FACTORS THAT AFFECT LLS

1. 1. Gender
2. Age
3. Motivation
4. Socio-economic
5. Proficiency Level
FACTORS THAT AFFECT
LANGUAGE LEARNING
STRATEGIES

2. Gender
• Females use significantly more learning strategies than males
(Green & Oxford 1995; Gu 2002; Razak et al. 2012)
• Female students has been reported in many studies to deploy
greater overall LLS compared to males (Oxford & Nyikos, 1989;
Oxford, 1994; Noor Zainab, Fauziah, Azian & Babikkoi, 2012;
Farzad, Mahnaz & Neda Salahshour, 2013).
• However, gender is not a factor that contributes to the different
choice of language learning strategies (Chang, 1990, and
Chou, 2002, as cited in Kamarul & Mohamed Amin, 2012;
Khamkhien, 2008).
• Statistically significant differences were found in the use of cognitive
strategies, metacognitive strategies, social strategies and overall
strategies with regard to gender.

3. Age
• Lee and Oxford (2008) indicated that young learners tended to use social
strategies like discussing with and asking help from others more than the other
types of strategies.
• Neither the older nor the younger beginners used more LLS. However, the
younger beginners seemed to use slightly more LLS than the older beginners
(Karim & Mohammad, 2013).
• Scarcella & Oxford (1992) and Ehrman & Oxford (1995) as cited in Kamarul &
Mohamed Amin, 2012) mentioned that
-Adult learners are able to grasp knowledge of syntax and morphology
faster than children ; deploy more flexible, general and up-to-date
strategies; more efficient in learning grammar and vocabulary.
-Young learners are able to develop native-like pronunciation and fluency;
deploy simple and easy strategies

4. Motivation
• Students’ motivation is influenced by their learning goals,
purposes or reasons of learning the L2, as well as clear
application to real-life contexts (Rahimi, Riazi & Saif, 2008).
• Motivation can be a significant factor contributing to the LLS
employed by learners but it is also influenced by their
nationalities (Khamkhien, 2010).
• Highly-motivated students are proven to use more strategies in
learning a language compared to the students with low
motivation (Oxford & Nyikos, 1989, and Okada, Oxford & Abo,
1996, as cited in Tatsuya Taguchi, 2002)

5. Socio-economic
• People with different socioeconomic statuses have different resources to
support personal development (Tam, 2013)
• Students from more affluent homes can afford to go to tutorial schools to
strengthen their learning while poorer student cannot (Kamarul &
Mohamed Amin, 2012 & Tam, 2013)
• Parents ‘ education levels one of the factors that influence children’s
cognitive development. (Mohamed Amin Embi, 2010)
• A study shown that there is a significant relationship between parents’
education levels and the usage of LLS (Mohd Nazali et. al, 1999)
• Those who come from wealthier and higher status families are proven to
have higher cognitive ability (IQ) (Kamarul & Mohamed Amin, 2012)
• Access to native speakers is essential to improve students’ English
Proficiency (Tam, 2013).

6. Proficiency Level
• Students’ learning experience and their awareness of the learning
processes have impact on their choice of LLS ,the higher the proficiency
level of the students, the more aware they are of the rules and strategies
of language learning (Rahimi, Riazi & Saif, 2008).
• High-proficiency students used compensation strategies more frequently
than others while low- proficiency ones used social strategies most. (Paul
2011)
• Proficient learners applied all types of strategies more frequently than the
lower ones (Adel, 2011; Farzad, Mahnaz, & Neda Salahshour, 2013).
• High-level English proficiency students used more strategies more
frequently. (Rao 2012)

