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Language Learner Profile.

Mg. Roxanna Correa Prez.

Section:
ED110C-1
Students name: Snchez, O. Claudia
Irarrzabal, B. Nicol.

Friday the 07th, November Concepcin 2014.


Theoretical Framework

English language as a second language (ESL) has become in one of the most important topics in the XXI
century, not only as a subfield of linguistic, but also as a field by their own. The necessity of improve ESL
and teaching English as a second language (TESL) aroused different approaches and strategies in order
to improve the learning and acquisition of second language (L2). To begin with, a definition of ESL and
language is necessary to comprehend and understand better the linguistic background. Language is the
most impressive expression of human beings, as Carrasquillo mentioned (2013), that is why she defines
language as an arbitrary system of symbols by which thought is conveyed from one human to another.
Having the knowledge of this expressing tool in many senses, we moved to English as a second language
where Carrasquillo (2013), stated that is a specialized approach to language instruction designed for
those who have a primary language other than English who are limited in English profiency.
Furthermore, the word specialized in this definition refers to the connotation and the use of diverse
methods and strategies, to have a range and unlimited range of learning theories, adapting to every
person styles learning.
Second Language as a term became popular on the sixties, yet we need to have in mind that the
acquisition of the L2 was irremediably joined to the L2, because the intriguing question about how we
acquired the language was one of the main concerns to begin with many approaches, strategies,
methodologies, etc that followed this question. The acquisition of ESL is gradual, where every person
goes slowly involving and using the L2. Second language acquisition requires meaning by interaction in
which speakers are concerned not with the form of their utterances but with the understanding of the
messages they are conveying (Krashen, 1981). That is why the strategies and different ways to teach the
L2, as a second language has become something so outstanding due to teachers or any L2 trainee need
to create instances to have interaction with partners, and be aware about the different styles of learning
to achieve good results. In the relentless pursuit to teaching and develop the L2, some approaches
emerged during the nine twentieth-century; to name but a few the grammar-translation, direct, reading,
audiolingualism, oral-situational, cognitive, affective-humanist, comprehension-based and
communicative were widely used during the final quarter of the XXI century. Before to continue with the
strategies that came latter, we need to point out and clarify some terminology, the meaning is crucial to
understand every kind of text, three word such as approach, method and technique has been
mentioned in this inform, also we named acquisition, ESL, L2 and language but with a certain knowledge
of these words. Anthony (1963) has provided a useful set of definitions for our purposes. An approach to
language teaching is something that reflects a certain model or research paradigm a theory. In this
case, a model of how English as second language can be taught in L2 learners, knowing just their mother
tongue language (L1). Moreover, a method is a set of procedures, i.e., a system that spells out rather
precisely how to teach a second or foreign language. While the approach is pretty similar to a model or
research, a method is a sequence of steps that approaches to improve the teaching of the L2, being
more specific than an approach. The last definition according to Antonhy (1963) is technique; he defines
this word as a classroom device or activity and thus represents the narrowest of the three concepts.
These three concepts are together and have an important relationship each other to understand the ESL
teaching. From general to specific, the word approach includes the word methods, and methods
includes techniques, where we need to have an approach to have the main point of view about this
theory of learning the L2, to develop some methods in which step by step the model provided by an

approach is going to be improved and developed in a better way for different kind of learners. The
learners of the ESL are going do different activities that a tool called technique is going to provided,
because according to the different manner and abilities that a learner can have, different skills to learn
the L2 are going to be developed. Moreover, it is very important the teachers decision at the moment
of teaching English as a second language. The teacher needs to be concerned about the approaches to
choose the right one according to their students, then we can move to the methods, the problem is that
some approaches cannot be as modifies as the teacher could want, so the right election of the approach
plays an important role, and at the end it comes the technique and all the material that teacher is going
to use in the classroom to develop the 3 concepts previously named. One of the ways to choose and
adequate approach, method and technique for most of the class is to ask student needs, for example,
why should they be learning English? (or any other second language) ask them to find a purpose,
because having these in a 90% clear teacher will be in a good level or position to select techniques,
methods and approaches that are going to be successfully.

