scholarly journals EFL Students’ Writing Strategies in Saudi Arabian ESP Writing Classes: Perspectives on Learning Strategies in Self-access Language Learning

2012 ◽  
pp. 407-422 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Alnufaie ◽  
Michael Grenfell

This study was part of a PhD research to explore the writing strategies of 121 second-year undergraduate Saudi student writers who are studying English as a foreign language and for specific purposes in one of the Saudi industrial colleges: Jubail Industrial College (JIC). The writing strategies under investigation had been classified into two categories (process-oriented writing strategies and product-oriented writing strategies) based on their instructional philosophies. A strategy questionnaire was designed to collect data. Although JIC writing classes were assumed to be product-oriented as reported by the majority of the participants’ description of their teachers’ writing approach, the results showed that almost all of the participants (95.9%) were mixing the two kinds of strategies. More surprisingly, the top five writing strategies used by the participants were process-oriented.

Author(s):  
Nils Jaekel

AbstractLanguage learning strategies (LLS) are suggested to facilitate learning and support learner autonomy. The integration of content and language in foreign language education increases the cognitive work load. Furthermore, self-efficacy has been identified as a key predictor for strategy use and language achievement. The present study aimed to (1) investigate LLS use in content-based versus traditional foreign language environments and (2) assess the impact LLS use and self-efficacy have on language proficiency. Participants were Year 9 Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) and regular English as a foreign language (EFL) students (N=378) in Germany. Structural equation modelling, controlling for a range of confounding variables, showed that (1) there was no difference in LLS use between CLIL and EFL students. (2) LLS use had a negative impact while self-efficacy predicted higher language proficiency. These results suggest that students may best be supported by enhancing their self-efficacy while they should carefully choose their strategies.


2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arab World English Journal ◽  
Mutiatun Nasihah ◽  
Bambang Yudi Cahyono

This study aims at investigating the correlation between language learning strategies (LLSs) and writing achievement, the correlation between motivation and writing achievement, and the correlation between LLSs combined with motivation and writing achievement. It involved one-hundred English as a foreign language (EFL) students of a senior high school which is located in a big city in Indonesia. The students were selected randomly to be the participants of this study. The data were collected by using the Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL) questionnaire, motivation questionnaire, and writing tests. The results of research revealed that the null hypotheses for the three correlational analyses were rejected. In other words, there is a significant correlation between LLSs and writing achievement; there is a significant correlation between motivation and writing achievement; and there is a significant correlation between LLSs combined with motivation and writing achievement. Theoretically, this study supports the important roles of LLSs and motivation, either separately or combined, in predicting writing achievement. Pedagogically, when teaching writing, EFL teachers are recommended to introduce the potential of LLSs to EFL students, arouse the students’ motivation to write, or to apply both of them simultaneously to boost EFL students’ writing achievement.


2020 ◽  
Vol V (I) ◽  
pp. 596-608
Author(s):  
Ayesha Butt ◽  
Faisal Anis ◽  
Amna Yousaf

Learner autonomy refers to a state where a learner seeks the understanding of the concepts more independently, takes charge of his own learning and becomes more motivated and self-supportive towards the learning procedures. The present study explored the existing practices of EFL learners with reference to autonomy practices, in the context of Punjab, Pakistan. The autonomy of the learners was examined through their use of foreign language learning strategies. The sample of the study consisted of 104 university students from arts and science groups. The results indicated that the students of science group were using more autonomous learning strategies as compared to the arts group.


2019 ◽  
Vol IV (II) ◽  
pp. 41-49
Author(s):  
Ayesha Butt ◽  
Uzma Quraishi ◽  
Sameera Ayub Bhatti

Learner autonomy refers to the practical situations and interventions of learning, where individual independence of a learner is given more attention (Smith, 2008). Learner autonomy (LA) can be promoted in foreign language classrooms by using foreign language learning strategies and it can pave the way for successful learning outcomes (Kim, 2013). Foreign language learning strategies (FLLS) are the behaviors, techniques and active engagement of learners (Ellis, 2008). The present study identified the foreign language learning strategies (FLLS), used by the Pakistani students at the tertiary level, where they were found to be unaware of the phenomena. Then a learner-training program based on FLLS was designed and implemented on the sample of 50 EFL students to foster autonomy. The research through an experiment of intervention found the effectiveness of the program with reference to LA development, the enhanced use of FLLS by students and the stimulation of their interest.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 83-107
Author(s):  
Alejandra Montero-SaizAja

