A Study of English Majors’ Language Learning Strategies

Content Provider	Semantic Scholar
Author	Hu, Hai-Tao
Copyright Year	2018
Abstract	This paper is a questionnaire survey on learning strategies used by English majors, including good language learners and less successful learners. The purpose of this study is to find out whether the two groups of the students used the same or different learning strategies. It was found that whether using learning strategies or using different learning strategies is the main reason for their different achievements. In addition, most good language learners like to use kinds of learning strategies, which made English not beyond their reach. Introduction As for how language learning is affected by various factors, eight factors have often been discussed. They are motivation, intelligence, age, aptitude, attitude, personality, first language and learning strategies: The reason why the author selects learning strategies as the focus of this paper is that other factors are impossible to change or beyond the tasks to be fulfilled within the field of language teaching and learning. For instance, intelligence, aptitude and personality are generally innate and it is difficult to exert influence on them within a short period of time. A Review of Research on Learning Strategies Definition of Learning Strategies The simplest definition of language learning strategies is the one given by Oxford: Learning strategies are the steps taken by students to enhance their own learning. Language learning strategies are tools for active, self-directed involvement, which is essential for developing communicative competence (Oxford, 1990:1). Michael et al (1990) defines language learning strategies as processes that are activated in order to understand new information that is ambiguous or to lean or to retain new information, Thus language learning strategies are not only the skills that help the learner to manipulate information or the processes that are activated to encode information, they are also the learner’s knowledge about language, language learning and the factors that affect language learning. Learning strategies are better thought of as a system of different levels of all the strategies, including the more general ones and the more specific ones, the linguistic ones and the communicative ones, and the active ones, etc. Classification of Learning Strategies Oxford classified learning strategies as six types: 1) Memory strategies: i.e., creating mental linkage, applying images and songs, reviewing well, employing actions. 2) Cognitive strategies: e.g., practicing, receiving and sending messages, analyzing and reasoning, creating structure for input.3) Compensatory strategies: e.g., guessing intelligently, overcoming limitations in speaking and writing. 4) Metacognitive strategies: i.e., centering your learning, arranging and planning your learning, evaluating your learning. 5) Affective strategies: e.g., lowering your anxiety, encouraging yourself, taking your emotional temperature. 6) Social strategies: e.g., ask ingestions, cooperation with others, empathizing with others, becoming aware of other’s thoughts and feelings.
File Format	PDF HTM / HTML
DOI	10.12783/dtssehs/esem2018/23917
Alternate Webpage(s)	http://www.dpi-proceedings.com/index.php/dtssehs/article/viewFile/23917/23552
Alternate Webpage(s)	https://doi.org/10.12783/dtssehs%2Fesem2018%2F23917
Language	English
Access Restriction	Open
Content Type	Text
Resource Type	Article