factors that affect language learning strategies

1. 5 Factors that Affect
Language Learning
Strategies
NUR SHAZWANI BINTI JA’AFAR
P72873

2. INTRODUCTION
• Oxford( 1989) : The influential factors to the choice of language
learning strategy: age, sex, attitudes, motivation, language
learning goals, motivational orientation, learning style, aptitude,
career orientation, national origin, language teaching method ,
task requirement, language being learned, duration and degree
of awareness.
• Gender, motivation and experience in studying a language are
claim to have palpable influences on the choice of language
learning strategies (Dornyei, 2001, Goh and Kwan, 1997, Gu,
2002, Hong Nam and Leavell, 2006, MacIntyre, 1994, Wharton,
2000, Yutaka, 1996.)

3. GENDER
• Green and Oxford (1995) found that females used strategies
significantly more often than males.
• Oxford and Nyikos (1989) who observed at the strategies
employed by 1200 university students, concluded that gender
differences had a "profound influence" on strategy use, and that
females used strategies more frequently than males.
• received much attention in the area of language learning
strategy research (e.g., Oxford, 1993; Oxford, Young, Ito &
Sumrall, 1993; Oxford, 1995; Young & Oxford 1997).

4. • Ehrman and Oxford (1990) stated that women at the Foreign
Service Institute definitely use more strategies than male.
• An emerging theory for this gender difference suggests that
though sometimes males outshined females in the use of a
particular strategy, females tend to occupy more learning
strategies or employ strategies more effectively (Erhman and
Oxford, 1989; Nyikos, 1990; Oxford, 1994; Sheorey, 1999).

5. EXPERIENCE IN STUDYING THE
LANGUAGE
• In a study by Razı (2012), the result did not reveal significant
differences in terms of both class and learning experience. This
presented that having more or less than ten years of English
language learning experience does not differentiate learners’
strategy uses.
• Yalçın (2006) revealed that the comparison of strategies
employed by learners with different educational experiences
(the ones who had and had not taken preparatory class in high
school) showed that there is only significant difference found in
the use of compensation strategies: students who had taken
preparatory class employed greater number of compensation
strategies.

6. • Uztosun (2014) in his literature review highlighted three in relation
to learners’ language learning experiences (Hiçyılmaz, 2006;
Yalçın, 2006; Razı, 2012).
• Hiçyılmaz (2006) revealed that there is a disconnection between
language learning experience and strategy use, in that ninth
grade students employed more strategies than university
students. However there are some limitations to the study
because the study was small-scale and the sample comprised of
50 students. Besides that no information is available regarding
the educational backgrounds of university students and it is
doubtful whether all participants have similar educational
backgrounds.

7. MOTIVATION
• Many researcher suggest that motivated learners learn more
because they seek out input, interaction, and instruction, and
when they encounter target language input they pay attention
to it and actively process it however they can (Crookes &
Schmidt, 1991; Schmidt, in press; Tremblay & Gardner, 1995),
which, in other word, means that these learners use learning
strategies.
• In some research, motivation is viewed as part of a general
“affective filter” (Krashen, 1985), which in accordance to
Schmidt & Watanabe (pg. 313), “if high keeps target language
input from reaching the language acquisition device and if low
allows input to simply “go in.”

8. • Gardner (1985, 1988) believed that motivated learners achieve
higher levels of proficiency because they are active in their
learning.
• Dornyei (2001) indicated another variable for affecting language
learning motivation is instrumental motivation. He further stated
that instrumental motivation is an interest in learning the second
language for relevant reasons.
• Oxford and Nyikos (1989) reported that motivation was the best
predictor of strategy use in a large-scale study of university
students where the more motivated students used learning
strategies of all kinds more often in comparison to the less
motivated students.

9. LEARNING STYLE
• Learning styles can be categorized as cognitive style (field
dependent versus field independent, analytic versus global,
reflective versus impulsive); sensory style (visual versus auditory
versus tactile versus kinesthetic) and personality styles
(tolerance of ambiguity, right brain versus left brain
dominance), (Christison, 2003).
• Some researchers have investigated the relationship between
learning styles and strategies and they also claimed that
learner’s styles had significantly influenced the choices of
language learning strategies (Carrell, 1988; Wen and Johnson,
1997).
• Oxford (2005) stated that learning styles and strategies are the
main factors in determining how language learners learn a
second or foreign language.

10. • Language learners always use learning strategies
that reflect their basic learning styles (Oxford and
Nyikos, 1989; Oxford, 1996).
• In other words, learning styles can be defined as
general approaches to language learning, while
learning strategies are specific ways learners
choose to cope with language tasks in particular
contexts (Cohen, 2003; Oxford, 2003).
• ‘Styles’ can be generally defined as “an individual’s
natural, habitual, and preferred way of absorbing,
processing, and retaining new information and
skills” (Kinsella, 1995, p. 171).

11. LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY
• Green and Oxford’s (1995), examined learning strategies use of
university students in Puerto Rico and the results showed that the
successful language learners use more high level strategies than
less successful learners.
• There are various research studies on the investigation of the
relationship between strategy use and language proficiency
(Green and Oxford, 1995; Oxford and Ehrman, 1995).
• Additionally,, Bruen (2001) assumed that a high level of strategy use
was associated to high language proficiency and successful
leaner’s use more learning strategies. He suggested that learners
with higher language proficiency expose themselves more
frequently to the employment of language learning strategies.

12. REFERENCE
Christison, M. A. (2003).Learning styles and strategies.In D. Nunan,Practical English
Language Teaching (pp.267- 288) New York, McGraw- Hill
Dörnyei, Z. (2005).The psychology of the language learner: Individual differences in second
language acquisition. N.J., Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Mahwah.
Ehrman, M.E., Leaver, B. L., & Oxford, R. L. (2003). A brief overview of individual differences in
second language learning.System 31(3), 313. – 330
Ehrman, M. E., & Oxford, R. L. (1990). Adult language learning styles and strategies in an
intensive training setting. .The Modern Language Journal 74( 3)
Green, J. M., & Oxford, R. L. (1995). A closer look at learning strategies, L2 proficiency, and
gender.TESOL Quarterly, 29 ( 2), 261- -297.
Hong-Nam, K., & Leavell, A.G. (2006). Language use of ESL students in a intensive English
learning context.System, 34, 399-419.
Kinsella, K., 1995.Understanding and empowering diverse learners. In: J. M. Reid,
(Ed.),Learning styles in the ESL/EFL classroom (pp. 170-194). Bonston, Mass, Heinle