Improving language learning and transition into second language learning, through the Language Learning Support Dimensions (LLSD)

Chris Edwards

Maria Luisa Pérez Cavana

CALRG 16 June 2015

BACKGROUNDLLSDPILOT

“Learning a second language is a long and complex

undertaking. Your whole person is affected as you struggle

to reach beyond the first language into a new language, a

new culture, a new way of thinking, feeling and acting.

Total commitment, total involvement, a total physical,

intellectual, and emotional response are necessary to

successfully send and receive messages in a second

language”. (Brown, 2007:1)

Introduction• Develop a tool useful to students learning a second

language. –Context: adult language learners in distance education

• Importance of making students’ thinking visible and focus on metacognition: “Learning how to learn must be taught” (Gall et al, 2009)

• Combines and builds on three elements: - The Effective Lifelong Learning Inventory (ELLI) - Research in Second Language Acquisition- Lessons learned from the Good Language Learners

studies

Effective Lifelong LearningInventory (ELLI)

Inventory linked to a model of learning (Deakin, Crick et al.

2004) with seven dimensions of learning power (e.g.

Growth orientation, Critical curiosity etc.)

ELLI works with individual profiles and possibilities to

develop some areas.

The dimensions provide a language to discuss one’s

approaches to learning and reflect on their own learning

ELLI’s seven dimensions

• Being stuck & static• Data accumulation • Passivity • Being rule bound• Isolation & dependence• Being robotic• Fragility and dependence

• Changing and learning • Meaning making• Critical curiosity• Creativity• Learning relationships• Strategic awareness• Resilience

This inventory has recently been re-evaluated and re-modelled and is now called CLARA…

Second Language Acquisition

• Second language acquisition (SLA) research over the

last thirty years

• Relevant factors that positively affect the efficiency in

Language learning.

• Good Language Learner (GLL) Studies developed in the

1970s and 1980s ( Rubin 1975, Stern 1975) further

developments (O’Malley & Chamot 1990, Oxford 1990,

Griffiths 2011, Brown 2007, Dörnyei 2005) integration of

sociological and cultural factors (Norton Toohey 2001,

Kramsch 1993)

BACKGROUNDLLSDPILOT

The Language LearningSupport Dimensions (LLSD)

• LLSD are a reflective tool for individuals to assess their

own attitudes and dispositions towards, and to improve

their efficacy in language learning

• Main aim of the LLSD: to increase language awareness

in relation to the process of language learning

• To enable change and transformation in students

attitudes and skills

The LLSD

• Drive to communicate

• Ego flexibility

• Strategic self-regulation

• Creativity

• Social integration

Drive to communicate

Two main elements: willingness to communicate (WTC)

and willingness to make mistakes even to ‘appear foolish’

to get the message across.

• WTC was developed for L2 in the 90s: “Predisposition

toward or away from communicating given the choice”

McIntyre et al. 2001

• One of the main characteristics of the GLL ( Rubin,

1975, Naiman et al. 1978, Stern 1975)

Ego flexibility• Two main elements: tolerance to ambiguity and the role

of the self in learning a foreign language (identity

conflict)

• Tolerance of ambiguity: ability to tolerate uncertainty or

ambiguity. Language learning always involves

uncertainty, ambiguity.

• Learning a language implies changes in the identiy.This

can lead to build sets of defences to protect the ego that

may impede success

Strategic self-regulation

• Use of learning strategies is one of the characteristics of effective language learners (Oxford 1990, Chamot 2001)

• Learning strategies LS (Griffiths, 2008)

“Activities consciously chosen by learners for the purpose of regulating their own learning”

• Self-regulation- self-management, self-adjustment

Social integration• Two aspects: belonging to a community of practice and

awareness of social distance.

Sociocultural theories applied to the GLL studies: how the social variable influences the success in L2 (Norton/ Toohey, 2001)• Learning occurs as people participate in sociocultural

activities: willingness to participate in communities of practice

• Social distance: cognitive and affective proximity of two cultures within an individual (Brown, 2007)

Creativity• Stern (1975) one of the main characteristics of the native

speaker’s knowledge at which L2 learners should aim:

using the language for productive thinking

• Evidence of relevance of creativity for language learning

(Runco 2004, Sternberg 2002)

• Sternberg (2002) Creative intelligence: how well an

individual can cope with novelty

• Learning a language always involves coping with novelty

BACKGROUNDLLSDPILOT

Overview• Aims- Test the dimensions, usefulness and relevance for

students

• Participants – PGCE students (11) between 35-60 years

old, fluent in 1-3 modern languages.

