Metacognitive Strategies:
- Example: Before reading a challenging article, a TESOL student might preview the headings, scan for keywords, and write down questions they hope to answer. This activates prior knowledge and guides their focus.
- Emphasize: Metacognition isn’t just about work habits, but self-awareness. Encourage students to identify what works best for them: flashcards, summarizing paragraphs, concept maps, etc.
Social Interaction Strategies:
- Example: Students don’t just talk about a story, but re-enact a scene. This adds playfulness, lowers anxiety, and can reveal comprehension gaps the teacher can then address.
- Highlight: Social interaction is about more than just “practice.” It’s about gaining confidence using English in different social settings and with various speakers.
Cognitive Strategies:
- Example: To remember the difference between similar-sounding words (affect/effect), a student draws a simple illustration, a person with a sad affect because something effected them negatively.
- Advantage: Cognitive strategies go beyond rote memorization. They help students make connections, understand the “why” behind language rules, and analyze how it functions.
Compensation Strategies:
- Example: Instead of getting stuck on the word “stapler,” a student mimes the action of stapling papers, demonstrating circumlocution (talking around the unknown word).
- Benefit: Compensation strategies build confidence and prevent frustration. They remind students they can communicate even with imperfect knowledge.
Memory Strategies:
- Example: To remember prepositions, students create a “preposition house” – words like “on,” “over,” and “under” written in rooms relative to the furniture, visualizing placement.
- Nuance: Memory strategies work best when personalized. Encourage students to be creative; the sillier the mnemonic, sometimes the better it sticks!
Additional Notes:
- Teach strategies explicitly: Don’t assume students intuitively know how to self-monitor or create memory aids. Model these strategies and provide structured practice.
- Age matters: Younger learners might benefit from visual mnemonics, while teens might use quizzing apps for vocab practice.
- Strategy toolkit: Help students build a repertoire of strategies; what works in one situation might not be the best fit in another.
By framing these strategies actively and providing relatable examples, you empower TESOL students to take ownership of their learning, become resourceful problem-solvers, and navigate the complexities of English with increasing skill and autonomy.