Article ; Language Learning Strategies.

1. GENDER-BASED-DIFFERENCE IN LANGUAGE
LEARNING STRATEGIES
SYED IHTSHAM SHAFIQUE
Roll# 7207
GC UNIVERSITY FAISALABAD
ihtshamshafique.317@gmail.com
Abstract: The objective of this research is to explore the learning strategies
of male and female students and discuss those strategies in relation to gender
difference. The data was conducted from the students of applied linguistics
department of GC university Faisalabad, Pakistan. The number of respondents was
200 students of two different classes, chosen randomly in which 100 were male
students and 100 were female students. The study used mixed method both
quantitative & qualitative. The quantitative data was collected by using a
questionnaire and qualitative data was conducted through interview. The views of
students were taken by a structured interview. The study discovers that female
students use different learning strategies like memory strategy, cognitive strategy,
compensation strategy, meta cognitive strategy, emotion strategy and
communication strategy more than male students except communication strategy.
Language learning strategies are beneficial for students to learn language more
effectively.
Keywords: learning strategies, language learning strategies, gender
INTRODUCTION
Today English has become a foreign language and how to learn English language,
is an important topic for discussion. Learning strategies are important factors in
learning process. Studies conducted by scholars have showed that we can learn a
foreign language by using some important strategies. In order to be successful in
learning process ofalanguage we need to know someessential methods or strategies

2. to learn more effectively. Different students use different language learning
strategies, every student in a language learning class does not use only one strategy.
Every individual uses a strategy which is different from other students becauseeach
student does not face the same problem in learning, the problems are personal of
each student. Besides of this the language learners was also belongs to different
gender, culture, place and groups that is why their problems are also different to each
other. The teacher should also encourage the students to use different strategies so
that the students can learn effectively. We categorize learning strategies into six
forms including two dimensions, namely direct strategies and indirect strategies. The
strategy which has direct influence upon study is called direct strategy; the indirect
strategy refers to the strategy that has indirect influence upon study. Language
learning strategies to have considered a positive correlation with language
achievement both in male and female. This research paper investigate gender
frequency of using six strategies.
Research Objective:
The objective of this proposal is to identify that whether male or female
use more strategies. There are different research questions and the answer
of these questions provide more information, the questions are given
below;
Research Questions:
What is difference between learning strategies and language learning strategies?
How these strategies are helpful for students in order to learn foreign language?
Why male and female use different learning strategies?
Hypothesis:

3. The simple hypothesis of this paper is that “female students use more learning
strategies than male students and the communication strategy is mostly used by male
students, there is a less use of this strategy in female.
Limitation:
In that research there are also some gaps and drawbacks. During data collection
mostly respondents was not willing to respond, specially female respondents were
shy and they don’t respond appropriately. The researcher had no access to
conducting data from other institutions.
Significance:
In the significance of language learning strategies it is important that learning
strategies are good indicator of how learner handles tasks or problems which they
face in the process of language learning. Gender difference in learning strategy
research is crucial because because the educational and occupational outcomes are
different both in male and female.
LITERATURE REVIEW
According to Lee (2010) learning strategy is defined as learning strategy is learning
skill, thinking skill, problem skill or in other words the methods which learners use
to intake, storeand retrieve during the learning process. Language learning strategies
as defined as “behaviors or actions which learners use to make language learning
more successful. There are two directions of learning strategies namely, direct &
indirect strategies. Direct strategies are those learning strategies which have a direct
influence upon study and indirect strategies are those which have an indirect
influence uponstudy. There are total six language learning strategies, three are direct
and three indirect. Memory strategy is the strategy which make association between
new and already known information. Compensation strategy is that in which we use
context to make up for missing information. Mata-cognitive in which a learner
controls own cognition through coordination of planning organization and
evaluation of the learning process. Affective strategy in which a learner shows

