The Application of Strategy-Based Instructions to Teach Writing to First-Year English Majored Students

Abstract

Learning strategies (LS) have been a salient field of study in English Language Teaching (ELT) globally for the last few decades. In Vietnam, however, while the role of teachers is undeniable and teachers’ action research has proliferated exponentially, the unequal number of studies on a subject of equal importance, i.e. the local learners’ learning methods, is conspicuous. Additionally, the “how” is as important as the “what”, especially for the first-year university students, who experience a great change of learning and teaching methods when entering universities. This study examines the range of writing LS used by 50 first-year English majored students at a teacher training university in Vietnam, and the differences between more and less skilled students in writing, after being instructed on LS for one year. The study found four groups of LS of different popularity, and signifcant variations in LS use between the two groups of students.