language learner profile

1. Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción
Facultad de Educación
Pedagogía en Educación Media en Inglés.
Language Learning Profile
1
Nombre: Rocío Muñoz Jara.
María Lagos Lagos.
Course: ESL Methodology
Teacher: Maria Gabriela Sanhueza.
Concepcion, November 2014.

2. Index
2
3. 4. - Theoretical Framework
5. - Student’s Language Background
6. - Written Diagnosis Test
- Analysis and assessment of specific diagnosis
7. - Planning a CALLA Lesson
8. 9. - Procedures
10. - Discussion and Conclusion
11. - References

3. Theoretical Framework
For students learning and acquiring a second or foreign language can be difficult and
frustrating if they do not have the necessary tools and the key to successfully mastering all
the skills of the language itself. Therefore, the learning of a foreign or second language
depends upon the language learning styles and the strategies. Students` learning styles are,
according to Oxford (2003), the general approaches which are used with the purpose of
learn other subject or acquire a new language. On the other hand, learning strategies are
used by students to enhance their own learning. A conscious, active and purposeful self-regulation
of learning is accomplished by students when they choose strategies that fit with
their learning style and the L2 task at hand. Furthermore, cognitive, metacognitive,
memory-related, compensatory, affective and social are different kind of learning
strategies.
Rebecca Oxford (2003) defined learning strategies as specific techniques, behaviours, steps
or/and actions that students use at the moment of learning. Not only she makes an emphasis
on learning strategies, but also she emphasises the different learning styles which can be
based on personality, sensory preferences, thinking v/s feeling, beyond the stylistic comfort
zone, among others.
The importance of the language leaner strategies in the learning process of a second
language from the point of Steven McDonough`s view (2006) lies on the importance of
what the learner is going to learn from his own experience by using a strategy. On the other
hand, strategy is something that the learner has already use it and has the experience on it;
therefore, they are sure that they are going to get the right answer by using it. Moreover, if
the learner have reached that level is because it is a particular feature of himself called, his
own ´´learning persona``. Therefore, the use of learning strategies increases leaners`
motivation and they are more interested because they feel that they can be successful on the
tasks.
Finally, Chamot (2004) states that students can accomplish learning goals through thoughts
and actions; i.e., learning strategies. Most learning strategies could be unobservable
(selective attention) or observable (take notes); therefore, the only way to have knowledge
3

4. about the strategies that students are using is through verbal report data in order to capture
mental processes (Cohen, 1998; O’Malley & Chamot, 1990; Rubin, 1975; Wenden, 1991,
as cited in Chamot 2004). Retrospective interviews, stimulated recall interviews,
questionnaires, written diaries and journals, and think-aloud protocols were used by
researchers in order to ask language learners to describe their learning processes and
strategies. Nevertheless, a questionnaire has been developed by Oxford (2003), Strategy
Inventory for Language Learning (SILL), as a tool in order to collect data in figures terms
of mostly foreign language learners (Cohen, Weaver. & Li, 1998; Nyikos & Oxford, 1993;
Olivares-Cuhat, 2002; Oxford, 1990; 1996; Oxford & Burry Stock, 1995; Wharton, 2000,
as cited in Oxford, 2003).
4

5. 5
Student´s language background
Student´s name and general information
Name: Luis Alberto Muñoz Jara.
School: CEAT (Subside School with Technical Formation).
Age: 16 years old.
Grade: Third grade.
Interests about the English language
 Master the spoken and written language (fluency, pronunciation and
vocabulary).
 Learn the correct structures in terms of grammar in the written language.
 Achieve the correct level in order to access to better opportunities in the
professional area.

