Critical Review 2

Critical Review on “Language Learning Styles and Strategies Language Learning Styles and Strategies” by Rebecca L. Oxford

Sukardi

English Language Teaching (ELT) Department, Graduate School,

State University of Malang, Indonesia

Email: skardi70@yahoo.com

INTRODUCTION

Language learning styles and strategies are among the main factors that help determine how—and how well—our students learn a second or a foreign language. The elaboration is that there is a synthesis of the research from various parts of the world focuses on two key variables affecting language learning styles namely one’s general approach to a learning language; and strategies, the specific behaviors or thoughts learners use to en-chance their language learning. These factors influence the students’ ability in particular instructional framework (Oxford: 2001)

Learning styles are the general approaches—for example, global or analytic, auditory or visual—that students use in acquiring a new language or in learning any other subject. Learning strategies  are defined as “specific actions, behaviors, steps, or techniques—such as seeking out conversation partners, or giving oneself encouragement to tackle a difficult language task—used by students to en-chance their own learning.

In relation to the statement above, the reviewer is eager to write a critical review on “Language Learning Styles and Strategies” written by Rebecca L. Oxford.

Rebecca L Oxford is a Professor, Program in Second Language Education at

University of Maryland. She finished her Ph.D degree from University of North Carolina in 1978. In her career, she has got many awards in education and has published many books as well as writes articles for journals.

In his article, he elaborate clearly the terms so called

language learning styles and strategies and how these two factors affect the language

learning itself.

            This critical review is going to discuss what has Oxford written and what the strength and weakness of his article. Eventually it is going to be presented what should be considered and added related to the similar article.

BODY/SUMMARY

In the early part of his article, Oxford explains what learning style is. Learning styles are not dichotomous (black or white, present or absent), but generally operate on a

continuum or on multiple, intersecting continua. In details he elaborate the kinds of

learning styles based on the following categories as follows:

Sensory Preferences

Sensory preferences refer to the physical, perceptual learning with which student is the most comfortable. They can be broken down into four main areas:

—  Visual

—  Auditory

—  Kinesthetic (movement-oriented)

—  Tactile (touch-oriented)

Personality Types

Personality types, often called psychological type consist of four strands:

Ø  Extrovert versus introvert

Ø  Intuitive random versus sensing sequential

Ø  Thinking versus feeling

Ø  Closure-oriented/judging versus open/perceiving

Desired Degree of Generality

It contrasts the learner who focuses on the main idea or big picture with the learner who concentrates on details. They are:

v  Global or holistic students

v  Analytic students

Biological Differences

There are three types of students:

Ø  Biorhythms—reveals the time of day

Ø  Sustenance—the need for food or drink while learning

Ø  Location—involves the nature of environment: temperature, lighting, sound, etc.

Beyond the Stylistic Comfort Zone

v  By providing a wide range of classroom activities that cater to different learning styles, teacher can help L2 students develop beyond the comfort zone dictated by their natural style preferences.

v  The key is systematically offering a great variety of activities within a learner-centered, communicative approach

Assessing L2 Learning Style

—  Using written survey

—  See Reid (1995) for example of the survey

In the following section he discusses learning strategies. Strategy—Greek word strategia—steps or actions generals take for the purpose of winning war. Learning strategies are specific behavior or thought processes that students use to en-chanceL2 their own L2 learning.

Generally, the learning strategy use relates to style preferences. Without the teacher’s interference, students use learning strategies that reflect their basic learning styles.

Conscious Movement toward Goals

Ø  Strategies imply conscious movement toward a language goal

Ø  A strategy chain is a set of interlocking, related, and mutually supportive strategies

Positive Outcomes from Strategy Use

—  Based on the results of some uses of strategy, it is concluded that the use of strategy in language learning give positive impacts on the results of language learning.

—  There was no single set of strategies always used by good language learners.

