Learning Strategies: A Focus on the Use of Memory Strategies to Learn Archaic English

Abstract

The main goal of the present study was to discover what kind of learning strategies learners use to learn archaic English vocabulary and expressions with a special focus on memory strategies. In order to achieve this purpose, three different British novels from the 19th century (Sense and Sensibility, Jane Eyre, and Pride and Prejudice) were analysed and compared with their corresponding film adaptations. Then, a survey was created by the researcher in which, as a means of help, some quotes from these books and movies were introduced in one of the questions. In total, 24 participants gave their previous consent to participate and took part in answering the questionnaire. On the one hand, the obtained results showed that most of the participants use memory strategies, such as imagery, the representation of sounds, associating to world events, placing words in new contexts, or keywords, to learn new lexis. On the other hand, the rest of the survey respondents indicated that they use either other learning techniques or a combination of several of them so as to achieve a successful language learning. Regarding possible combinations of learning strategies, the ones declared by the participants were metacognitive and cognitive learning strategies, social and metacognitive learning strategies, and even cognitive and memory learning strategies.