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‘Here’s what you’re getting yourself into: Advice of Second-Year Students on Studying Less Commonly Taught Languages

Anna Uhl ChamotAnna Uhl Chamot

Jill RobbinsJill Robbins

(thanks to Laura Blythe Liu, (thanks to Laura Blythe Liu, Kristen D’Avolio, & Candice Kristen D’Avolio, & Candice

Michalowicz)Michalowicz)

The George Washington The George Washington University/ National Capital University/ National Capital Language Resource CenterLanguage Resource Center

Washington, DCWashington, DC

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BACKGROUNDBACKGROUND

National Capital Language Resource National Capital Language Resource Center (NCLRC) is one of 15 foreign Center (NCLRC) is one of 15 foreign language resource centers in U. S.language resource centers in U. S.Since 1990 NCLRC has conducted Since 1990 NCLRC has conducted research on language learning research on language learning strategies, both identification and strategies, both identification and classroom applications studies.classroom applications studies.Learning Strategy Resource Guides Learning Strategy Resource Guides produced for elementary produced for elementary immersion, high school, and immersion, high school, and university language teachers and university language teachers and students.students.

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PURPOSE OF CURRENT PURPOSE OF CURRENT NCLRC STUDYNCLRC STUDY

Explore how US college Explore how US college students learnstudents learn

ArabicArabic

ChineseChinese

JapaneseJapanese

KoreanKorean

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RATIONALE FOR THE STUDYRATIONALE FOR THE STUDYOur previous learning strategy research was on learning of Western languages.Good language learners (of Western languages) use similar strategies.What are the effects of non-Western writing systems on strategy use?What is the impact of unique grammar and non-cognate vocabulary?How are students using technology in language learning now?

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PARTICIPANTSPARTICIPANTS

College learners of Arabic, College learners of Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, or Korean.Chinese, Japanese, or Korean.

Low Intermediate (fourth Low Intermediate (fourth semester) level at two U.S. semester) level at two U.S. universities.universities.

11 students of Arabic.11 students of Arabic.

10 students of Chinese.10 students of Chinese.

6 students of Japanese.6 students of Japanese.

4 students of Korean.4 students of Korean.

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QUESTIONSQUESTIONS

What are the challenges in learning (language) ?What strategies do you use to overcome these challenges?What advice do you give to other students of this language?How are you learning the target language culture?

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METHODOLOGYMETHODOLOGY

Record and videotape focus group interview protocols.Transcribe interviews verbatim.Analyze transcripts for learning challenges and responses.Identify student perceptions of effective and ineffective instruction.

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FOCUS GROUP FOCUS GROUP INTERVIEW STRUCTUREINTERVIEW STRUCTURE

Writing task with think-aloud prompts.Questions on

SpeakingReadingListeningVocabularyCulture

Advice to a new student of the language.

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Get to know the culture!Create your own immersion environment

Non-heritage learners with native speaking friends: Get to know native speaking friends!Non-heritage learners w/o native speaking friends who have not spent time abroad: Study!

Advice from Advice from heritage heritage learnerslearners

Advice from Advice from non-heritage non-heritage

learnerslearners

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Devote time to both informal & formal study

Get to know the culture!

Have Chinese friends

Go to Chinese table

Advice from a heritage learnerAdvice from a heritage learner

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ARABICARABIC

Do the work every day

Be sure you know the vocabulary

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ARABICARABICGo in with “a mission to learn”

Understand that knowledge will improve your life

Remember purpose - to get a profound sense of the Middle East

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CHINESECHINESEDistributed Practice

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CHINESE CHINESE

Using boxes for reading (chunk text)

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CHINESECHINESEMake sure this is what you want to do;

Actually study; you’ll get more out of class

Make a work book - print & fill out in class

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CHINESECHINESEFinish other languages first Be ready to spend forever learning it

Start early (give children toys with characters)

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JAPANESE JAPANESE

Use flashcards while playing video games

Watch movies in Japanese

Make friends and get involved in martial arts and cultural exchanges

Study radicals to understand kanji

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JAPANESE JAPANESE

It’s hard at the beginning - then you figure out the rules and how to apply them

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KOREANKOREANMeet the professor

Make Korean friends

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KOREAN KOREAN

Don’t translate - Use images to create language

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NEXT STEPSNEXT STEPS

Continue data analysis.Continue data analysis.Develop descriptions of Develop descriptions of learning strategy learning strategy applications for each applications for each language.language.Produce resource guide for Produce resource guide for teaching learning strategies teaching learning strategies to students of Arabic, to students of Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, and Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.Korean.

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FUTURE RESEARCHFUTURE RESEARCH

Ways to teach learning Ways to teach learning strategies for language-strategies for language-specific challenges.specific challenges.

Effects of strategies-based Effects of strategies-based instruction (SBI) on student instruction (SBI) on student achievement/proficiency, achievement/proficiency, attitude, and motivation.attitude, and motivation.

Instructional model for SBI for Instructional model for SBI for non-Western languages.non-Western languages.

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FOR MORE INFORMATIONFOR MORE INFORMATION

Please visit the NCLRC website for Please visit the NCLRC website for free resources on language free resources on language learning strategies and other learning strategies and other topics topics

http://www.nclrc.org

Special thanks to our transcribers: Special thanks to our transcribers: Laura Blythe Liu, Kristen Laura Blythe Liu, Kristen D’Avolio, and Candice D’Avolio, and Candice MichalowiczMichalowicz