6. 6
Written diagnosis task
Describing my family and my holidays
In my family we is three people. We live in Concepcion in a fourteen years. My father
work for a company and my mother works in home. My sister is a student in the university.
Also I has two dog and two cats and two fish. Also I am a student of sixteen year old, I like
play video games, I like candies, I like play football and I dislike eat vegetables. In the
future I will be in company and will live in a big house. In december I will do PSU because
I like work as a engenire. In this summer I will go to Quillon with my family and my pet. In
there I will swim and go dance in the disco. Last I will visit my grandmother in Tome with
all my family.
Analysis and assessment of specific diagnosis
It can be observed that the learner has a notable deficiency in grammar. He has problems
with the structures of sentences, he omitted the ¨s¨ of the verbs in third person singular, and
there is no coherence between subjects and verbs, spelling mistakes, to name but a few. To
begin with, there are several problems related to sentence structures and grammar, but the
main problem that we identified was the lack of coherence among sentences resulting in a
description of his family not so understandable. We have decided to focus our teaching
strategy on the development of his ideas rather than grammar. In other words, we want him
to be able to communicate not to master grammatical rules. Having this as main purpose,
the strategy that we will teach will be brainstorm. This strategy will help our student to
connect his ideas coherently resulting in a good piece of writing.

7. 7
Planning a CALLA Lesson
Content area: English
Grade: 3rd medio.
Content objectives
 Student will be able to describe his family using the structure of the simple present.
 Student will be able to express his family´s dislikes/likes.
 Student will be able to describe his family´s daily routine.
Language Objective
 Write a composition about his family.
Learning strategies
Strategies objective: writing about any topic can be seen for students as a very
difficult task especially if they do not know what to say and how to connect their ideas.
That is why the use of brainstorming strategy will help students to list every idea that
they might have. This simple process will help them to be aware of what they know;
therefore, they can organize the information in a congruous way.
Materials: pictures of families, copybook.
Topic: Describing my family.

8. 8
Procedures
Preparation
Ask to the student about his family (orally), for example:
Where does your father work?
Does your mother work?
How many brothers and sisters do you have?
What does your brother/sister do?
Do you have any pet?
Presentation
Introduce the task and the strategy.
“You have provided me with a lot of information about your family, but how can you
remember all of this ideas when you have to write them down? So today we will use a
new strategy called brainstorming”
“Now I will show you some pictures and I want you to write down ideas related to the
pictures, they can be facts that you see from the pictures, or whichever ideas that you
can infer from the images. Remember that you do not have to describe the pictures, you
have to write down your ideas”
Teacher shows a wide variety of pictures with different kind of families and doing
different activities.
Practice
“Now you will do a brainstorm about your family, write down as many ideas as you
can about your family´s members``.
Student has to write down on his copybook all the ideas related to his family. As a
result, he will be able to organize and connect the ideas by using the strategy.
After having finished the brainstorm, the student will write a composition about his
family.

9. 9
Evaluation
After he finished his first drafts, he is going to present his composition to the teacher.
The student looks for suggestions about his production in order to improve his
composition. The student is continuing with the revision process until the final editing.
Teacher asks to the student: Was useful the strategy useful for you? Can you plan your
composition by using it? or Was difficult to use it?.
Expansion
Teacher provides to the student certain information about another family. Student has
to write a composition about this family by using the brainstorming strategy, following
the same process writing that was taught before.
Teacher checks how the student is activating his previous knowledge before he start to
write.

10. 10
Discussion and Conclusion
We can assume that these problems are result of an inadequate preparation from his high
school or due to a lack of motivation by the learner. Through this diagnosis test we clearly
observed the different problems that the learner has, mainly in terms of grammar. We got to
the conclusion that providing the student with strategies will help him to improve his
performances in the English language. However, the activities should be focus on his
interests; otherwise if he is not interested in the activities he is not going to exert himself.
Furthermore, our student needs the appropriate and continuous input in the English
language in order to improve his written and spoken language. In other words, the
implementation of strategies at the moment of teaching will enhance students’ learning and
understanding.

11. 11
References
Archibald, A. (2006). Learner Strategies: an interview with Steven McDonough.
Oxford University Press.
Chamot, A. (2004). Issues in Language Learning Strategy Research and Teaching.
Electronic Journal of Foreign Language Teaching 2004, Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 14-26.
Oxford, R. (2003). Language Learning Styles and Strategies: an overview. Gala.