1. 5 FACTORS
AFFECTING LLS
Muhammad Irham Syahmi bin
Lazit
A141355

2. Beliefs

3. • Wenden (1986) found that learners were able to discuss
their beliefs about the effective ways to learn a second
language, the language itself, and the selection of
strategies.
• Researchers (Abraham and Van, 1987; Horwitz, 1987,
1988; Wenden, 1986, 1987) argued that learners’ beliefs
about language learning provide an explanation for their
selection of specific LLSs. Learners’ beliefs about
language itself and how it is learned seem to affect their
use of strategies.

4. •“Believe that life is worth living and your
belief will help create the fact.”
– William James

5. Age

6. • Ramirez (1986) after identifying successful strategies
employed by 105 learners of French at three levels of
study (grade 8, grade 9-10 and grade 10-11) in two high
schools in New York concluded that successful learning
behaviours were dependent on the task, and that years
of study influenced LLS use. The study also showed that
certain strategies were employed more than others at
different levels of study.
• White (1993) studied LLS use by specific age groups of
learners of French and Japanese in New Zealand and
found that learners aged over thirty used metacognitive
self-management strategies more than those who were
younger.

8. Gender

9. • Several studies of strategy use found that females reported a
greater use of strategies than males. Ehrman and Oxford (1988)
studied seventy-eight subjects and found that females used more
strategies than males on four SILL factors: general strategies,
authentic language use, searching for and communicating meaning,
and self-management strategies.
• On the other hand, other studies show that males had a greater use
of certain strategies than females. Tran’s (1988) study of immigrant
Vietnamese aged from 40 to 92, in the USA revealed that males
made greater use of strategies to learn and to improve their English
language skills (e.g. taking English courses, practicing English with
American friends and watching television or listening to the radio in
English).

11. Motivation

12. • Motivation of language learners is said to be influential
on the selection and use of strategy in various studies.
Politzer and McGroarty (1985) indicated that the goal of
the English language learning is a major topic in any
discussion of language learning strategies. Oxford
(1989) argued that learners learn target languages for
different reasons and purposes and this could have an
effect on their choice of learning strategies.

14. Level of Proficiency

15. • O’Malley et al. (1985a) found that ESL school beginners
reported using more strategies than did the students from the
intermediate level. In another study conducted on school
learners of Spanish and Russian, O’Malley and Chamot
(1990) found that beginners reported less use of strategies
than did those from the intermediate level.
• Collecting data by means of verbal reports from 36 school
learners of French in Canada, Anderson and Vandergrift
(1996) found that the dominance of cognitive strategy use
among all students declined as the level of proficiency
increased. They also found that whenever levels of proficiency
increased so did the use of metacognitive strategies.