Strategy Instruction Research

v  Researches were done on the application of strategy instruction

v  The most effective strategy instruction appears to include demonstrating when a given strategy might be useful, as well as how to use and evaluate it, and how to transfer it in to other related tasks and situations.

Then he presents the six main categories of L2 learning styles which cope the followings: 1) cognitive strategies; 2) meta-cognitive strategies; 3) memory-related strategies; 4) compensatory strategies;  5) affective strategies; and 6) social strategies

Assessing Learners’ Use of Strategies

—  Many language learning strategies were invented

—  The next findings were: L2 learning strategy use is significantly related to L2

learning motivation, gender, age, culture, brain hemisphere dominance, career

orientation, academic major, and the nature of L2 task.

The last discussion is on the implications for L2 teaching. The implications for

classroom practice are: a) assessing styles and strategies in the L2 classroom; b) attuning L2 instruction and strategy instruction to learners’ style needs; c) remembering that no single L2 instructional methodology fits all students; and d) preparing for and conducting strategy instruction.

CRITIQUE

In the introduction, the writer, Rebecca L. Oxford who is the writer of Language Learning Styles and Strategies, provides all the aspects related to language learning and strategies thoroughly. However, the reviewer thinks that there are some missing aspects, namely: 1) the relationship and the role of the techniques used by the language teacher and 2) the background of the learners themselves, in terms of whether they are immigrant or not.

            This article does not relates the learning styles and strategies of the language learners to the strategies and techniques that the teacher. Related to that aspect, Young (1995:17) proposes that the teaching strategies and techniques applied by the teacher may support the learners’ success in learning a language. There is no comparison and explanation what is the success comparison between the role of the teacher’s strategies and the learners’ styles and strategies in learning a language (English). In other words, the reviewer proposes strategies and techniques used by the language teachers in teaching the language should be discussed and compared their roles in the language teaching to the language learner styles and strategies.

            In addition, the writer of this article does not take into account to who the language learners are. Walqui (2005) argues and explains that who the learners are may affect on the success of their learning. He focuses on helping English Language Learners (ELLs) succeed in mainstream classes on understanding more about who they are and how their family backgrounds can influence their success in school while this issue is not taken into account at all in this article. In other words, the reviewer proposes that the background of the language learners should be taken into account by the language curricula designer in designing curricula for the language learners.

Yet, this articles presents thoroughly everything related to the students’ learning styles and strategies. So, by having this article we may realize that every language learner has his/her own style in learning English. So, the English teacher should facilitate them to learn English in various techniques to en-chance students learn better because they have the right styles of learning. The general approach to learning language a language is comprehensively discussed in this article. By understanding the two issues above, the language learners can have their advantages for learning a language.

CONCLUSION

In short, the this article may make us realize and consider the following items

which  may be advantageous for us, as English teachers:

Both the language learning styles and strategies discussed in this article are

obviously applicable in learning a language. The better the language teachers understand

and apply the theories discussed in this article, the better may they the better they can serve

the language learners in teaching and learning the language.

            In general, this article has met the hope of the language teachers and learners as

the source of information to be good doers in teaching and learning English. In order to make the article more comprehensive, the writer may take into account the role of the teachers in addition to the learning styles and strategies. By doing so, we can have more

complete aspects, the collaboration of the two sides of the language teachers and learners.

Furthermore, the information about the background of the language learners may be beneficial in planning and conducting the teaching and learning activities.

            In conclusion, the discussion in this article presented by Oxford (2005) is basically

the meaningful and purposeful as well as advantageous for both the teachers and learners

of English.

REFERENCES

Oxford, R.L. 2001. Language Learning Styles and Strategies. In Celce-Murcia, M (Ed.),

Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language. 3^rd Edition, (p.p. 359-366).

Boston: Heinle and Heinle ESL.

Walqui, A. 2005. Who are Our Students? In Amato, P.A.R and Snow, M.A (Eds),

            Academic Success for English Language Learners: Strategies for K-12 Mainstream

            Teachers. New York: Pearson education, Inc.

