lav w/
a lav w ma mm nd ma sst/

Phonological analysis
As mentioned, the student had pronunciation issues due to the interference of the
native language at the moment of producing the foreign language orally. It can be
noticed in the pronunciation of the vowels.

Also, some words are pronounced by creating a mixture of both pronunciations

(English and Spanish), and there are consonants that are produced in Spanish,
such as the /r/ sound. Others are said as their written form.
Finally there is intonation, which is also affected y the students native language,
because he sounds Chilean (or Hispanic) thorough the whole interview, this is
because he is not adapted to the stress-timed pattern of English, instead he is still
using the syllable-timed Spanish pattern.

1. Wrong vowel pronunciation.

Answer to question 2: I am studying at
word

RP

student

studying

/std/

/std/

Answer to question 13: I laiv with

word

RP

student

live

/lv/

/lav/

Comments: this is probably due to the interference of the mother tongue and
lack of practice of speaking.
*In the answer to question number 13 the mistake could it be because the
word live can e pronounced oth ways /lv/ or /lav/ depending on it is

being used as a verb or an adjective, so the mistake was made because the
student does not know when to use each.

2. Pronunciation of words as their written form.

Answer to question 2: the Great Britain eschool
word

RP

student

school

/skul/

/ es l/

Answer to question 8: I feel bored

word

RP

student

bored

/ bd/

/ bred/

Comments: here it can be noticed that the student knows well the words, as he
might have seen them written many times, but again the lack of practice of
speaking activities at the school make him make these mistakes.

Grammatical/Lexical analysis
Here the main problems are wrong conjugation of the verb, a few mistakes with the
use of gerunds and some missing prepositions as we will see in the examples
below, but overall the student knows how to convey meaning more or less
accurately.
1. Issues with the comparative form.
a) In answer to question 5 he said because is more funny and,... I feel more
happy, more confident doing it.
Correct form: funnier, happier.
*Also there is a lexical mistake with the word funny, the correct use is fun.

Here the student does not know the comparative form of short adjectives, so he
just uses the comparative word more all the time.
2. Issue with conjugation of the verb, use of the pronoun and adverb.
a) In answer to question 13 he said because she havent failed me
anything.
Correct form: ecause he hasnt failed me, or ecause he hasnt failed me in
anything.

Here the student does not know how to conjugate the auxiliary ver have
in its singular form and also uses wrong the pronoun. He said she instead
of he, ut this mistakes may e due to anxiety or nervousness, ecause he
just made this mistake once, so he actually knows the correct uses.

3. Missing preposition and coordinating conjunction

a) In answer to question 2 he said I have seventeen years old, I am
studying at the Great Britain eschool, right now I am fourth grade
senior
Correct form: I am seventeen years old, I am studying at the Great
Britain school, and right now I am in fourth grade senior.
*There is again a lexical mistake; the correct form should be I am
seventeen years old.

b) In answer to question 13 he said because she havent failed me

anything.
Correct form: ecause he hasnt failed me in anything.

Here the student has problems enumerating sentences, he does not use the
coordinating conjunction and, instead he just pauses between every sentence.
The missing prepositions are not a big issue, he probably just forgot to use it or
maybe he was nervous.

4. Issue with gerunds (ing-form)

a) In answer to question 3 he said yes, I usually go skate during the

weekends.
Correct form: I usually go skating during the weekends.
Here we can notice that the student avoids the use of gerunds, or he does not
know how to conjugate the verb, he just says it in its bare form.

Vocabulary analysis
Overall, the students voca ulary is good and he does not present any big problem.
Most part of his mistakes are because he has a limited vocabulary or maybe he
was nervous.
1) In question number 4 the student said Im sure it is skateboarding. Here
with the word sure the student probably wanted to emphasize that his
favourite hobby is skateboarding.

2) In question num er 12 the student answered she havent failed me

anything, meaning that his friend has never let him down. This is clearly
an interference of L1.

Register

Daniel seemed relaxed through the whole interview, he was very polite and formal
and he tried to do his best because he was committed with the interview. He was
also very helpful with things such figuring out in which place should the interview
take place, because some places were too noisy.

Fluency

Daniel was not very fluent because he was afraid of making mistakes and the
because of the lack of practice at school, so he paused a lot while speaking to
think and check every word before saying it. This is the area where the strategy
lesson is going to be focus on.

Proposed Treatment (According to Michael Canale and Merrill Swain)

Language Level: Intermediate

Language: EFL

Grade Level: 4th grade High school

Focus LLS: Brainstorming.

Lesson Plan: TBL

Strategy Objective: Brainstorming is a strategy in which the student recalls what he

knows about something by creating a list of terms or ideas related to it.

Evaluation of the Treatment

The strategy was not absolutely new for Daniel because he had seen it in other
subjects and for different purposes. But no one had explained it to him before or
taught him how to use it properly. Also, he had not seen this strategy in his English
lessons at all.
The student understood and applied effectively the strategy because he did
very well in the analysis and practice stage. This demonstrates that the student
understood how to use the strategy and also the content being taught. By applying
that strategy his fluency improve as he felt more comfortable speaking this time
and also because of the feedback given and because he was engaged with the
activity.
The strategy itself can be applied in other areas as well, now that the student
knows how to use it and how to apply it.

Conclusions

This work was very long to do, but at the same time, it was not difficult, it just
required time. I liked it because it was easy to follow; it had very clear steps, each
one with a clear purpose also, which gave coherence and sense to the whole work.
As for the content of the work, it was of course really helpful, because it
demonstrates how important is to teach strategies in an explicit way. It is important
to tell your student what strategy you are going to teach him/her and how is this
going to help him/her in their learning process.
The personal interaction with the student is also a very good experience, because
he was not that nervous, since there is just one person listening to him. And this
also gave him the opportunity to improve one of his weakest areas, in a one-to-one
class, which is great.
The one-to-one class creates the perfect atmosphere for learning, there are no
distractions, the student is completely focused and committed to the tasks.
Overall, I think it was a great experience, because the student and I learned a lot
from both. I learned analyzing him, and he learned from the results of my analysis.

References
Lessard-Clouston, M. (1997). Language learning strategies: An overview for L2
teachers. The Internet TESL Journal, 3(12), 69-80.
Oxford, R. L. (1994). Language learning strategies: An update. ERIC
Clearinghouse on Languages and Linguistics, Center for Applied Linguistics.
Canale, M., & Swain, M. (1980). Theoretical bases of com-municative approaches
to second language teaching and testing. Applied linguistics, 1(1), 1-47.
Canale, M., & Swain, M. (1981). A Theoretical Framework for Communicative
Competence.