Favor learning strategies that rely on long-term memory and integrate new material with existing cognitive structures¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · no claims cited

Description¶

The digest states that strategies relying more on long-term memory rather than short-term memory, ones that "integrate new concepts and materials withalready existing cognitive structures, tend to be best for olderlearners." Spiraling material helps with short-term memory limits, while rote learning may not succeed even though many adult refugees believe it is the method of choice.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• A balance needs to be struck between theteacher's beliefs, the older refugee's beliefs,and what we know about the effect of learning onboth long term and short term memory.

Constraints¶

• Learning entirely new concepts, such as thosedemanded by a computer or facts associated withcitizenship training, may be beyond the capabilitiesof elderly refugees.

Target Learners¶

• older adult second language learners, including non-literate refugees

Target Learning Goals¶

• retention of new language concepts and vocabulary

Related Strategies¶

• Embed grammar and vocabulary in situations refugees will encounter, and design instruction that acknowledges age
• Cramming

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Grognet, Allene Guss. (1997). Elderly Refugees and Language Learning. Center for Applied Linguistics. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED416721