Many teachers around the world talk about strategies, yet some of them know exactly what strategies
are and its relevance in teaching English as a foreign language (EFL). To know what strategies are, some
authors must be analysed in order to achieve some knowledge about the topic. Before focusing on
authors, it is necessary to define what a strategy is, where it comes from and its general meaning.
According to Oxford (1990), the word strategy comes from the ancient Greek word strategia, which
means steps or actions taken for the purpose of winning war. The warlike meaning of strategia has
fortunately fallen away, but the control and goal-directedness remain in the modern version of the
word. Due to what has been defined, several authors have come up with their own definition of what
strategy is in different contexts. This inform will be focused on the context of learning or teaching a
second language. Strategies have been defined as techniques, steps or even actions used by teachers or
students. In addition to this, strategies have taken an important role in learning a language. To Rubin
(1975), learning strategies are the specific techniques or devices that learners use to acquire
knowledge. To Stern (1975) however, learning strategies are some more general higher order
approaches to learning which govern the choice of more specific techniques. Also, there are some other
specific definitions can be found. A strategy can be understood as a help for learners while learning
another language. Oxford (2003), highlighted that Learning strategies are defined as specific actions,
behaviors, steps, or techniques such as seeking out conversations partners, or giving oneself
encouragement to tackle a difficult language task used by students to enhance their own learning.
Furthermore, students need to use certain strategies for making their learning easier, even when they
may think that they do not need them. There are several situations, which are also very common, in
which students declare not using strategies for learning a language, but unconsciously they use them. In
addition, Oxford (2003), remarks When the learner consciously chooses strategies that fits his or her
learning style and the L2 task at hand, these strategies become a useful toolkit for active, conscious, and
purposeful self-regulation of learning. Rebecca Oxford has classified strategies into two categories, the
direct and the indirect category. The direct category is connected to the language, and within it there
are three subcategories that could be found, those are cognitive strategies, which according to Oxford
(2003), Cognitive strategies enable the learner to manipulate the language material in direct ways.

Another subcategory is compensatory strategy, which according to Oxford (2003), help the learner
make up for missing knowledge. The last subcategory within the direct strategies would be memory
related strategy, which according to Oxford (2003), it helps the learner link one L2 item or concept with
another
but
does
not
necessarily
involve deep understanding. On the other hand, within the indirect category there are three
subcategories. The first category is metacognitive strategy, which according to Oxford (2003), they are
employed for managing the learning process overall. The second subcategory is affective strategy,
which according to Oxford (2003), such as identifying ones mood and anxiety level, talking about
feelings, rewarding oneself for good performance, and using deep breathing or positive self-talk,
have been shown to be significantly related to L2 proficiency. Finally, the last subcategory is social
strategy, which according to Oxford (2003), it helps the learner work with others and understand the
target culture as well as the language. The strategies mentioned before are usually applied by the
teacher in teaching a second language. It is a well-known fact that there are several ways to teach
another language, and one of those ways is teaching through strategies. Besides, there is not a specific
strategy for a specific student, so that opens a great world of opportunities and choices for the learner.
In other words, each strategy fits depending on the characteristics that each student has, for instance
the learning style .On the other hand, it is also important to mention that some authors state that the
student need to be aware of what is his/her learning style in order to choose the appropriate strategy.
When students begin to understand their own learning process and can exert some control these
processes, they tend to take more responsibility for their own learning. Also, when students find the
appropriate strategy, they can realize that the process of learning would become easier and that would
improve their motivation towards learning a second language. According to Paris (1988) Students who
are more strategic learners are more motivated to learn. Apart from that, when students realize that
they are strategic people, they become to perceive themselves as more able to achieve the goals and
succeed academically than students who do not know how to use strategies for learning. This brings up
to the question of whether the students awareness towards learning strategies is enough, clearly the
answer is not. Students do not only need to know that there are some strategies that they can apply on
learning a language; they also need to know that there is someone that can teach them how to apply
those strategies. The teacher is the person in charge on teaching students those strategies. There a few
authors that explain how to teach strategies, but there is one in special who talks about it, Chamot.
Chamot and Robbins (2005) point out those teachers teach strategies to show students how to be better
learners and to help students become reflective and critical thinkers. What is more, Chamot (2005) also
gave some tips on teaching learning strategies, to build on students current learning strategies,
demonstrate how to use the learning strategy by modelling, give the strategy a name, among others.
Taking all what was said into account, it is necessary to point out that this inform is totally focus on one
strategy according to our lesson planning, the strategy is called use background knowledge. This
strategy is part of the metacognitive strategies; it has as the main objective to make associations
between new information and your prior knowledge. Also, we would like to highlight that this strategy
was chosen because it is one of the most common inside the classroom, and most of the time students
do not recognize it as a strategy. On top of that, it could be very useful for teachers and students at the
moment of teaching or learning new vocabulary, grammar structures or even topics.

