Learning Strategies: Prototypical Core and Dimensions of Variation

Abstract

This paper explores the concept of learning strategies through a prototype perspective. It is argued that “learning strategy” is not a clearly definable concept, because strategies differ from each other in terms of “family resemblance” or “graded degrees of membership”. The prototypical core of a strategy is a dynamic process with problem-solving as its central aim. It involves selective attention, analysis of task, choice of decisions, execution of plan, monitoring of progress and/or modification of plan, and evaluation of result. A strategy varies in terms of prototypicality along the following dimensions: 1) intentionality, 2) self-initiation, 3) metacognitive regulation, 4) sequentiality of activities, 5) chunking of activities, and 6) automaticity in strategy execution. In addition, a “learner-task-context-strategy” framework is presented to provide the “learning” dimensions of learning strategies. It is hoped that the perspectives presented in this article will alleviate the discomfort about conceptual fuzziness and open up a new agenda on language learning strategy research.