F: Something happens to me with this structure, well, actually, there are two
structures in one, two sentences in one, then, most of the times I already thought
about the second sentence (would clause), that is, what I want to say last, then, I
have to think how I am going to start to build the first part. Or, I am starting but
then I ask myself: and then what, what’s next? That’s what happens to me. I need
to be able to make a connection while I am speaking, an ongoing connection.
He is also aware that he needs such a close monitoring when he is speaking. For writing,
F says:
F: Sometimes, when writing it doesn’t matter. I do not have to work so hard.
Maybe I don’t notice it because when writing I can stop myself and nobody is
waiting for me to say something.
With regards to the type a), Ga and K provided evidence of their beliefs:
K: I know that I have to work more when I watch films with close captions. There
are three things to do: see the body language, listen to what they are saying and
pay attention to the grammar, because it is there, it is written. While without
close captions, I only concentrate in the image and the sound.
Ga: (One of my principles is) to practise what I Ieam as soon as possible. If you
don’t use the new words, they just stay in the short-term memory. I have to say
it in order for it to stay. It gets fixed, and from that practice I Ieam other forms
of use. That enriches you, and I Ieam and I build something bigger and bigger.
The knowledge grows.
Unlike most learners, K prefers to do without the written language because that distracts
her from her priority, oral language.
In both cases, it is clear that they “understand the conditions that help (them) to
successfully” Ieam the language. On several occasions, Ga also talked about the way of
“arranging for the presence of those conditions”:
Ga: I make my tandem partner use the language I am learning at that moment...
I ask: “By the way, how do you use this...?” I try to maximise my opportunities...
I think that for having a conversation with someone you need to plan specific
topics to talk about. I make decisions according to my priorities. I take notes.
Otherwise it would be a mess. This is important for me to feel that I took
advantage of that opportunity. ...Sometimes my interlocutor asks questions,
and sometimes those questions are related to my doubts. But, if they are not, then,
“I am sorry, I am going to interrupt you because I need you to explain me this...”,
“And see, I have this doubt...”, “And tell me this in Spanish...”, “And now, how
do you say this in English...”
For the rest of the group, the use of strategy type a) was limited to the
understanding of the conditions. A, for instance, makes reference to what it was said in
one of the input sessions to make this clear:
A: From what I have learned, we pretend to Ieam only by activating the short