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The Strategy Factor in Successful Language Learning by Carol

Griffiths

Adem Soru, Turkey

Adem Soru (previewer) is currently teaching at Fatih University in Istanbul, Turey! "e

is carrying out research #or a $h% on the role o# input and output in language

development! "e has published a number o# articles and presented at con#erences in

Turey and abroad! &'mail ademsoruc*hotmail!com

+arol ri##iths (author) has been a teacher, manager and teacher trainer o# &-T #or many

years! She completed a $h% on the sub.ect o# learning strategies at the University o#

Aucland! She has taught in /ew 0ealand, Indonesia, 1apan, +hina, /orth 2orea, U2,

and is currently woring at Faith University in Istanbul, Turey! She has published

widely, including her boo 3-essons #rom ood -anguage -earners4, and presented at

many con#erences around the world! &'mail carolgri##iths5*gmail!com

6hen 1oan 7ubin published her seminal article 86hat the 3ood -anguage -earner4 can

teach us9 (:; by addressing #undamental ?uestions regarding the

relationships among success#ul language learning and strategy #re?uency, ?uantity, type

and use according to learner, situational or target variables> by considering strategy

e##ectiveness #rom an individual point o# view, particularly in relation to a range o#

learner variables> by discussing pedagogical issues, especially relating to teacher

perceptions and training, classroom and learner #actors, methodology and content, as well

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as considering situational and target variables> and by identi#ying areas still re?uiring

research clari#ication

The boo aims to achieve these ob.ectives by means o# an e=tensive review, analysis and

re'interpretation o# the e=isting literature! It also provides ?uantitative research evidence

#or the #undamental ?uestions noted above by means o# empirical studies, as well as

?ualitative research evidence regarding individual strategy use by means o# interviews! In

addition, pedagogical research is provided and implications are drawn #or classroom

practice and teacher education! Furthermore, #or those who are interested in research

many recommendations are made #or areas still re?uiring #urther research!

The strategy concept is o# interest to a potentially wide range o# readers, but this boo is

especially intended #or students who are woring on a variety o# diploma or degree

programmes in the language learning area #or whom the discussion and re#erences would

be e=tremely use#ul when completing assignments or theses> #or teacher educators,

practising teachers or teacher trainees #or whom the pedagogical implications o# the

numerous #indings described in the boo are especially relevant> and #or researchers, #or

whom the numerous under'researched areas pointed out may help to indicate directions

#or #uture use#ul studies!

The boo is organised into #our main chapters! +hapter one deals with the essential

concepts o# terminology, e##ectiveness, underlying theory and classi#ication, and attempts

a de#initive de#inition based on essential elements e=tracted #rom the literature! +hapter

two loos at the answers to some basic ?uestions regarding strategy use and the

relationship to other variables and to success#ul learning outcomes! It reports a number o#

studies which address some o# the ve=ed issues involved! +hapter three approaches the

strategy issue #rom the individual student4s point o# view! Although ?uantitative #indings

such as those presented in +hapter two are valuable, and may well be used to in#orm

teaching practice, individuals never ?uite con#orm to statistical e=pectations, and it is

essential to allow #or individual variation when considering e##ective language learning

and strategy use! And +hapter #our loos at the pedagogical research! Studies o# teacher

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perceptions and o# strategy based instruction are reviewed, along with #indings regarding

methodology and content! -earner, situational and target variables are considered as well

as issues #or teacher training!

The Strategy Factor in Successful Language Learningis di##erent #rom previous boos in

a number o# ways! The learning strategy #ield has at times been critici@ed #or being a

theoretical! This boo addresses underlying theoretical issues in the #irst chapter by

looing at terminology, de#inition, theoretical underpinnings and classi#ication systems!

7ather than merely discuss the concepts, this boo presents evidence #rom empirical

studies #or each o# the #undamental ?uestions posed in +hapter two! In addition to the

?uantitative view taen in +hapter two, the boo taes a ?ualitative loo at strategy use

by individuals in +hapter and considers the implications o# the interview data! Finally

in +hapter #our, rather than looing at strategies divorced #rom the 8real world9 o# the

classroom, this boo loos at the issues #rom the teachingBlearning point o# view! In

addition, the boo contains multiple suggestions #or #urther research, a glossary which

e=plains essential terms, an e=tensive bibliography, appendices containing the

instruments used in the studies which might be use#ul #or replication studies, and an

inde= #or ease o# re#erence!

According to the author, strategies are an essential tool #or learners who want to succeed

at learning language! Cy providing practical in#ormation based on research evidence, The

Strategy Factor in Successful Language Learning maes a use#ul contribution to our

nowledge o# this controversial area!

Please check the How the oti!ate your Students course at Pilgrims website"

Please check the How to be a Teacher Trainer course at Pilgrims website"