Profiling strategy use of learners of English as a second language attending Greek Schools

Differences in Language learning strategy use by Greek primary and secondary school students

Angeliki Psaltou-Joycey, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki,apsajoy@enl.auth.gr Zoe Gavriilidou Democritus University of Thrace, zoegab@otenet.gr Situating Strategy Use: The Interplay of Language Learning Strategies and Individual Learner Characteristics

16-17 October 2015Alpen-Adria Universitt Klagenfurt

11OutlineThe Thales project on LLSRationale of the present studyResearch backgroundResearch questionsMethodologyResultsDiscussionSuggestions for future research

2 . , ., .. .2The Thales project (Scientific director Prof. Zoe Gavriilidou, Democritus University of Thrace) Exploratory studya) to shorten, translate, simplify and culturally adapt S.I.L.L. in Greek and Turkish with the aim of further administering it to school-aged students (3 upper grades of primary and 3 grades of lower secondary schools) b) To collect exploratory data concerning the factors that influence language learning strategy use

3Main studya) to determine the factors that are related to the choice of language learning strategies ,b) to profile the language learning strategy use of the population attending Greek state (i.e. mainstream) and minority primary and secondary schools in Greece when learning English as a second language, c) to construct and validate an instrument which would be based on the S.I.L.L. for profiling teachers language learning strategy use in classroom, d) to profile teachers' strategy promotion in class, ande) to provide language teachers and education policy makers with a manual containing activities that forward strategic teaching.Foreign Language Learning Strategy Instruction: A Teachers Guide (http://www.saitabooks.eu/2015/05/ebook.162.html )

4Exploratory study: MethodParticipants1308 students from 16 schools representing 5 prefectures and 4 regions of the Greek territory.Upper primary (4-6th grade 9-12 yrs) and lower secondary (1st-3rd 12-15 yrs) education level classes ProcedureApproved by the Institutional Review Board (National Pedagogical Institute). Written consent was obtained from the legal guardians. SILL was administered during regular instruction time by EFL teachers at the end of the school year (2013) 5

Main study: MethodParticipants3348 students from 42 schools, from 21 cities, representing 18 prefectures and all (12) regions of the Greek territory.Education level classes: Upper primary (4-6th grade 9-12 yrs): 1676 (49,9%) lower secondary (1st-3rd 12-15 yrs): 1680ProcedureApproved by the Institutional Review Board (National Pedagogical Institute). Written consent was obtained from the legal guardians. SILL was administered during regular instructional time by EFL teachers at the end of the school year (2013-2014) 6

Prefectural representationDemographic information77Demographic information8Rationale of the present studyLanguage learning strategies play an important role towards developing learner autonomy and improving FL students fluency and competency both in class and out-of-class contexts (Macaro, 2001)Identifying the strategies used in FLL helps improve teaching/learning practices The current Greek national curriculum stresses the need for the development of LLSs by FL students at schoolLittle systematic research in Greece to map schoolchildrens employment of strategies

9Individual differences & Learning strategiesLEARNER-RELATED DIFFERENCES - gender, age, proficiency level, motivation, beliefs & attitudes, learning styles, culture, etc. (Carson & Longhini, 2002; Ehrman & Oxford, 1990; Gavriilidou & Papanis, 2009; Hong-Nam and Leavell, 2006; Kazamia, 2003; Lan & Oxford, 2003; Lee, 2003; Li & Qin, 2006; Littlemore, 2001; Magogwe & Oliver, 2007; Mochizuki, 1999; Oxford, 1996; Papanis, 2008; Psaltou-Joycey, 2008; Psaltou-Joycey & Kantaridou, 2009; Psaltou-Joycey & Sougari, 2010; Purdie & Oliver 1999; Rossi-Le, 1995; Sadighi & Zarafshan, 2006; Victori & Tragant, 2003; Vrettou, 2009, 2011; Wharton 2000)SITUATION-RELATED DIFFERENCES - educational setting , type, rate and quality of instruction, task requirements & materials used, socio-geographical status, teacher related variables, etc. (Bialystok, 1981; Cohen, 1998; Cummins, 2005; Erhman & Oxford, 1989; Hurd, 2008; Mattheoudakis & Alexiou, 2009; Mitits, Psaltou-Joycey & Sougari, in press; Norton & Toohey, 2001; Oxford & Nyikos, 1989; Politzer, 1983; Psaltou-Joycey, 2008; Rubin, 1975; Takeuchi, Griffiths & Coyle, 2007; White, 1993, 2003)

10Research questionsR.Q. 1: What is the strategic profile of learners of English as a FL in mainstream primary and secondary schools in Greece overall? R.Q. 2: Are there any differences in the self-perceived frequency of strategy use between boys and girls of the school population?R.Q. 3: Are there any differences in the self-perceived frequency of strategy use between primary and secondary school EFL learners?RQ.4: Are there any differences in the perceived frequency of strategy use according to their self-perceived proficiency level?R.Q. 5: Are there any differences in the self-perceived frequency of strategy use by the school population according to their geographical origin?

11Participants in present studyStudents(Homogeneous in L1-GR)3039

1212Students gender overallBoysGirls143115911313Students levelPrimaryLower Secondary4th grade5071st grade5565th grade5102nd grade5086th grade4803rd grade478Total1497Total154214 14Instrumentation

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17The adapted (SILL)Memory Strategies (grouping, imagery, rhyming, structured reviewing, etc.)(4 items)Cognitive Strategies (reasoning, analyzing, summarizing, etc., as well as general practicing)(6 items)Compensation Strategies (guessing meanings from the context, using synonyms and gestures to convey meaning when the precise expression is not known, etc.)(4 items)Metacognitive Strategies (paying attention, consciously searching for practice opportunities, planning for language tasks, self-evaluating ones progress, monitoring errors, etc.)(7 items)Affective Strategies (anxiety reduction, self-encouragement, self-reward, etc.)(3 items)Social Strategies (asking questions, cooperating with native speakers of the language, becoming culturally aware, etc.)(5 items)Total 29 items1818StatisticsOne-way ANOVA for the total score Within variable differences were checked with the Tukey post-hoc test (p