Young, M.W. 1996. English (as a second) Language Arts Teachers: The Key to

            Mainstreamed ESL Student Success. The English Journal, Vol. 85 No. 8

(Dec.1996), p.p. 17-24

Critical Review 2

Critical Review on “Language Learning Styles and Strategies Language Learning Styles and Strategies” by Rebecca L. Oxford

Sukardi

English Language Teaching (ELT) Department, Graduate School,

State University of Malang, Indonesia

Email: skardi70@yahoo.com

INTRODUCTION

Language learning styles and strategies are among the main factors that help determine how—and how well—our students learn a second or a foreign language. The elaboration is that there is a synthesis of the research from various parts of the world focuses on two key variables affecting language learning styles namely one’s general approach to a learning language; and strategies, the specific behaviors or thoughts learners use to en-chance their language learning. These factors influence the students’ ability in particular instructional framework (Oxford: 2001)

Learning styles are the general approaches—for example, global or analytic, auditory or visual—that students use in acquiring a new language or in learning any other subject. Learning strategies  are defined as “specific actions, behaviors, steps, or techniques—such as seeking out conversation partners, or giving oneself encouragement to tackle a difficult language task—used by students to en-chance their own learning.

In relation to the statement above, the reviewer is eager to write a critical review on “Language Learning Styles and Strategies” written by Rebecca L. Oxford.

Rebecca L Oxford is a Professor, Program in Second Language Education at

University of Maryland. She finished her Ph.D degree from University of North Carolina in 1978. In her career, she has got many awards in education and has published many books as well as writes articles for journals.

In his article, he elaborate clearly the terms so called

language learning styles and strategies and how these two factors affect the language

learning itself.

            This critical review is going to discuss what has Oxford written and what the strength and weakness of his article. Eventually it is going to be presented what should be considered and added related to the similar article.

BODY/SUMMARY

In the early part of his article, Oxford explains what learning style is. Learning styles are not dichotomous (black or white, present or absent), but generally operate on a

continuum or on multiple, intersecting continua. In details he elaborate the kinds of

learning styles based on the following categories as follows:

Sensory Preferences

Sensory preferences refer to the physical, perceptual learning with which student is the most comfortable. They can be broken down into four main areas:

—  Visual

—  Auditory

—  Kinesthetic (movement-oriented)

—  Tactile (touch-oriented)

Personality Types

Personality types, often called psychological type consist of four strands:

Ø  Extrovert versus introvert

Ø  Intuitive random versus sensing sequential

Ø  Thinking versus feeling

Ø  Closure-oriented/judging versus open/perceiving

Desired Degree of Generality

It contrasts the learner who focuses on the main idea or big picture with the learner who concentrates on details. They are:

v  Global or holistic students

v  Analytic students

Biological Differences

There are three types of students:

Ø  Biorhythms—reveals the time of day

Ø  Sustenance—the need for food or drink while learning

Ø  Location—involves the nature of environment: temperature, lighting, sound, etc.

Beyond the Stylistic Comfort Zone

v  By providing a wide range of classroom activities that cater to different learning styles, teacher can help L2 students develop beyond the comfort zone dictated by their natural style preferences.

v  The key is systematically offering a great variety of activities within a learner-centered, communicative approach

Assessing L2 Learning Style

—  Using written survey

—  See Reid (1995) for example of the survey

In the following section he discusses learning strategies. Strategy—Greek word strategia—steps or actions generals take for the purpose of winning war. Learning strategies are specific behavior or thought processes that students use to en-chanceL2 their own L2 learning.

Generally, the learning strategy use relates to style preferences. Without the teacher’s interference, students use learning strategies that reflect their basic learning styles.