• Design: (May-June 2014)

Online Activity: to assess views, attitudes and skills in

relation to the dimensions and reflect on them.

In-depth interviews: (30-45 minutes) phone Skype, open

questions, phenomenological approach

Feedback questionnaire: about their experience working

with the LLSD, clarity of the questions etc.

The findingsParticipants views on the LLSD

• 31 statements related to the five dimensions.

• Responses were collated and arranged in descending

order of agreement.

• Three main groups of responses: “Entirely positive”,

“Mostly positive” and “Equally balanced or negative”

“I think that LLSD would certainly help anyone who is embarking

on language learning or teacher trainees of languages who

haven’t yet had the experience of thinking through aspects of

language learning themselves”

Participants’ views on the LLSDs

Strate

gic se

lf-regu

lation

Creativit

y

Drive to

communica

te

Ego flexib

ilty

Socia

l integra

tion0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Bal/negativeMostly positivePositive

Responses to the dimensions1

• Strategic self-regulation (SSR)

All students agreed on the importance of using

strategies and being pro-active.

LL Strategies is one topic in their study programme, but

LLSD made them reflect on their use of strategies.

“Perhaps what I am not doing as much as I could is

writing. This question has made me realise that, and I

will need to address it.”

Self-regulation was not so clear or not so familiar. No

reference to making adjustments after monitoring

Responses to the dimensions 2• Creativity ( C )

Most of the students value creativity as willingness to try new things and adapt to new situations

They did not refer to language, but to creativity in general

Need to explain the link between LL and creativity• Drive to communicate (DTC)

Most students found that WTC plays a relevant role in LL however, their willingness to make mistakes was more problematic.“Although I really hate the feeling to appear stupid, (…) I am willing to accept that because this is the only way to achieve a very good level of English”

Responses to the dimensions 3• Ego flexibility

Participants had a good disposition to remain open to

new situations,

the role of identity in learning a language and the

importance of tolerance of ambiguity was not so clear

for some of them.

• Social integration

Highest percentage of disagreement. Not familiar with

the terms “social distance”, “belonging to a community

of practice”. The term “Social integration” needs to be

better defined. Different interpretations.

Topics identified Increased language awareness:

• Cognitive domain

“…doing the questionnaire did help me articulate what I

knew on a more subconscious level”

“It did help positioning myself on a spectrum for each

dimension and highlight some important issues in learning

a language which are not just encountered by myself”

“I think that I already knew how I best learn a language,

(…) but I learnt how it can be ‘labelled’.”

Topics identified

• Affective domain

“I think that my willingness to communicate is not great. I am hindered by the fear of making mistakes and making my conversation partner annoyed or bored when I am trying to express myself. (…) I think it is important to realise our ways of learning a language, our weaknesses and strengths in learning and probably challenging the weaknesses is also very important in making progress.”

Topics identified

• Social domain ( sense of identity)

“Originally ‘my ego battle’ was that I wanted to express myself in the third language like in the second and first language. But in order to be successful (…) I had to use whatever strategies I had to communicate (…) Also I decided to adopt that learning a language is about gaining another identity and whilst I was building this third new identity, I would need to accept that I would make a lot of mistakes.”

Insights from the pilot• The LLSD are complex and have different aspects.• The responses to the statements have shown that the

participants agreed, or were familiar with some elements but not with others.

• The engagement with each dimension could be described using different levels of mastery (basic, intermediate and advanced)

• Responses suggest conflicts between the different roles of the participants: as language learners and as language teachers

• Some terms have to be more clearly defined, e.g. “Social distance”.

Next steps• Establish LLSD as a valid construct

–Clarify dimensions –Validate

• Create descriptors in three levels• Create OER, perhaps using an e-portfolio

Thank you!

Chris Edwards MSc, The Institute of Educational Technology, The Open University, UK.

Chris.Edwards@open.ac.uk

Dr. Maria Luisa Pérez Cavana, Faculty of Education and Language Studies, The Open University, UK

Maria-Luisa.Perez-Cavana@open.ac.uk