What can we know about: the guest, Prof. Oxford?

M: Rebecca L. Oxford is Professor and Director of the Second Language Education Program at the University of Maryland, College Park. Previously she has led language programs at Teachers College. Columbia University; the University of Alabama; and the Pennsylvania State University. Today, she is with us now, talking about English language learning strategies. Good afternoon, Prof. Oxford.
W: Good afternoon. Nice to meet you and glad to have such an opportunity to help language learners.
M: Now, Prof. Oxford, before we talk about learning strategies, can you tell us something more about yourself?
W: All right.(1)Before becoming a professor, I was a research psychologist, program evaluator, and language teacher. I have written and edited some books on language learning strategies, motivation, cultural identity, and teaching methods. Some of my books, such as Language Learning Strategies: What Every Teacher Should Know, have been translated into Arabic.
M: So you are a widely known English teacher in the Middle East. As far as I know, you have also written over 60 published chapters and articles. What is your focus now?
W: Language learning styles and strategies and how these factors relate to language teaching methods in different cultures. That’s what I am interested in now.
M: So, talking ataut learning styles, have you come across any strong evidence of gender differences in learning styles?
W:(2)Well, some gender differences do exist in learning styles, with about 60% of males tending to be more objectively-thinking oriented and about 60% of females being more subjectively-thinking oriented.
M: So gender does play a role. What about age? Say, which types of learning strategy tend to be most successful with young learners—if it is possible to generalise?
W: My friend and colleague Pamela Gunning of Canada has studied the strategies of young learners of ESL in Montreal. In her study, she found that young learners in her study used certain strategies more often than others, regardless of proficiency level.
M: That’s interesting. Can you give us some examples?
W: For instance, among the compensation strategies, guessing and asking for help were used significantly more often than using gestures and employing indirect expressions.(3)Among the metacognitive strategies, listening attentively was used more often than analyzing the reason for errors, self-evaluating, planning study time, or creating practice opportunities.
M: Hmm. How about older learners? Some independent learners need to prepare for high stakes exams such as TOEFL or IELTS. What advice would you give them? What strategies might they use to maximize their independent learning strategies while still having very narrow learning goals?
W: Standardized-test-takers would benefit from many vocabulary-learning strategies, such as grouping and labeling related words, semantic mapping, using visual images of words, and using flash cards or posting word-labels on a "word wall. "
M: So vocabulary is the basic.
W: Yes. But only a large vocabulary won’t do.
M: What else do they need?
W:(4)They would also benefit from many reading-related strategies involving guessing from context, predicting, reviewing questions before reading the passage, and analyzing words and phrases to understand the meaning.
M: I see. But when they take exams, they should finish all the questions in a certain period of time. How about time management? Do you have any suggestions?
W: Strategies such as planning one’s time and checking one’s work would also be helpful.
M: That sounds helpful. But that brings about my next question. Some students can do very well without consciously referring to the strategies you have mentioned. Why?
W: From my study, the kind of students you mentioned actually are not those without strategies, they are just able to absorb language less consciously than others; that is, they can "acquire" language rather than "learn" it. They do have strategies. They just don’t realize that they do.
M: So in terms of your own theories of second language acquisition, what is the relationship between developing a very conscious knowledge of your own learning strategies, on the one hand, and simply acquiring language unconsciously through exposure, enjoyment, engagement, etc. ?
W: The learners from upper elementary school through adulthood tend to need more conscious, structured language instruction, and for them the use of learning strategies is essential. By structured language instruction I certainly do not mean grammar based, hut I do mean organized and intentional.(5)I just read an article about adult advanced proficiency language learners living in the target country. It said that only a small percentage actually improved their language proficiency_merely through exposure and involvement;__the majority needed real instruction in order to improve. One would assume that those who required real instruction in the host country would also benefit from the conscious use of learning strategies. Also, from personal experience, learning strategies help in travel situations as much as in the classroom.
M: I see. Now, thank you again, Prof. Oxford, for coming down here. It’s 8:00 p. m. GMT and now, Lindsay is ready to do the weather forecast.
W: Glad being here. Good bye.