Applied linguistics

Name: Lecturer: Course: Date: Learning strategies Learning strategies are mostly used by students in order to help them understand information as well as solve problems better. They are sometimes referred to the methods used in learning. They range from techniques used for advanced cognitive memory to help students study well. The strategy determines the approach used in presenting the information, testing learners and providing them with activities that help them to achieve learning objectives. I interviewed five friends who speak more than one language. The intention was to determine their learning strategies, and the way these strategies affect their language learning experience. Cognitive, socioaffective and metacognitive strategies such as comprehension monitoring, selective attention and problem identification appeared to be the crucial factors effecting their learning strategies.

The use of metacognitive strategies effects the learning strategies of my friends positively. For instance, my friends use this strategy in problem identification and selective attention as well as advanced organizer thus achieving successful listening skills. According to Brown (138), employing metacognition learning strategy is significant because it promotes good self-regulated learning of different languages. The activity of this strategy and application promotes things such as an attempt to plan well, revise as well as carry out monitoring and evaluation. Moreover, I discovered that the initial decisions made by my friends are derived from the pertinent information about their cognition through leaning experience. However, this depends on my friends’ familiarity with the undertakings, inspiration and emotional aspects. Brown (171) argues that individuals regulate their thoughts about a certain strategy they are using thus adjust it basing on the situations to which they apply that strategy. This has led to effective learning strategies thus improving learning skills.

Additionally, in applied linguistics, the metacognitive strategy provides diverse solutions to language allied to real life issues. My friends use metacognition strategy by processing information through questioning, envisaging and synthesizing information. Therefore, through mutual sharing of ideas, my friends are able to practice learning skills that enable them to improve their leaning skills. Brown (145) points out that practicing, planning, monitoring and evaluating as well as employing metacognitive strategies is vital. This has helped my friends to improve their reading especially pronunciation of words correctly. The best learners take their time when reading or learning through monitoring and evaluating their own comprehension (Brown, 305). One way of monitoring comprehension is through making connections, predictions, commenting or asking questions and identifying text features. Other strategies that my friends used in learning are cognitive strategy such as repetition and socioaffective strategy such as question clarification as well as cooperation.

Brown (177) argues that cognitive strategies are one of the imperative strategies that learners use in learning successfully. This includes repetition, language organizing, memorization of imageries and summarizing meaning of contextual texts. For instance, my friends remember new words through visualizing them. This enables them to easily recall the words faster thus applying them in their learning skills. Some activities are crucial in cognitive strategies such as visualization, self-testing and evaluation process. These activities are effective because they have helped my friends to improve their learning skills. Lastly, my friends use socioaffective strategy such as cooperation and clarifications of questions in language learning. However, my friends rarely use socioaffective strategy unlike the metacognitive and cognitive strategies.

However, the three strategies are vital because they have helped in promoting effective speaking ability and language learning of my friends. Work cited Brown, H. Douglas.

Principles of language learning and teaching. 5th Edition. New York, NY: Pearson Longman. 2007. Print