Intermediate St

Learning Strategies

Traditional Education and New forms of Education:

In traditional education information is given or taught about the different areas of knowledge that surround the individual. The direction and flow is from the subject to the individual. He is simply given the information and is expected to absorb, learn and remember as much as he possibly can. 

In the new forms of education, the previous emphases must be reversed.

You are the key to success

Learn facts about you

None of these things remain equal every year. As your life changes you change with it. The strategies must change.

How can you learn, think?

How can you recall, create?

How can you solve problems?

What works 4 u?

Your notes are important…

1 Use mind-maps (with colors and numbers)

2 Use Graphic Organizers

3 Develop your own personal Style

4 All notes must include: (Rules and examples,

pronunciation, similarities and differences, order, numbers,

colors, be brief and sweet)

This means to spell them right, to pronounce them properly, to be able to use them in sentences and mentally visualize their meaning.

Know the Verbs

Pay more attention to the strategy than to the memory

You don’t need to understand 100%. First identify isolated words, use logic and context to make up the missing information. Observe relationships, location, body language, intonation patterns.

Listening

Put up with uncertainty and develop notions of languagePractice with any listening material including native and non-native speakers.Repeat (systematically)Identify intonation patternsCreate mental images of what you listen

GOOD HABITS

Not taking notes or taking notes on the notebook or pieces of paper that you can lose.Pretend to understand AND REMEMBER every single word that was said.Pick up words in isolation without thinking about the context.Listen and translateTell yourself: No entiendo nada, esto es muy difícil, no es para mi, estoy negado(a)

BAD HABITS

Improving Pronunciation, Vocabulary, gradually

• It IS NOT overnight learning (be patient)• Identify the accent phonemes: For Spanish speakers learning English,

some of the sounds are: /l/ /r/ /h/ /t/ /y/ /d/ and vowels• Become aware of the intonation pattern and the differences with the

mother tongue. Pronouncing the sounds accurately is not the only problema about pronunciation but the complete intonation pattern.

• Problem words: these are commonly hilariously mispronounced: (bus, boss, sheet, shit, but, butt, focus, fuck us, beach, bitch, keys, Kiss, eyes, ice, teeth, tits, put away)

First just identify both: intonation pattern and problem sounds in authentic material like: music, films, and audio books, T.V.Speak the mother tongue with the foreign language accent (the differences you identified)SingRead along with the tape of the audio bookRepeat phrases and write the down Check word order

HOW TO PRACTICE

To think in English you must create mental images out of the words. Match the words with situations. Your mental dialogue must be in English, what you don’t know how to say write it in a notebook and ask the teacher.

Speaking

Openings (the beginning of the conversations)Closings (the end of the conversations)Fillers (hesitationWays to interrupt, ways to keep talking and not be interrupted.EncouragingFalse beginningPhone interaction versus face to face interaction

PAY ATTENTION TO

The exam gives you positive feedbackYou need to understand what they evaluate per section. Not the words in every single sentence.Only try what you know 100% is right.Use all the vocabulary and instructions in the exams as models of how to say somethingAsk the teacher if you are not clear about the instructioins.

GOOD EXAM TAKING

You want to understand 100% of the words.Answer with words you have never used before in class or homework assignments.Do not use the context to understand.Do not read questions carefully or do not clarify the instructions in them.Leave questions unansweredDo not look on other sections of the exam for ideas.

BAD EXAM TAKING

The result doesn’t tell about your IQ. It tells about your study strategies. Did not like the result? Change the study strategies.

EXAM

THANK YOU!