Gender is a key factor in the field of Second Language Acquisition (SLA), where its impact on language learning strategies (Aslan, 2009; Oxford & Nyikos, 1989; Sumarni & Rachmawaty, 2019) and productive vocabulary (Canga Alonso & Arribas García, 2014; Fleckenstein, 2018; Jiménez Catalán & Moreno Espinosa, 2004) has been investigated. However, to our knowledge, there is a lack of research of gender on language learning strategies in relation to productive vocabulary in English as a Foreign Language (EFL). The present study aimed to pursue three objectives. The first one was to ascertain whether males or females employed more language learning strategies. The second objective was to determine whether males or females had more productive vocabulary. Finally, the third objective was to investigate whether there was a statistically significant relationship between language learning strategies and productive vocabulary. The sample consisted of 51 EFL learners (20 males and 31 females) at the second year of Spanish non-compulsory Secondary Education (equivalent to 12th grade). The Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL) questionnaire (Oxford, 1990) and the Productive Vocabulary Levels Test (PVLT) (Laufer & Nation, 1995, 1999) were the instruments employed in order to measure informants’ language learning strategies and productive vocabulary respectively. Afterwards, students’ answers were processed electronically and analyzed quantitatively. Results revealed that females use language learning strategies significantly more than males, but there were not statistically significant differences between them regarding productive vocabulary. Moreover, a positive correlation was found between language learning strategies and productive vocabulary.  


2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 311
Author(s):  
Wafa Ismail Saud

This study examined language context effect on selecting language learning strategies. The participants were 150 English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students, and 150 English as a Second Language (ESL) students. Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL) was used for data collection. The data were analyzed quantitively using Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS). At the individual strategy level, ESL and EFL students differed significantly in the use of 18 (36%) out of 50 strategies. There was also some agreement between them as both ESL and EFL students used 12 (24%) of individual strategies most often, 18 (36%) to a medium degree and 2 (4%) least often.  At the category level both groups used the metacognitive strategy category “organizing and evaluating your learning” most frequently, and used both the affective category “managing your emotions”, and the memory category “remembering more effectively”, least frequently, with no significant differences. The overall strategy use for both groups was medium.


2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-30
Author(s):  
Mega Lestari ◽  
Achmad Yudi Wahyudin

This study attempts to explore the language learning strategies used by the students’ who take English Literature study programs in English as a foreign language (EFL) setting. This study involves 76 participants asked to fulfill a questionnaire called Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL) developed by Oxford (1990). The result of this research showed that metacognitive has been the most frequently used strategy followed by social and compensation strategies while affective strategies become the least strategy used by the students. This research could be meaningful insight for other researches or the students to analyze the language learning strategies used by the students and be meaningful to know the language learning strategies that appropriate especially in the field of the second language.


2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 30-42
Author(s):  
ABDELOUAHED LAACHIR

This research paper is intended to shed light on the use of e-learning in learning and more particularly in foreign language learning by EFL students in higher education either to support the process of their traditional learning or for any other independent learning purposes. The aim is to identify how e-learning is used, the various existing e-learning strategies that students prefer to learn with and the extent to which EFL students are satisfied with the support offered by e-learning to assist the process of EFL learning. To answer these queries, a quantitative method is adopted for the collection of data using online tools in the creation and the administration of the questionnaire to the respondents. The findings of the study demonstrate that students usually use e-learning as it helps them to develop many language skills including communication skills, problem solving skills besides the four language skills. It has been shown also that students are highly satisfied with the use of e-learning which is usually used by traditional learning students to fulfill the missing gaps.


Author(s):  
Olena Ivashko

The article tackles the problem of teaching foreign languages to seniors. The general trends in FL education for the third-age learners are outlined. The institutions in which seniors can study foreign languages in Poland are enumerated. The psychological, physiological, methodological and social peculiarities of teaching a foreign language to the third agers are analyzed. Special emphasis is laid upon educational needs of the Third Age learners. Some language learning strategies which help seniors’ foreign language learning are suggested.


2014 ◽  
Vol 538 ◽  
pp. 460-464
Author(s):  
Xue Li

Based on inter-correlation and permeability among disciplines, the author makes an attempt to apply the information science to cognitive linguistics to provide a new perspective for the study of foreign languages. The correlation between self-efficacy and such four factors as anxiety, learning strategies, motivation and learners’ past achievement is analyzed by means of data mining and the extent to which the above factors affect self-efficacy in language learning is explored in this paper. The paper employs the decision tree algorithm in SPSS Clementine. C5.0 decision tree algorithm is adopted to analyze data in the study. The results are elicited from the researches carried out in this paper. The increased anxiety is bound to weaken learners’ motivation over time. It is obvious that learners have low self-efficacy. It is very important to employ strategies in foreign language learning. Ignorance of using learning strategies may result in unplanned learning with unsatisfactory achievements in spite of more efforts involved. Self-efficacy in foreign language learning may be weakened accordingly. Learners’ past achievement is a reference dimension in measuring self-efficacy with weaker influence.


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