Use of language learning strategies: A synthesis of studies with implications for strategy training

Learners’ Starting Age of Learning EFL and Use of Language Learning Strategies

“…A good review of these factors by Oxford (1989) shows the following variables as relevant: language being learned; level of language learning, proficiency, or course; degree of metacognitive awareness; sex; affective variables such as attitudes, motivation, and language learning goals; specific personality traits; overall personality types; learning style; career orientation or field of specialization; national origin; aptitude; language teaching methods; task requirements; type of strategy training; and age.…”

Vol. 2, No. 4, in December 2009

“…For example, Oxford (1989cited in Ellis, 1994 defines the term as 'behaviours or actions', whereas Weinstein and Mayer (1986) argues learning strategies involve both behaviours and thoughts.…”

“…In addition, as an inevitable factor in language learning, motivation imposes its impact on learner strategies as well, to name just a few, passing exams and living up to parents' expectation. It has been claimed by some researchers that more motivated learners, no matter in what way, employ learning strategies more frequently than less motivated learners (Oxford 1989). …”

“…If I would like to check the learners' use of language learning strategies, any one from self-designed think-aloud written report, reading journal, informal interview, classroom observation and survey would be worth trying. To get a general profile of the learners' strategy use frequency as a preliminary step, I can use Chinese translation of the Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL Version 7.0 for ESL/EFL, Oxford, 1989), a widely employed summative rating scale involving 6 subscales (namely, memory, cognitive, compensation, metacognitive, affective and social strategy) of 50 items on a five-point Likert-scale, the reliability and validity of which have been confirmed by many researchers in cross-cultural contexts. As a supplement to this inventory, a few lines of background information is expected to be supplied by the learners, such as gender, age and the college entrance exam mark (given no other placement test result is available at the moment).…”

Learning English as a Foreign Language: Cultural Values and Strategies in the Chinese Context

“…It seems from the latter that success in learning occurs if learning is effective, enjoyable and easier. Oxford (1989) previously provided a seemingly straightforward functional definition for language learning strategies as "behaviours or actions which learners use to make language learning more successful, self-directed, and enjoyable" (p.235) and in her 1990 column she simply replaced the phrase 'behaviours and actions used by learner's with the more general 'steps taken by the learner,' which could accommodate both behavioural and mental steps and learning strategies are keys to greater autonomy and more meaningful learning" (p.4). The purpose of research on learning strategies is to gain "a better understanding of learners, their strategies, their thoughts and feelings during the learning process, their success as well as their difficulties and failures, that we may gradually arrive at a better understanding of language learning and teaching" (Stern, 1975, p.317) .…”