Learning and reception strategies used by L2 learners in completing a modified cloze procedure: six case studies

Abstract

The present study is an investigation of the cognitive learning and reception strategies used by first year university students of French while completing a modified cloze procedure. Three successful and three less successful learners were asked to ‘think aloud’ as they carried out the task, and retrospective reports were sought in order to ensure completeness of information. A list of strategies identified as being used by learners when working on the cloze text was established and, on the basis of these categories, the strategies were analyzed in terms of the effect of (i) frequency, (ii) quality and (iii) clustering of strategy use on performance. The results indicate that, while frequency may provide some indication of a particular strategy's usefulness on this task, it is quality and clustering of strategy use that more clearly differentiate successful from less successful learners. The results of this study are also discussed in terms of recommendations for individualized strategy instruction, since the ‘think aloud’ protocols provide a very detailed diagnosis of each learner’s strengths and weaknesses.