Language-learning strategies: a case for cross-curricular collaboration

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Description/Abstract

This paper addresses the case for collaboration between English and modern languages teachers and researchers in teaching and learning languages. The British context is set out against a background of government initiatives to raise secondary pupils’ literacy skills. Salient trends in the teaching approach of English (L1) and modern language (ML) teachers are compared and contrasted in order to identify pedagogic concerns. To date, these concerns tend to focus on the teaching of grammar. Teachers’ divergent views on the issue is one factor impeding greater collaboration between them. The learning strategy research field is presented as an alternative area of commonality. This research stresses developing ‘how to learn’ skills with pupils. Memorisation and reading strategies are compared across L1and ML to illustrate the potential for collaboration in making explicit links between the two areas of language learning. A strategy research agenda is identified with a view to establishing how recent policy changes offer the potential to explore more effective ways to impact on language teaching and learning.