INTRODUCTION

Boryana Ruzhekova-Rogozherova

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The current work, treating issues related to language awareness and language learning strategies, with emphasis on frequently jointly applied contrastive teaching and comparative teaching approaches, is the fruit of not a few years of research and studies conducted by the author, and was written within the framework of applied linguistics, ELT and ESP¹. Although carried out applied linguistics research and studies were implemented with respect to the teaching of English to predominantly higher (and, to a small extent, high) school learners, this work put forward theses, teaching procedures, observations and results are also largely applicable to FLT (along with FL for specific purposes) in general, and more specifically, to French language teaching, essentially due to put forward English ↔ French parallels and contrasts².

Main topics examined, investigated in the perspective of their mutual connectedness, are language awareness (LA) in terms of its crucial relevance in ELT, ESP (and FLT) as prerequisite to mental representation (MR) construction in cognitive teaching (CgT), language learning strategies (LLS) teaching and implementation, contributing to LA formation, amongst which really frequently used contrastive teaching (CT), usually jointly applied with comparative teaching (CpT).

Research has revealed over the years LA crucial importance not only in ELT (FLT), but also in EL (FL) learning process efficient performance; views on understanding role have positively developed so that even authors, such as Crashen 1984, laying stress mainly on unconscious acquisition, have written about understanding (e.g., Crashen’s statement about understandable input), this way definitely referring to awareness and consciousness³ in language teaching and learning. The study is not uniquely aimed at theoretically considering and motivating LA relevance in EFL and ESP, but also, at delineating LA issues with respect to CgT, which has yielded successful results in teaching practice. LA enhancement has proved rewarding in theory and in practice as learners’ improved linguistic understanding and knowledge about language functioning at all have greatly contributed to students’ practical knowledge and skills improvement, both types of knowledge, theoretical and practical, being interrelated communication competence components. Finally, in terms of LA improvement relevance, it needs to be mentioned that it has turned out to boost learner motivation (LM) parameters and to, consequently, corroborate learner autonomy (LrA); LA / LM mutual connection issues will be dwelt on further in the study.

The current work encompasses introductory, concluding words and three chapters, each of the chapters being devoted respectively to CgT and LA in MR formation; LLS types and their use in LA building in ELT and ESP; LA / LM phenomena interdependence.

The author considers this study will be of interest not only to colleagues, but also to students training to become applied linguistics specialists, translators and ELT teachers.

Due to the limited number of abbreviations used across the text these will be presented hereby, and not in a separate section:

CT - contrastive teaching

CgT - cognitive teaching

CpT - comparative teaching

ELT - English language teaching

ESP - English for specific purposes

FLT - foreign language teaching

LA - language awareness

LLS - language learning strategies

LM - language learning motivation

LrA - learner autonomy

LT - language teaching

MR - mental representations

NL - native language

© Boryana Ruzhekova-Rogozherova
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© E-publisher LiterNet, 10.05.2018
Boryana Ruzhekova-Rogozherova. Language Awareness, Language Learning Strategies, Contrastive and Comparative Teaching in ELT and ESP. Varna: LiterNet, 2018