Conscious Movement toward Goals

Ø  Strategies imply conscious movement toward a language goal

Ø  A strategy chain is a set of interlocking, related, and mutually supportive strategies

Positive Outcomes from Strategy Use

—  Based on the results of some uses of strategy, it is concluded that the use of strategy in language learning give positive impacts on the results of language learning.

—  There was no single set of strategies always used by good language learners.

Strategy Instruction Research

v  Researches were done on the application of strategy instruction

v  The most effective strategy instruction appears to include demonstrating when a given strategy might be useful, as well as how to use and evaluate it, and how to transfer it in to other related tasks and situations.

Then he presents the six main categories of L2 learning styles which cope the followings: 1) cognitive strategies; 2) meta-cognitive strategies; 3) memory-related strategies; 4) compensatory strategies;  5) affective strategies; and 6) social strategies

Assessing Learners’ Use of Strategies

—  Many language learning strategies were invented

—  The next findings were: L2 learning strategy use is significantly related to L2

learning motivation, gender, age, culture, brain hemisphere dominance, career

orientation, academic major, and the nature of L2 task.

The last discussion is on the implications for L2 teaching. The implications for

classroom practice are: a) assessing styles and strategies in the L2 classroom; b) attuning L2 instruction and strategy instruction to learners’ style needs; c) remembering that no single L2 instructional methodology fits all students; and d) preparing for and conducting strategy instruction.

CRITIQUE

In the introduction, the writer, Rebecca L. Oxford who is the writer of Language Learning Styles and Strategies, provides all the aspects related to language learning and strategies thoroughly. However, the reviewer thinks that there are some missing aspects, namely: 1) the relationship and the role of the techniques used by the language teacher and 2) the background of the learners themselves, in terms of whether they are immigrant or not.

            This article does not relates the learning styles and strategies of the language learners to the strategies and techniques that the teacher. Related to that aspect, Young (1995:17) proposes that the teaching strategies and techniques applied by the teacher may support the learners’ success in learning a language. There is no comparison and explanation what is the success comparison between the role of the teacher’s strategies and the learners’ styles and strategies in learning a language (English). In other words, the reviewer proposes strategies and techniques used by the language teachers in teaching the language should be discussed and compared their roles in the language teaching to the language learner styles and strategies.

            In addition, the writer of this article does not take into account to who the language learners are. Walqui (2005) argues and explains that who the learners are may affect on the success of their learning. He focuses on helping English Language Learners (ELLs) succeed in mainstream classes on understanding more about who they are and how their family backgrounds can influence their success in school while this issue is not taken into account at all in this article. In other words, the reviewer proposes that the background of the language learners should be taken into account by the language curricula designer in designing curricula for the language learners.

Yet, this articles presents thoroughly everything related to the students’ learning styles and strategies. So, by having this article we may realize that every language learner has his/her own style in learning English. So, the English teacher should facilitate them to learn English in various techniques to en-chance students learn better because they have the right styles of learning. The general approach to learning language a language is comprehensively discussed in this article. By understanding the two issues above, the language learners can have their advantages for learning a language.

CONCLUSION

In short, the this article may make us realize and consider the following items

which  may be advantageous for us, as English teachers:

Both the language learning styles and strategies discussed in this article are

obviously applicable in learning a language. The better the language teachers understand

and apply the theories discussed in this article, the better may they the better they can serve

the language learners in teaching and learning the language.

            In general, this article has met the hope of the language teachers and learners as

the source of information to be good doers in teaching and learning English. In order to make the article more comprehensive, the writer may take into account the role of the teachers in addition to the learning styles and strategies. By doing so, we can have more

complete aspects, the collaboration of the two sides of the language teachers and learners.

Furthermore, the information about the background of the language learners may be beneficial in planning and conducting the teaching and learning activities.

            In conclusion, the discussion in this article presented by Oxford (2005) is basically

the meaningful and purposeful as well as advantageous for both the teachers and learners

of English.