Learners Background

Ignacio is a nineteen-year-old first year university student from Concepcin, Chile. His major course
of study is Social Work. According to Ignacio, English is not only important for him because of the
reading involved on his current studies, but also for future job prospects as well. He is an attentive and
sociable student but because of his demanding university studies.
Ignacio began learning English at the age of six while attending a monolingual school called Sagrado
Corazn located in Concepcin. In that school the teachers began teaching English from first
elementary year. At the age of ten, his mother moved him to another school called Colegio Salesiano
Concepcin, where he continued studying English as a signature. Both schools allowed Ignacio have an
acceptable level of English, not as a bilingual school has, but being better than some public schools for
instance. Furthermore, Ignacio shows a high level of interest on learning English; consequently, he
watches English Tv series with subtitles to get familiar with the sounds and some vocabulary. Also, he
highlights being interesting on learning English because he expects to travel abroad to USA for working
next summer, so he needs a certain level of English.

Written Test
Students last summer vacations.
Interviewers question.
1.1.
1.2
1.3
1.4
1.5
1.6
1.7

Could you please named some places where you travel last summer?
What place/travel did you like the most?
Why?
What did you do on your favourite place?
Who did you go with?
How long did you stay in your favorite place?
Would you recommend any place that you visited?

Interviewees answer.
2.1 Yes, I went to Via del Mar, Cocolge and Cobquecura.
2.2 The weekend I go to Cocholge.
2.3 Because, then I was with all my family and all my people that today I consider part of my family.
2.4 I visit the beach I see the sunset in the beach and rest in a comfortable place.
2.5 I go with my mom, sister, brother and my wife.
2.6 I stay in Cocholge the whole weekend.
2.7 I think yes, Cocholge. I recommend that place to travel cause I think that beaches are the
perfect place to stay, to rest, with my family. Also, Colcholge is very small, so you dont hear
sound of buzzer or cars, its a very quiet place.

Analysis and Assessment


This is an extract of learners written interview. We use letter A referring to answers, and W for
questions.
Answer 2.2:
Q: What place/travel did you like the most?
A: The weekend I go to Cocholge.
Analysis: Form mistake.
In answer 2.2 the student writes the verb in simple present. In this case answer should be in simple past
tense, as the question. Grammatically the use of the verb tense is wrong on that sentence structure,
because grammar rule in simple past requires the verb with past tense.

Answer 2.4
Q: What did you do on your favourite place?
A: I visit the beach I see the sunset in the beach and rest in a comfortable place.
Analysis: Form mistake.
In answer 2.4 the student has the same mistake seen before. The verbs in the sentence are not write in
past, the sentence is not in simple past as it should be, losing grammatical structure, Beside this, In the
third verb highlighted: rest, there is an omission of the subject.

Answer 2.5
Q: Who did you go with?
A: [...] with my mom, sister, brother and my wife.
Analysis: Meaning mistake.
The student refers to his girlfriend as his wife. A reason for this fact could be the lack of vocabulary to
this specific question. The mental image or comprehension about her couple is related with the word
that he uses to name his girlfriend.

Answer 2.7
Q: Would you recommend any place that you visited, why?
A: I think yes, Cocholge. [...].
Analysis: Use mistake.

In this expression, the vocabulary yes is not well used. The student gives his opinion and uses this
expression perhaps believing that might appear more formal or academic.
Proposal: LLS Lesson Plan.

