Cognitive Academic Language Learning Strategies.

Mrs. Madhumathi Kotamraju.

INTRODUCTION:

As Wenden (1985) reminds us, there is an old proverb which states: “Give a man a fish
and he eats for a day. Teach him how to fish and he eats for a life time.” Applied to the
Language Teaching and Learning field, this proverb might be interpreted to mean that if students
are provided with answers, the immediate problem is solved. But if they are taught the strategies
to work out the answers for themselves, they are empowered to manage their own learning.

Considering the potential usefulness of language learning strategies as a language teaching

and learning tool, researches tried their best to put this rather fuzzy picture into some sort of
perspective. The definition and classification of language learning strategy is made clear.

Definition and Meaning:

Of all the researchers who expressed their views in this regard, Oxford(1990) took this
process a step further than other researchers. She used Rigney’s definition of language learning as
: “Operation as employed by the learner to aid the Acquisition, Storage, Retrieval, and Use of
information”.(Oxford,1990 p.8.) as a base. She classified and defined the learning strategies as
learning behavior or the techniques used in making something easy and understandable. Further
she defined that “Operations or steps used by a learner that will facilitate- acquisition, storage,
retrieval, and use of information.

Classification:

According to Oxford, Language Learning Strategies are classified in to six different

groups. They are she classified learning
strategies into six groups: memory strategies (which relate to how students remember
language), cognitive strategies (which relate to how students think about their
learning), compensation strategies (which enable students to make up for limited
knowledge), metacognitive strategies (relating to how students manage their own
learning), affective strategies (relating to students’ feelings) and social strategies
(which involve learning by interaction with others).
 These six categories used by Oxford and others form a great deal of research in the
learning structure field. Among the six strategies given, the second strategy, called The Cognitive
strategy is explained in detail. The meaning of the word Cognitive itself reflects that it is
something about learning. To be more specific, it is learning by the use of cognition. The
Cognitive Academic Language Learning Approach is an instructional model for second and
foreign language learners.

THE COGNITIVE ACADEMIC LANGUAGE LEARNING APPROACH

The Cognitive Academic Language Learning Approach (CALLA) is an instructional model for
second and foreign language learners based on cognitive theory and research. CALLA integrates
instruction in priority topics from the content curriculum, development of the language skills
needed for learning in school, and explicit instruction in using learning strategies for academic
tasks. The goals of CALLA are for students to learn essential academic content and language and
to become independent and self-regulated learners through their increasing command over a
variety of strategies for learning in school. CALLA can be used in ESL, EFL, bilingual, foreign
language, and general education classrooms.

CALLA's principal objectives are to assist students in:

• Valuing their own prior knowledge and cultural experiences, and relating this
knowledge to academic learning in a new language and culture

• Learning the content knowledge and the language skills that are most important
for their future academic success;

• Developing language awareness and critical literacy

• Selecting and using appropriate learning strategies and study skills that will
develop academic knowledge and processes

• Developing abilities to work successfully with others in a social context

 • Learning through hands-on, inquiry-based, and cooperative learning tasks

• Increasing motivation for academic learning and confidence in their ability to

be successful in school

• Evaluating their own learning and planning how to become more effective and
independent learners.

The purpose of CALLA is:

1. To focus on learner.
2. To improve Academic language learning
3. To motivate with content topic
4. To teach learning strategies.

CALLA’s Instructional sequence is in the following way.

1. Preparation 2. Presentation 3.Practice 4.Self-Evaluation and 5.Expansion.

Preparation: Objectives: To identify the objectives of the subject to be dealt and accordingly
elicit students prior knowledge to understand better. Also to develop subject content vocabulary
along with lots of motivation. To apply these objectives in the class room teaching, different
activity based exercises must be practiced.

Presentation: Objectives: The teacher must present the subject information in different and
varied ways. The teacher should use different models for a better understanding of the student and
should also explain different learning strategies applicable for the activity explicitly. This
understanding of the student can be checked by checking students prior knowledge.

Practice: Objectives: The teacher should practically impart the content knowledge by conducting
hands-on inquiry based activities. In this regard, she can also use authentic content tasks by
providing different cooperative learning structures.
Self evaluation: Objectives It is the reflection of the students own learning. They should evaluate
themselves, and assess their own strategy.

Expansion: Objectives: Students are made to learn to make connections between language and
content. Here students are made to relate information to first language knowledge.

PROCEDURES

Preparation:

1. How will I find out what my students already know about this content topic
and what related prior experiences they have had?
2. How will I find out what language skills and learning strategies they already
know for this type of task?
3. What vocabulary needs to be taught?
4. What advance organizer will give students an overview of the lesson?

Presentation:

1. What is the best way to present this content so that students understand the concepts?
2. What language skills will they use?
3. What learning strategies do I need to model, explain, and/or remind them to use?
4. How can I differentiate instruction?

Practice:

1.  What kinds of activities will help my students apply the new information?
2.  What language skills will they be practicing?
3.  How will they apply learning strategies during practice activities?
4. How can I differentiate their practice activities?
Self-evaluation:

1. What is the best way for my students to assess their own learning of
2. language, content, and learning strategies?
3.
Expansion:

1. How can I connect the topic of this lesson to students’ own lives, culture,
and language?
2. How does this topic connect to other content areas?
3. How can parents become involved?
4. How can I help students transfer what they have learned to new situations?

