Book Review: COHEN, Andrew D. and Ernesto Macaro, Language Learner Strategies: Thirty Years of Research and Practice (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007), pp. viii + 336. ISBN 978-0-19-442254-3 (pbk)
RELC Journal, 2009
In learning a language, the learner usually employs a range of strategies to digest or to make se... more In learning a language, the learner usually employs a range of strategies to digest or to make sense of the new linguistic input and to retain it for future use. The learner is an active agent and what strategy or method of study and learning he or she uses makes a difference in the learning process. We should acknowledge the learner’s behaviour and his or her’s use of strategy as worthy areas of research for language learning theory and language acquisition. In the past thirty years, since the publication of Rubin (1975) and Stern (1975), research on learner strategy has gone through a chequered history, with a lack of agreement among scholars even on the most fundamental question of all: ‘what defines a language learner strategy or a learning strategy?’ Although it has been established in the literature that learners use a range of strategies to facilitate and consolidate their learning of the target language, there is still much to be researched on the theories behind learner strategy and their applications. Both scholars who are into language learner strategies (LLS) research and readers who are new to the field, but want to embark on a new learning journey, would find this book an excellent reference. It gives an insightful overview of thirty years of research and practice on language learner strategies. It brings together a group of leading researchers to provide a self-critical review of the theory-building and empirical research on LLS and to point to the future directions that the field should move into. The genesis of the project began with a series of meetings in 2003–2004 at the University of Oxford where 23 leading experts met, discussed issues relating to LLS and finally planned out the themes that would be covered in the various chapters. The chapters or reviews compiled in the volume focus on the L2 learners and examine the reasons why good and successful L2 learners show competency in the way they learn the target language, employing the strategies that work for them while the less successful ones struggle in the way they learn and the strategies they bring to language learning. The Introduction, penned by the two editors, states that ‘the book seeks to be different from many other edited books on a given research area of applied linguistics’ (p. 1). Indeed, readers will find this book refreshing and unique in that the articles written by top experts on LLS give a reappraisal of the theoretical and empirical research findings. The articles also refer to possible areas and directions for future research to be carried out. Part One of the book consists of seven chapters discussing issues, theories and frameworks pertaining to LLS. Chapter 1, by Mike Grenfell and Ernesto Macaro,
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