Greek young learners

1
Greek young learners perceptionsabout foreign
language learningand teaching

• Angeliki Psaltou-Joycey Areti-Maria
  Sougari Aristotle University of
  Thessaloniki

2
Reasons for investigating beliefs

• Beliefs about LL influence
• Language learning behaviour (Erhman Oxford
  1995 Mori 1999)
• Attitudes, motivation, achievement (Riley 1996
  Cain Dweck 1995)

3
Beliefs about the teachers role

• Teachers beliefs often differ from learners
  beliefs about the teachers role in the LL
  process (Cortazzi Jin 1996 Kern 1995 McCargar
  1993)

4
The role of feedback

• Both, content-based and formal errors should be
  corrected (Radecki Swales 1988)
• Errors should be corrected from early stages
  (Yang 1999)
• Learners should self-correct (Stern 1975)

5
Learner independence

• Importance of educational and cultural background
  (Knowles 1976 Cameron 1990)
• Learners want autonomy in learning (Cotterall
  1995)
• Importance of metacognitive knowledge (Wenden
  1999)

6
Beliefs about learning strategies

• Self-efficacy affects strategy use (Yang 1996)
• Learning directly affects strategy use (Wen
  Johnson 1997 Wenden 1999)
• Gender affects strategy use (Bacon Finnemann
  1992)
• Motivating course material affects strategy use
  (Pintrich 1989 Pintrich De Groot 1990)

7
Learning context and beliefs

• L2 vs FL context (Kojic-Sabo Lightbown 1999)
• Secondary learners and adult learners
  (Chesterfield and Chesterfield 1985 Kiely 2002)
• What about primary learners?
• Very limited research (Cain and Dweck 1995
  Chamot and El-Dinary 1999 Purdie Oliver 1999
  Lin 2001 Lan and Oxford 2003)

8
Present study

• Aim
• To explore learners beliefs about language
  learning
• To suggest plausible ways for effective teaching
  strategies

9
Present study description

• Subjects N 516
• Primary 6th grade (N 262)
• Lower Secondary 3rd grade (N254)
• Instrument Questionnaire (adapted from
  Cotterall 1995, 1999
• Oxford 1990)
  5-point Likert scale (1 I totally disagree, 5 I
  totally agree)
• Role of the teacher
• Role of feedback
• Nature of learning
• Role of independent learning
• Role of learning strategies
• Method of analysis descriptive statistics
  (frequencies, means, t-tests)
• Significance level plt.05

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Present study Results
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RESULTS

• T-test results
• Significant differences between Primary Learners
  (PL) and Lower Secondary Learners (LSL) in the
  case of
• Beliefs about the
• Role of the teacher (PL 3,4 /LSL 3,2 / t 3,5,
  plt .001)
• Role of independent learning (PL 3,6 /LSL 3,3 /
  t 3,5, plt .001)
• Nature of learning (PL 3,6 / LSL 3,3 /t 6,2,
  plt .001)
• But not in the case of feedback (p gt .05)

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• The older the learners are, the more inquisitive
  they become. They start looking at teaching and
  learning in a more critical way as they grow
  older.
• Both groups of learners hold similar views as
  regards the role of feedback, because feedback is
  seen as part of their everyday reality, which
  affects the way they learn.

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ResultsBeliefs about the role of the teacher

• PL hold stronger beliefs than LSL
• The T is expected to
• help them have good learning outcomes (PL4,4 /
  LSL 3,9 / t 5,7, plt .001)
• create opportunities for practice (PL4,1 /
  LSL3,8 / t 2,7, plt .01)
• let the learners know what they have learnt upon
  completion of a certain activity (PL 3,9 / LSL
  3,5 / t 3,5, plt .001)
• decide how much time will be devoted to a certain
  activity (PL3,9 / LSL3,5 / t 2,2, plt .05)
• But learners think alike when they are asked
  whether their Teacher should (no significant
  differences found, pgt .05)
• talk to them about their progress
• tell them what to do
• inform them about problems with their learning
• give them regular tests

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Beliefs about the role of feedback