ASSESSMENT:

1. How will I find out what students know and are able to do as a result of this
instruction?
2. How will I know if students have met the objectives of this lesson or unit?

Rubin, Stern (1975) believed that the good language learner is characterized by a personal
learning style or positive learning strategies, an active approach to the learning task, a tolerant and
outgoing approach to the target language which is empathetic with its speakers, technical know-
how about how to tackle a language, strategies of experimentation and planning with the object of
developing the new language into an ordered system with progressive revision, constantly
searching for meaning, willingness to practice, willingness to use the language in real
communication, critically sensitive self-monitoring in language use and an ability to develop the
target language more and more as a separate reference system while learning to think about it.

ANALYZING TEXTBOOK LANGUAGE

Directions: In this activity you will work with your group to identify some of the language
difficulties in a content subject (reading, science, or social studies) textbook. Select a text and
work with your group to complete this analysis
PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

1. Unfamiliar cultural assumptions or analogies.

2. Discipline-specific concepts that require pre-teaching.

TEXT ORGANIZATION

1. Long paragraphs that can be shortened or divided.

2. Text that can be clarified or replaced by a diagram.

GRAMMAR

1. Long sentences that can be broken into 2-3 short sentences.

2. Passive voice sentences (e.g., “A new law was passed by Congress;” “Stimuli are received by
the brain”).
3. Pronouns that can be replaced by a noun to clarify meaning.
4. Complex verb forms (e.g., has had, had had, may have had, might have had, would have had,
could have had).
5. If...then and cause-effect sentences that can be clarified.

VOCABULARY

Discipline-specific words that students know only in a general sense (e.g., work in science, round
(v.) in math, rights, power in social studies). Other essential new vocabulary. Non-essential
vocabulary that can be replaced with known synonyms or phrases.

STRATEGY QUESTIONNAIRE: LEARNING VOCABULARY IN ENGLISH

Learning new words is a major part of learning English. You have to learn vocabulary
given to you by your teacher. You might also learn words that you want to know. Think
about how you learn new words, and then answer the questions.
How often do you do each of the following to help you learn new words and
phrases in English?

1. As I think about an English word, I imagine or draw a picture of the object/idea the word
represents.

a) Never
b) Rarely
c) Occasionally
d) Often

2. I think of something or someone in my life that the word reminds me of, and I remember that
connection when I need to recall the word

a) Never
b) Rarely
c) Occasionally
d) Often

3. I make a point of learning words that relate to my life.

a) Never
b) Rarely
c) Occasionally
d) Often

4. I group words that are similar or are related in some way

a) Never
b) Rarely
c) Occasionally
d) Often
5. I hold or point to an object that the English word represents while thinking or saying the word

a) Never
b) Rarely
c) Occasionally
d) Often

6. I think of an English word that looks or sounds like the English word, and I think about how the
meanings are related.

a) Never
b) Rarely
c) Occasionally
d) Often
e)
7. I look for structural rules (prefixes, suffixes, roots, etc.) that give clues to the word's meaning.

a) Never
b) Rarely
c) Occasionally
d) Often

8. I think of an English word that sounds like the English word, AND I get a picture in my mind to
link the meanings of the English and words in my own language

a) Never
b) Rarely
c) Occasionally
d) Often
9. I review new words with a classmate.

a) Never
b) Rarely
c) Occasionally
d) Often

10. I test myself to see if I have learned the words..

a) Never
b) Rarely
c) Occasionally
d) Often

CONCLUSION

CALLA ‘s (Oxford’s) language learning strategy is perhaps the most comprehensive classification
of learning strategies to date.

Mrs. Madhumathi kotamraju

Associate Professor
S.S.I.S.T Bhongir,
Nalgonda District. A.P.
ONLINE RESOURCES

The World of CALLA: http://calla.ws

You will find resources, handouts, a mailing list, message forum, and contact
information on our site.

Strategic Learning Unlimited: http://jillrobbins.com

Jill’s site has more learning strategies resources and presentations.

National Capital Foreign Language Resource Center: http://nclrc.org

NCLRC’s site has teacher guides for learning strategies and foreign language teaching
resources.

TESOL: http://tesol.org
TESOL’s site has many resources for teachers’ professional development and
information on the Teaching of English to Speakers of Other Languages

SELECTED REFERENCES

Chamot, A. U. (2005). CALLA: An Update. In P. Richard-Amato & A. Snow (eds.), The

Multicultural Classroom. White Plains: Longman.

Chamot, A. U. & Steeves, K. A. (2001). Designing history lessons for English language
learners using the CALLA model. The Social Studies Review, Journal of the California
Council for the Social Studies. 40(1), 22-27.

Chamot, A. U., Barnhardt, S., El-Dinary, P. B., & Robbins, J. (1999). The learning
strategies handbook. White Plains, NY: Addison Wesley Longman.
Chamot, A. U. & O’Malley, J. M. (1999). The Cognitive Academic Language Learning

THANK YOU
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