REFERENCES

Oxford, R.L. 2001. Language Learning Styles and Strategies. In Celce-Murcia, M (Ed.),

Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language. 3^rd Edition, (p.p. 359-366).

Boston: Heinle and Heinle ESL.

Walqui, A. 2005. Who are Our Students? In Amato, P.A.R and Snow, M.A (Eds),

            Academic Success for English Language Learners: Strategies for K-12 Mainstream

            Teachers. New York: Pearson education, Inc.

Young, M.W. 1996. English (as a second) Language Arts Teachers: The Key to

            Mainstreamed ESL Student Success. The English Journal, Vol. 85 No. 8

(Dec.1996), p.p. 17-24

Ctitical Review 1

Critical Review on “Reading for Academic Purposes: Guidelines for the ESL/EFL Teacher” by William Grabe and Fredricka L. Stoller

Sukardi

English Language Teaching (ELT) Department, Graduate School,

State University of Malang, Indonesia

Email: skardi70@yahoo.com

INTRODUCTION

Many have argued that in the past 15 years reading has been the most important academic language skill for second language students. Surveys on the reading for academic purposes have been conducted. In academic setting, reading is assumed to be the central means for learning new information and gaining access to alternative explanation and interpretations. In addition, reading provides for foundation for synthesis and critical evaluation skill (Grabe and Stoller: 2001).

Related to the information above which is closely related to the importance of reading for academic purposes, the reviewer would like to write a critical review on “Reading for Academic Purposes: Guidelines for the ESL/EFL Teacher. The article is written by William Grabe and Fredricka L. Stoller in 2001. William Grabe is a Professor of Linguistics at English Department of Nothern Arizona University. He holds his Ph.D degree on Linguistics from University of Southern California. He has a lot of professional backgrounds and administrative positions as well as has published many books and writes

articles on journals of language teaching. While Fredricka L. Stoller is Grabe’s colleague

at Nothern Arizona University.

This article focuses on the reading theory and practice as they apply to academic context. They outline the central concepts underlying academic reading and their implications for instruction. Then, they highlight issues concerning with the development of reading curricula including the analysis of needs and choosing appropriate texts and materials. Eventually, they describe specific practices that build coherent and effective reading curricula.

However, in the discussion, it is found out that some components have not been discussed the completion of all of the presentation. Despite of this fact, to the overall, the materials coped in the discussion have met the need of the practice of reading for academic purposes. To make it more complete, the components needed for completion may be added.

To comprehend more on the contents of the article and the strengths as well as the weaknesses of the article, here is presented the critical review of this article. It is done in order to get much more information on the contents of the article. It is important to do in order to have much more information to the ESL/EFL teachers.

BODY/SUMMARY

            Grabe and Stoller start his article by presenting the purposes of reading. In the academic setting, an EAP reading curriculum must account for how students learn to read for multiple purposes which at least include reading: a) to search for information; b) for general comprehension; c) to learn new information; and 4) to synthesize and evaluate information.

            Next the writer discusses the definition of reading. The general definition of reading can be understood as taking general comprehension by drawing information from a text and combine it with information and expectations that the reader already has. However, a good way to understand reading is to consider what is required for a fluent reading.

            In the following part the writer write the general implications from research for reading instruction. The basic implications can be seen that EAP teachers can address the academic reading needs of their students by doing the followings:

—  Helping students build large recognition vocabulary

—  Providing explicit language instruction

—  Addressing the range of skills needed for successful comprehension

—  Introducing students to discourse-organizing principles

—  Helping students become strategic readers

—  Giving students opportunities to read

—  Making extensive reading and broad exposure to L2 texts a routine practice

—  Motivating students to read

—  Integrating reading and writing instruction

—  Developing effective content-based instruction for authentic integrated-skill task

The L2 readers and socio-cultural factors in learning to read is the next issue to

elaborate in this article. Due to the condition of L2 compared to the L1 readers there are some different facts of them, manly: a) the complexity of reading and corresponding; b) the different motivation; c) the different socio-cultural background; d) The different setting of ESL and EFL.

