This document discusses 5 factors that affect language learning strategies: motivation, proficiency level, sex, learning style, and degree of awareness. Highly motivated students and those with higher proficiency levels tend to use a wider range of strategies more frequently. Females sometimes use more strategies than males, depending on cultural context. Learning style and degree of metacognitive awareness also influence strategy use. Effective language learners have more awareness of how and when to apply different strategies.

1. GE6533 Language Learning Strategies Instruction
5 Factors Affecting
Language Learning
Strategies
Abdul Jalil Bin Abdul Rahim
(P69843)

2. Motivation
• Motivation is a significant factor affecting the choice and
the use of LLSs (Khamkien, 2010)
• Students who are highly motivated used more LLSs and
more often than less motivated students. (Okada et al.
1996)
• Oxford et al. (1993) found that high motivation and the
frequent use of LLSs significantly predicted success on a
language achievement test.

3. • With Japanese students in England, instrumental and
integrative motivation had significant effect on choice of LLs
(Tamada, 1996)

4. Proficiency level
• Park’s (1997) study on 332 Korean students showed a significant
relationship between language (English) proficiency and LLSs.
• Students from all level of proficiency incorporated LLSs in their
learning, but what differentiated effective learners from less effective
learners are the range and the way in which strategies were used
(Chamot & Kupper, 1989; Van & Abraham, 1990)
• high-proficiency learners tended to use a wider range of strategies
more frequently than low-proficiency learners (Khamkien, 2010)

5. • Higher proficiency level students used more metacognitive
strategies (Nisbett et al. 2005)
• Lower proficiency level students used more phonetic decoding
strategies (Chamot et al. 1999)

6. Sex
• Females were reported to use wider range of LLSs than males
(Taguchi, 2002; Razak et al. 2012)
• However, in some studies, it was found that males used more
language learning strategies than females (Tercanlioglu, 2004)
• Cultural context play a role in determining the use of LLSs
between gender.
• Females in conservative society may not be able to socialize
with native speakers, but the males can which make them to
select naturalistic strategies (El-Dib, 2004)

7. Learning style
• Learning styles influence the LLSs choice of a learner (Oxford,
1989)
• (Cheng and Banya, 1998, p. 82)
• Students who preferred kinesthetic learning have more
confidence as well as more positive attitudes and beliefs about
foreign language learning than students with other perceptual
learning style preferences.
• Students with the individual preference style use more
language learning strategies, and they are less tolerant of
ambiguity.

8. • Students who identified themselves as Tactile learners seemed
to be more anxious about learning English.
• Students with an Auditory preference like to make friends with
and speak with foreign language speakers (in this case, English
speakers).

9. Degree of awareness
• Better learners have more metacognitive awareness,
which helps them to select suitable strategies for learning
(Goh, 1997).
• Students who have learned how and when to use learning
strategies become more self-reliant and better able to
learn independently.
• Self-knowledge can be either an important facilitator or a
constraint in learning (Pintrich, 2002)

10. • Grenfell & Harris’ (1999) statement that
• “Methodology alone can never be a solution to language
learning. Rather it is an aid and suggestion”

11. References
Chamot, A. U., Barnhardt, S., El-Dinary, P. B., Robbins, J. 1999.
The learning strategies handbook., NY: Longman.
Chamot, A. U. & Kupper, L. 1989. Learning strategies in foreign
language instruction. Foreign Language Annual, 22: 13-24.
Cheng, M. H., & Banya, K. 1998. Bridging the gap between
teaching and learning styles. In J. Reid (Ed.). Understanding
learning styles in the second language classroom (pp. 80-84).
USA: Prentice Hall Regents.
El-Dib, M.A.B. 2004. Language learning strategies in Kuwait:
Links to gender, language level, and culture in a hybrid context.
Foreign Language Annals, 37: 85-95.

12. Goh, C. 1997. Metacognitive awareness and second language
listeners. ELT journal, 51(4): 361-369.
Grenfell, M., & Harris, V. 1999. Modern languages and learning
strategies in theory and practice. London: Routledge
Khamkhien, A. 2010. Factors affecting language learning strategy
reported usage by Thai and Vietnamese EFL learners. Electronic
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Nisbet, D. L., Tindall, E. R., & Arroyo, A. A. 2005. Language learning
strategies and English proficiency of Chinese university
students. Foreign Language Annals, 38(1), 100-107.
Okada, M., Oxford, R. L., & Abo, S. 1996. Not all alike: Motivation and
learning strategies among students of Japanese and Spanish in an
exploratory study. In R. Oxford (Ed.), Language learning
Oxford, R., Young, P. O., Ito, S., & Sumrall, M. (1993). Japanese by
satellite: Effects of motivation, language learning styles and strategies,
gender, course level, and previous language learning experience on
Japanese language achievement. Foreign Language Annals, 26: 359-
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13. Park G.P. 1997. Language learning strategies and English proficiency in Korean
university students. Foreign Language Annals, 30(2): 211–221
Pintrich, P. R. 2002. The role of metacognitive knowledge in learning, teaching,
and assessing. Theory into practice, 41(4): 219-225.
Razak, N.Z.A., Ismail, F., Aziz, A.A., & Babikkoi, M.A. 2012. Assessing the use
of English language learning strategies among secondary school students in
Malaysia. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 66: 240-246
Tamada, Y. 1996. The relationship between Japanese learners’ personal factors
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80: 120–131
Tercanlioglu, L. (2004). Exploring gender effect on adult foreign language
learning strategies. Issues in educational research, 14(2), 181-193.
Vann, R. & Abraham, R. (1990). Strategies of unsuccessful language learners.
TESOL Quarterly, 24(2):223-234. motivation: Pathways to the new century
(Technical Report #11) (pp. 105-119). Honolulu: University of Hawai’i,
Second Language Teaching and Curriculum Center.