developing children’s language learner strategies at primary…小学儿童语言学习策略的发展….doc

Developing children’s language learner strategies at primary school This article discusses the strategy repertoires and strategy development of six English children who learned foreign languages at primary school. My study differs from mainstream research in that it focuses on young children and on the development of their strategies, draws on sociocultural theory and uses ethnographic methods. My findings show that the six children developed a range of strategies over the course of a calendar year in spite of receiving no direct strategy instruction. The primary classroom encouraged learner autonomy and stimulated children to reflect on their learning which, in turn, enabled them to refine their strategies. Keywords: strategies; experiences; primary school; sociocultural theory Introduction The teaching of foreign languages is now mandatory in primary schools in most EU countries (European Commission 2008, 2009). It will be so in England from 2011. Research findings on primary language learning have demonstrated that it increases children’s self-esteem, enhances their motivation and enthusiasm for language learning and contributes to the development of positive attitudes towards other cultures (Blondin et al. 1998; Kubanek-German 1998; Naysmith 1999; Pufahl et al. 2000). Heightened metalinguistic and metacognitive awareness have been mentioned as additional gains by researchers working in the field of bilingualism (Baker 2006; Cummins 1976; Hamers Blanc 1989). Metacognitive awareness fosters the development of language learner strategies which, in turn, has the potential to enhance proficiency, self-regulation and independent learning. Although learner strategies play a key role in learning, strategy instruction is currently not a general feature of classroom teaching (Beckman 2002). At best, curricula propose strategies as one of their strands (e.g. Dam’s ‘Flower model’ mentioned in Dickinson (1987)). One strand of the KS2 framework for Modern Foreign Langua