4. regulation ofemotions, motivation and attitude towards learning. Communicative or
social strategy which emphasis a learner’s interactions with other learners to
improve language learning. In research background different researchers have done
a lot of work on language learning strategies.
Murni Mahmud(2015) conducted a research in university of Negeri Makassar in
Indonesia. He conducted this research in one senior high school in Makassar. The
number of respondentwas 71 students taken randomly among 250 students. He used
quantitative data and according to his findings female students use cognitive,
compensation and affective strategy more often compared to female students.
Fan Xiying(2014) also conducted a research on gender difference in English learning
strategies in college of foreign language in china. Through questionnaire survey and
interview he identify that female use all the strategies more frequently than males
exceptin socialcommunication strategy. he selected 217 students (105 male and 112
female) in session 2011.
Chayata Viriya(2010) also conducted a research on gender difference in language
learning strategies and styles in 2015. He randomly selected a 200 respondents 100
males and 100 females. By using questionnaire he concluded that gender does have
effect on language learning style but there is no effect on language learning
strategies.
Research Gap:
These researchers also have some drawbacks and gaps . the major gap of these
researches is that they did not elaborate that why these strategies are important and
essential for students.
METHODOLOGY
The research is based on data taken in 2019. The data was conducted from the
students of applied linguistics department of GC university Faisalabad, Pakistan. In
order to study the gender difference in language learning strategies the research was
conducted in department of linguistics. Mixed method of data collection was used
in this research. According to Gay, Mills and Airasian(2006) there are three types of
mixed research design. First is QUAL-Quan model in which firstly qualitative data
is conducted which is more heavily weighted than quantitative. Second is QUAN-
Qual model in which quantitative data is conducted which is more heavily weighted
than qualitative. Third is QUAN-QUAL modelin which qualitative and quantitative

5. data both are equally weighted. Here QUAN-Qual model was used. For the sake of
conducting quantitative data 200 students were selected randomly from two different
classes of Masters from linguistic department. In which there was 100 female and
100 male respondents. By using questionnaire a quantitative research was
conducted. The statistical data was conducted. Throughout the total population a
sample was selected randomly which was the representative of the whole class.
MCQs type questions were given in Questionnaire. The respondents gave their view
about learning strategies and after that a concise result was made. After that a
structured interview was taken. Forquantitative data 15 male and 15 female students
were selected randomly and after interview a brief result was made.
There are also some drawbacks in conducting data from students. Some students
gave the answer unconsciously and somefemale students felt hesitation in the whole
process.
RESULTS
After collecting quantitative data by using questionnaire a concise result was made.
Questionnaire was distributed among 200 respondents which were taken randomly
from two classes. The main aim was to find out the difference between male and
female students in English language learning.
Sr. No Learning strategies Male students Female students
1 Memory strategy 55 students 145 students
2 Cognitive strategy 98 students 102 students
3 Affective strategy 75 students 125 students
4 Meta-cognitive strategy 106 students 94 students
5 Compensation strategy 128 students 72 students

6. 6 Communicative strategy 150 students 50 students
After conducting quantitative data, a structured interview was taken in which
questions were predefined. Total 30 participant were taken in which 15 were male
and 15 were female students. During interview the participants share there ideas and
view about English language learning strategies and after that a brief result was
made.
Sr. No Male students Language Learning
strategy
Female students
1 6 of 15 students Memory 8 of 15 students
2 3 of 15 students Cognitive 7 of 15 students
3 4 of 15 students Affective 11 of 15 students
4 7 of 15 students Meta-cognitive 10 of 15 students
5 9 of 15 students Compensation 12 of 15 students
6 13 of 15 students Communicative 4 of 15 students
This result shows the difference between male and female students in using different
language learning strategies. Through this obvious result a fine conclusion was
made.
CONCLUSION
This result shows that the use of learning strategies are different by male and female
students. The result of quantitative data shows that memory strategy is mostly used
by female students and male students use that strategy less than female. Because
female learn a language by repetition of words and sentence. Cognitive strategy is
also mostly used by female students. If we see overall the result of quantitative data,
it is obvious that all the strategies are mostly used by female students except
communicative strategy. becausemale students learn more byinteractions with other
learners. This strategy is less used by female.

7. The result of interviews are also apparently related to result of quantitative data. In
interview the participants describetheir ideas and viewpoint aboutlanguage learning
strategies. In this research the result shows that only the communicative or social
strategy is mostly used by male students and female use this strategy less than male
students. The female use remaining strategies more than male students.
DISCUSSION
The conclusion shows that communicative strategy is one which is used by male
students and less used by female students. The reason behind is that male student
learn more effectively by interactions with other learners in order to improve
language learning. Male students commune with other which is helpful for learning
purpose. And that conversation tends to be different gender. A students learn more
through interactions. According to Biber & Burges (2000) woman’s focus during
conversation is on personal and interactional aspects. Tymson (1998) shows that
male and female students are different in conversation and social interactions male
use the words which are superficial but women conversate with feelings and
emotions. Tannen (1990) describes the social interactions in her book “ you just
don’tunderstand,, .other five strategies are used by females. So female use learning
strategies more than male students of language learning class.
REFERENCES
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(2) Tannen (1990) : you just don’tunderstand,, Cambridge university London
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