Strategies in Learning and Using a Second Language

Strategies in Learning and Using a Second Language: "Strategies in Learning and Using a Second Language.
Andrew D. Cohen (1998).Essex, UK: Longman. Pp. Xi, 295. $19.57 US, paper.
Ramin Akbari, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran

Strategies in Learning and Using a Second Language.
Andrew D. Cohen (1998).Essex, UK: Longman. Pp. Xi, 295. $19.57 US, paper.

Ramin Akbari, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran

The foreign/second language teaching profession was introduced to the concept of learning strategies by Rubin (1975). In the absence of any firm theoretical perspective, Rubin had to be content with the behaviours in which good language learners engaged while learning a second language. Since Rubin's time, advances made in cognitive psychology and information processing theory have led to an ever-growing interest in language learning strategies; there are now many excellent textbooks and surveys addressing the different aspects of this phenomenon, including those by Wenden and Rubin (1987), Oxford (1990), O'Malley and Chamot (1990), and McDonough (1995), to name only a few.

One of the latest additions to the family of learning strategy studies is Cohen's eight-chapter Strategies in Learning and Using a Second Language. The first chapter sets the tone for the rest of the book, describing its objectives, sorting out terms, and commenting on research methods used for strategy research, examination of language of thought of bilinguals, and investigation of test-taking strategies. Chapter 2 refers to language learning strategies as «processes which are consciously selected by learners and which may result in action taken to enhance the learning of the use of a second foreign language» (p. 4). Cohen distinguishes between language learning strategies and language use strategies, with the latter concerning rehearsal, retrieval, communication, and cover strategies. The conscious nature of strategies is emphasized both here and later. In fact, according to Cohen, what differentiates strategies from other learning processes is the element of choice. Chapter 2 also refers to five important issues that have had an impact on second language strategy research, namely distinctions among terms; the broadening of the concept of strategic competence; the issue of consciousness; different classification proposals for strategies; and, finally, the relationship between language learning strategies, learning styles, and personality factors.

Chapter 3 deals with the methods used for data collection in strategy research. Data collection techniques such as observation, interview, questionnaires, different types of verbal reports, and computer tracking are addressed; the advantages and disadvantages of each method are also discussed. Cohen strongly advocates the use of verbal reports and think-aloud procedures for strategy research, since, in his view, such data collection procedures help researchers to gain better insights into learning processes. The other approaches to data collection, according to Cohen, provide researchers with only the finished product, not the actual process.

Chapter 4 takes up the issue of strategy training in second language learning programs and the role of teachers in such situations. Cohen believes that strategy training, in addition to making learners more efficient in their approach to the second language system, facilitates a consciousness of their own learning processes and preferences. Diffe-rent models of strategy training proposed by various researchers are discussed. A range of methods for increasing the use of L2 learning strategies are addressed, and methods for conducting strategy-based instruction are proposed.

Chapter 5 is a research report investigating the effects of strategy training on the speaking ability of L2 learners. The chapter reports that strategy-based instruction positively affected the oral performance of intermediate learners of French. Chapter 6 addresses the topic of language of thought, a relatively neglected issue in L2 research and instruction. Challenging the popular belief that thinking in the L2 is necessary for improving learners' communicative performance, Cohen argues that many factors can affect learners' choice of language of thought, such as familiarity with the discourse domain or with the grammatical structure of the language. Some research findings addressed here seem to indicate that thinking in the first language, or the mental translation of L1 ideas into the L2, can be unavoidable at times due to the nature of the mental task at hand. Even in the case of students trained through immersion programs, the chapter reports that such learners seem to rely more on their L1 as the language of thought when solving math problems.

Chapter 7 deals with test-taking strategies. The investigation of the strategies that test-takers use on language tests is, in Cohen's opinion, an alternative method for establishing the construct validity of language tests. He proposes the use of verbal reports as a means of studying the mental processing of test items by the test-takers and of gaining insight into their mental operations. Finally, chapter 8 summarizes and concludes the book.

Strategies in Learning and Using a Second Language is packed with scholarly erudition and insight. However, it lacks thematic consistency, which Cohen acknowledges in the introduction. The book is, in fact, a compilation of articles written by Cohen over a number of years; as he admits, establishing a unity of orientation across chapters was very difficult. Some chapters do not appear to be directly relevant to strategies of language learning or use. For instance, the chapter on the language of thought seems poorly related to the theme of strategies. For many readers, especially novices in the field of second language strategy research, the detailed research reports reproduced here may prove a distraction from the topic of language learning and use strategies. In addition, many aspects of language learning strategies are not treated in the book, such as the theoretical foundations of L2 learning and use strategies employed to master the specific components and skills of the L2.

Cohen's insistence on the conscious nature of language learning and use strategies is a contentious issue given much attention throughout the book. In his words, «if the behavior is so unconscious that the learners are not able to identify any strategies associated with it, then the behavior would simply be referred to as a process, not a strategy» (p. 11). For McDonough (1995) and McLaughlin (1992), however, the conflict is far from resolved. McDonough believes that the distinction between strategy and process is still a matter of controversy, while McLaughlin finds the use of the terms «conscious/unconscious» scientifically baseless. In other words, «it comes down to personal prejudice whether one stresses conscious or unconscious processes Y it becomes very difficult to falsify theories that emphasize one or the other of these processes» (p. 623).

I cannot recommend Strategies in Learning and Using a Second Language as an introductory text to the concept of language learning and use strategies. However, researchers and experienced language teachers with a firm background in language-related strategies literature will find the book thought-provoking and insightful.

References

McDonough, S.H. (1995). Strategy and skill in learning a foreign language. London: Edward Arnold.
McLaughlin, B. (1992). Conscious vs. unconscious learning. TESOL Quarterly, 4, 617B634.
O'Malley, J.M., & Chamot, A.U. (1990). Learning strategies in second language acquisition. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Oxford, R.L. (1990). Language learning strategies: What every teacher should know. Boston: Heinle & Heinle.
Rubin, J. (1975). What the good language learner can teach us. TES0L Quarterly, 9, 41B51.
Wenden, A.L., & Rubin, J. (Eds.) (1987). Learner strategies in language learning. Hemel Hempstead, UK: Prentice Hall International.