• PL believe that
• they read carefully the corrections made in their
  written assignments to avoid similar mistakes
  (PL 4,5 / LSL 3,9 / t 5,8, plt .001)
• the teacher knows better than anyone else the
  progress they are making (PL 4,1 / LSL 3,7 / t
  3,2, plt .001)
• LSL believe they are more critical of what they
  say
• possible errors may prove to be an obstacle (PL
  3,6 / LSL 4,0 / t 3,5, plt.001)

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Beliefs about the nature of learning

• Primary learners believe that
• Knowledge of rules is important (PL 4,3/LSL4,0
  / t 3,3, plt .001)
• Errors hinder learning (PL 2,7 / LSL 2,2 / t
  3,7, plt .001)
• In order to talk, they should have the knowledge
  of rules (PL 4,3 / LSL 3,5 / t 7,6, plt .001)
• Learning can be achieved within a short time
  (PL3,7 / LSL3,4 / t 3,7, plt .001)
• Progress in English depends on the work performed
  in class (PL 4,0/ LSL3,6 / t 4,3, plt .001)
• BUT lower secondary learners believe
• Discussing about progress with the Teacher makes
  them feel uneasy (PL 3,1 / LSL 3,4 / t -2,2,
  plt .05)

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Beliefs about independent learning

• Primary learners believe that
• They try to find solutions to difficulties alone
  (PL3,3 / LSL 2,9 / t 3,4, plt .001)
• They can spot errors (speaking/writing) (PL3,9/
  LSL 3,6 / t 3,9, plt .001)

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Beliefs about the role of learning strategies

• Memory strategies (PL 3,3 /LSL2,6 / t 7,2
  , plt .001)
• Cognitive strategies (PL 3,3 /LSL 3,1 / t
  3,8, plt .001)
• Compensation strategies (PL 3,7 /LSL 3,9 / t
  -3, plt .01)
• Metacognitive strategies (PL 4,1 /LSL 3,4/ t
  8,1, plt .001)
• Social strategies (PL 4,0 /LSL 3,8 / t 2,3,
  plt .05)

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Beliefs about the role of learning strategies

• Memory strategies
• Making new sentences that incorporate new words
  (PL3,2 / LSL2,6 /t 4,9, plt .001)
• Regular revisions (PL 3,9/ LSL3,2 /t 6,4,
  plt.001)
• Cognitive strategies
• pronunciation practice (PL 4,0/ LSL3,2 /
  t7,6, plt.001)
• searching for similarities between MT and TL
  (PL
• 3,0/ LSL2,8 / t2,4, plt .05)
• BUT deducing meaning from context without
  translation (PL 2,8/LSL3,3 / t -3,894, plt
  .001)
• Forming sentences in Greek and then translating
  (PL3,4 /LSL3,0 / t3,1, plt.01)

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• Compensation strategies deducing meaning from
  context to avoid the use of a dictionary (PL
  3,4/ LSL 3,7 / t -2,8, plt .01)
• Metacognitive strategies
• studying English regularly (PL 3,9/ LSL2,8
  / t 9,1, plt .001 )
• concerned about progress (PL 4,3/ LSL3,9 /
  t4,2, plt .001)
• Social strategies
• asking for clarification (PL 4,0/ LSL3,8 /
  t2,3, plt .05)

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CONCLUSIONS

• The teacher is seen as a facilitator for
  learning.
• The teacher should show them how to learn.
• Errors are expected to be corrected by the
  teacher.
• PL place importance on rules and the mother
  tongue.
• Personal effort is considered important. Learners
  are quite autonomous.
• PL dedicate more time for studying due to
  different priorities.
• Learners make use of different strategies.
• PL use memory, cognitive, metacognitive and
  social strategies whereas LSL use compensation
  strategies.

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Suggestions

• Teachers can relax and start enjoying teaching by
  adopting a facilitative role.
• Learners can assume responsibility for their
  learning (willing and able) but they need to be
  shown how to perform certain things.

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• Thank you
• asougari_at_enl.auth.gr
• apsajoy_at_enl.auth.gr