Learning Strategies Lesson Planning Form


Nicol Irarrzabal, Claudia Snchez.

Content
Area:
Entertainment.
Topic: Retelling last
Free time and vacations
activities.
holidays.
Grade: 1th high school grade.
Language objective: By the end of the class Ss will be able to write about their last vacations.
Strategies objective: The Ss will be able to use background knowledge (information that they
already know) to help them to do the task.
Linguistic content:
Ss will use simple past to writre their last holidays.
Example: Last summer I went to Pucon
Structure: Adverb of place or time + subject + verb in past + complement.
We will present the example and the grammatical form with it pronunciation issues.
Ss will do the structured practicing with their classmates.
Ss will use the forms on writing about their last summer or winter vacations.
Communication task:
Taking notes about the vocabulary, the prior knowledge and form structure (simple past) about
holidays from a listening.
Comparing information about vocabulary and structure form to their classmates.
Writing a summary individually related to their vacations.
We will be monitoring their work.

Procedures
Preparation (6 - 8 minutes)
How will you find out what strategies your students are already using for this type of t
- Ask to Ss what are the first words or images that came to their mind when we
says holidays.
- At the beginning of the class T will ask to Ss what they did on their last
vacations.
- Could you tell me what words come to your mind when I said vacations?
- Could you tell me what words come to your mind when I said summer?
-Where did you go in your last vacations?
-How did you go with?

Presentation (8 10 minutes)
How will you model and describe the strategy? What name will you give the strategy in your
target language?
-

Introduce the writing task and the strategy of using background knowledge.
Well, you talk a lot about your summer or winter vacations, and also you can do
several activities. Today, you are going to write a summary about your vacations
that you have enjoyed the most, through reviewing everything that you already
remind about it. This is a strategy to prepare you to write your final summary and
it is known as using background knowledge.
Using a variety of pictures on a PPT presentation T shows Ss his/her 17 years old
vacations on a lake with his/her friends.
Do you see this picture? This a picture of my friends and me in 2002 in Lago LleuLLeu for summer vacations. Before explaining the task I will start to summarize
this picture, using all the memories and knowledge that I can remember. This will
be helpful to organize better my ideas and thought in order to create the final
summary. First, I am going to write on the board the names of my friends and
some of their psychological characteristics in a general way, just to remind the

information, for instance, there is Isidora:


18 years old
Kindly and talkative
Sometimes bad-tempered
The one next to her is Diego

- Open-minded, polity and kindly.


- Oh, I have not seen Isidora for a long time I have forgotten the bad-tempered that she is
over all when she is hungry!
When you try to remember situations happened before like the one that I already
described, you are using background knowledge, and it is a very helpful tool, to do this
kind of tasks.

Practice
How will you model and describe the strategy? What name will you give the strategy in your
target language?
(12-15 minutes)
-

Ss work individually.
Each student will receive a worksheet with all the images seen on the PPT
shown by the T. Students can choose one of the images related to their own
vacations, and then they can write all the vocabulary and characteristics that
they can remember watching the picture.
Once students have finished activating their background knowledge with the
help of the T, and then on their own, explain to the students that they will
use all the information that they have remembered to create a short
summary about their own vacations. Explain the students that they have to
include information of the place that they visited and also the people who
they went with. They can also include drawings and add photographs.

Evaluation
How will your students assess whether the strategy helped them learn?
yes

no

Presentation
The purpose and focus are clear and consistent
Punctuation, grammar, spelling, and mechanics are appropriate
Content
The information is accurate, appropriate, and it is integrated effectively in the
story.
The use of a variety of new and old vocabulary
Thinking
There is coherence between the ideas
Creativity/originality is evident
Student used previous knowledge (date, names, details, etc)
Assignment Specific Criteria
Responds to all aspects of the assignment

Expansion
How will students transfer the strategy to other task and situations?
In physical education subject SS are studying national dances, so, as a practical
homework, assign SS the creation of a 1 minute choreography. But first, they need to
have in mind all the steps that they already know about the dance, it is a good idea
to write all the moves that they remember, then SS will start to create a
choreography. In class, exchange the order and name of the steps to colabore with
classmates.

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