            There are at least six important goals that should be considered in planning any

extended  EAP reading curriculum:

—  Conduct need analysis to interpret institutional goals and expectations for learning

—  Plan (or fine-tune) reading curricula in the relation to specific goals, topics, texts,

and tasks

—  Select appropriate text materials and supporting resource

—  Diversify students’ reading experiences

—  Work with texts by means of pre, during, and post-reading framework

—  Recognize the complex nature of reading through meaningful instruction

CRITIQUE

            In the introduction, the writers of this article, William Grabe and Fredricka L. Stoller provide all aspects related to the guidelines for the ESL/EFL teacher in the reading for academic purposes. Yet, in this case the reviewer thinks that there are at least two main aspects that are not coped in this article. They are: 1) the time allocation needed for certain amount of curricula and 2) how to develop the reading comprehension in the reading for academic purposes.

This article does not present the allocation of time needed for certain amount of the curricula cope. The distribution of the time allocation should be integrated in this presentation as what Taillefer (2005:442) discusses in his report of research on reading for academic purposes. By having this component we may see and can plan what to do with our program on such issue. To make it clearer how much time is needed for a certain programs on the reading for academic purposes, it is suggested that a research is carried out.

            In addition, this article does not cope how to develop the reading comprehension on the reading for academic purposes. The ideas of the ways in developing the reading comprehension should be similar to the development of the ESL reading comprehension as Lenters (2004:334) proposed in reading instruction for young second-language learners. The steps of developing the reading comprehension of the readers in reading for academic purposes are indeed needed in order that we may get obvious steps and procedures in

developing the reading for academic purposes itself. By doing so, we hope that we can get

the best results and products in reading for academic purposes.

CONCLUSION

To sum up, by having discussion, consideration, and judgment above, the

 followings are the conclusions that can be drawn:

Content-based instruction approach is designed to meet the effective academic reading instruction. In CBA to reading, one can assume that reading multiple sources of information will be the norm and that there will be many opportunities for meaningful extensive reading Technology can support the reading development—computer-based instruction. Addressing reading assessment is an issue that cannot be ignored. Teachers need to evaluate course and teaching effectiveness in addition to assessing student progress

To the overall, though some elements of the discussion on the reading for academic

purposes have not been presented, however, all of the components to discussed in this article have met the need of the teachers’ guideline of English as a second or foreign language. Due to the facts that there have not been the discussions on the time allotment  and the ways of developing reading comprehension in reading for academic purposes, so both of the elements mentioned above had better to be included in the discussion. By doing so, we may have more complete aspects or elements needed as guidelines in reading for academic purposes for ESL/EFL teachers.

            To highlight the result of the simple discussion above, here we may say that the article presented by Grabe and Stoller (2001) have given comprehensive and adequate guidelines for the ESL/EFL teachers in relation to reading for academic purposes. The guidelines can be applied purposefully in the country of English as a second and foreign language.

REFERENCES

Grabe, W and Stoller, F.L. 2001. Reading for Academic Purposes: Guidelines for the

ESL/EFL Teacher. In Celce-Murcia, M (Ed.), Teaching English as a Second or

 Foreign Language. 3^rd Edition (p.p. 187-203). Boston: Heinle and Heinle

 ESL.

Lenters, K. 2004. No Half Measures: Reading Instruction for Young Second-Language

Learners. The Reading Teacher, Vol. 58 No. 4 (Dec. 2004-Jan. 2005),  p.p. 328-

336,(http://www.jstor.org/stable/20205486, accessed: 11/05/2012.

Taillefer, G. 2005. Reading for Academic Purposes: the literacy practices of British,

French and Spanish Law and Economics students as background for study abroad.

 Journal of Research in Reading, ISSN 0141-0423. Vol. 28, Issue 4, 2005, p.p. 435-

4651.