This document discusses factors that affect second language strategy use, including gender, learning period, motivation, socioeconomic status, and age. Some key points are: 1) Females tend to use language learning strategies (LLS) more than males, especially metacognitive strategies. They also use classroom, out-of-class, and exam strategies more. 2) Those who have been learning a language longer use more LLS than beginners. Beginners rely more on cognitive strategies while more advanced learners use conclusion-making strategies. 3) Motivation, including intensity, desire to learn, and attitude, impacts strategy use. Integrative and instrumental motivations also influence strategy selection.

1. Factors Affecting
Second Language
Strategy Use
By : Nor Syakirah Syamimi
bt Mohd Abdillih

2. 1. GENDER

3. • Female learners used LLS more compared to
male learners. ( Ehrman & Oxford 1989; Green
& Oxford 1995; Politzer 1983 )
• Female learners usually used metacognitive
strategies while male learners preferred to
use cognitive strategies. (Bacon 1992 )
• Female learners used Classroom LLS, Out-of-
Class LLS and Exam LLS more compared to
male learners.
• Female teachers often become positive role
model for female students, but not for male
students. (Cross 1983)

4. 2. LEARNING
PERIOD

5. • Those who had been learning language longer
used more LLS compared to those who had
learned recently. ( Ehrman 1990 )
• Beginner learners use cognitive strategies
more while higher level learners are using
conclusion making strategies. (Chamot &
Kupper 1987 )
• Those who study language for 4 or 5 years will
use communication strategies more
significantly & frequently compared to those
who study language less than 4 years. ( Oxford
& Nyikos 1989 )

6. 3. MOTIVATION

7. • Definition : The extent to which an individual
works or strives to learn the language because
of a desire to do so and the satisfaction
experienced in this activity. ( Gardner 1985 )
• Three main component in the definition are
motivational intensity, desire to learn the
language, and an attitude towards the act of
learning the language.

8. • Gardner & Lambert (1972) divided motivation
into 2; integrative and instrumental
motivations.
• Integrative motivation refers to the positive
attitudes that the learners had to the
elements in the target language.
• Instrumental motivation refers when the
learners are studying the target language to
reach his goals other than integration goal.

9. 4. Socioeconomic
Status

10. • Parents play a big role in their children’s
learning process. (Ballantine 1993; Musgrave
1974; Trusty 1998)
• Those who came from high socioecomonic
status have more cognition intelligence
compared to those who came from low
socioeconomic status.
• In deciding the socioeconomic status, two
main elements that been referred are parents’
academic background & the family’s revenue.

11. Parents’ Academic Background
• Parents with higher academic background will
ensure their children to have mental &
physical preparation to help the physiology &
cognitive growth. (Salvin 1997)
• Learners with educated parents frequently
used Out-of-Class LLS and Exam LLS
compared to other groups.

12. Family’s Revenue
• Parents that have stable financial source is
able to provide support to their children’s
learning process.
• Learners from higher revenue family used
more LLS such as cognitive, metacognitve and
compensation strategies compared to those
who come from families with lower revenue.

13. 5. AGE

14. • Children from immigrant families can speak in
the new language more fluently compared to
their parents.
• Learner’s age is one of the important factors
that influence the language learning process.
(Lightbown & Spada 2003)
• Although the learning progress of adult
learners are faster than young learners, at the
end, younger learners are able to achieve the
same skills as the native speakers of the target
language has which is rarely happen to adult
learners.

15. • Ehrman & Oxford (1995) finds that young
learners use various strategies that is easy &
simple compared to adult learners that use
more advanced strategies.
• Young learners learns the language naturally
while the adult learners learn it in the
classroom.

16. ~THE END~