Abstract

This book addresses fundamental questions regarding the relationships between successful language learning and strategy use and development according to learner, situational or target variables. It considers strategy effectiveness from an individual point of view and discusses pedagogical issues, especially relating to teacher perceptions and training, classroom and learner factors, methodology and content. The book begins by discussing underlying theoretical issues and then presents evidence from empirical studies; in addition to presenting a quantitative view, the book also takes a qualitative look at strategy use by individuals. Rather than focusing on strategies divorced from the 'real world' of the classroom, this book explores the issues from the teaching/learning point of view.

This book is a must-read for language teachers, learners, teacher educators, and student-teachers. Resolve the controversies about learning strategies by reading this book and learn how strategy type, quality, quantity, and development are related to learning variables; why and how teachers can contribute to strategy development; and what researchers can still investigate in this area of enquiry.

Carol Griffiths has many years' experience as teacher, manager and teacher trainer in the field of English Language Teaching. She completed a PhD researching language learning strategies at the University of Auckland, New Zealand, and learner issues continue to be her main research interest. Carol is currently working as a teacher trainer at Fatih University in Istanbul, Turkey, having previously worked in New Zealand, Indonesia, Japan, China, North Korea and UK.

For anyone interested in the role of strategies in language learning, this book provides an excellent wide-ranging analysis of theoretical and conceptual issues, quantitative and qualitative research evidence, and pedagogical perspectives and implications. This authoritative resource is written in a clear and accessible style, with many helpful examples and concept boxes to illustrate the discussion.

In this book, Griffiths clearly illustrates that learner-strategy research can assist in opening new avenues by exploring ways to find best-fit strategies for learners, finding ways for teachers to know what learners are actually doing in learning English, and for applied linguists, validating the rationale of researching learner strategies.

The scope of the ideas expressed in this book makes it a great resource for a wide range of readers. The author’s clear descriptions of a wealth of terminology and classifications, and explicit guidance on how to draw pedagogical implications for classroom practice and teacher education make the text accessible and manageable for researchers and teachers alike.

The book by Carol Griffiths, titled The Strategy Factor in Successful Language Learning, is without doubt a valuable addition to research into the field of language learning strategies in the sense that, on the one hand, it may provide a source of inspiration for further studies, and, on the other, it may constitute a useful point of reference for second and foreign language teachers…The book by Carol Griffiths is definitely worth reading as it considerably extends our knowledge about language learning strategies, it succeeds in addressing some of the most controversial issues, points to important directions for future research, and offers a number of feasible guidelines for practitioners. As a consequence, the book will be of relevance to wide audiences, ranging from theorists and researchers, through materials writers and teacher trainers, to classroom teachers and students enrolled in graduate and postgraduate courses.