7. References
• Ehrman, M. (1990). The role of personality type in adult language learning:an on going investigation. NJ: Prentice Hall.
• Ehrman, M. & Oxford, R.L. (1995). Effect of sex differences, career choice, and psychological type on adult language
learning strategies. The Modern Language Journal 73 (1): 1-13
• Ellis, N.C. (1994). Vocabulary acquisition: The implicit ins and outs of explicit cognitive mediation. San Diego: Academic
Press.
• Kamarul Shukri Mat Teh & Mohamed Amin Embi. (2010). Stategi pembelajaran Bahasa. Kuala Lumpur: Penerbit
University Malaya.
• Lightbown, P.M. & Spada, N. (2003). How languages are learned. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Mohd Nazali Abu Bakar et. al. (1999). Hubungan antara penggunaan strategi pembelajaran bahasa Melayu dengan
memboleh ubah jantina, etnik, pencapaian bahasa & socio ekonomi pelajar. Jurnal Teknologi, 31 (E): 43-62
• Politzer, R.L. (1983). An exploratory study of self reported language learning behaviour and their relation to
achievement. Studies in Second Language Acquisition 6: 54-68.
• Oxford, R.L. (1990). Second language learning strategies:current reasearch and implications for practice. Los Angeles:
University of California.
• Oxford, R.L. & Nyikos, M. (1989). Variables affecting choice of language learning strategies by university students.
Modern Language Journal 73 (3): 291-300.
• Taguchi, T. (2002). Learner factors affecting the use of learning strategies in cross-cultural contexts.
• Xuan, Z., & Zhenhui, Rao (2007). Directions in student motivation research in SLA [J]. Foreign Language World, 2, 005.

8. References
• Adel, A. R. 2011. Effects of L2 proficiency and gender on choice of language learning strategies by university students majoring in
English.The Asian EFL Journal Quarterly. 13 (1), 114-162. From http://www.asian-efl-journal.com/PDF/March- 2011.pdf#page=114. on
April 1st, 2016.
• Farzad, S., Mahnaz, S. & Neda Salahshour. 2013.The relationship between language learning strategy use, language proficiency level
and learner gender. Procedia-Social and Behavioural Sciences 70. 634-643. From
http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1877042813001043. on April 1st, 2016.
• Chang, C. Y., Liu, S. C., & Lee, Y. N. (2007). A study of language learning strategies used by college EFL learners in Taiwan. Language
Learning, 3, 235-262.from http://www.mdu.edu.tw/~ged/other%20download/bulletin/20070319/11.pdf
• Kamarul Shukri MatTeh & MohamedAmin Embi. 2012.Variasi Penggunaan Strategi Pembelajaran Bahasa. Dlm. Strategi Pembelajaran
Bahasa, hlm. 79-105. Kuala Lumpur: Penerbit Universiti Malaya
• Karim Sadeghi & Mohammad Taghi Attar. 2013.The relationship between learning strategy use and starting age of learning EFL.
Procedia-Social and Behavioural.From http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2013.01.103.on April 1st, 2016.
• Khamkhien, A. 2010. Factors affecting language learning strategy reported usage byThai and Vietnamese EFL students. Electronic
Journal of Foreign Language Teaching. 7(1), 66- 85. From http://e-flt.nus.edu.sg/v7n12010/khamkhien.pdf on April 1st, 2016.
• Mohammad Rahimi, Abdolmehdi Riazi & Shahrzad Saif. 2008. An investigation into the factors affecting the use of language learning
strategies by Persian EFL learners. Canadian Journal of Applied Linguistics (CJAL). 11(2), 31-60. From
http://journals.hil.unb.ca/index.php/CJAL/article/view/19915/21770 .on April 1st, 2016
• Paul, P. 2011. Use of language learning strategies: an investigation of the use pattern of language learning strategies of Bangladeshi
learners and its correlation with the proficiency level. https://www.britishcouncil.in/sites/default/files/tec_13_publication_final_version.pdf
.on April 1st, 2016
• Tam, K. C. 2013. A study on Language Learning Strategies (LLSs) of university students in Hong Kong. From
http://tjl.nccu.edu.tw/volume11-2/11.2.1.pdf. on April 1st, 2016
• Mahmoudi, E., & Razak, N. Z. B. A. (2012). Attitude and students’ performance in computer assisted English language learning (CAELL)
for learning vocabulary. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 66, 489-498.