scholarly journals An Assessment of the Language Learning Attitudes, Learning Strategies, Language Proficiency of First Year College Students

2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nelson U. Julhamid

This descriptive-correlational research described the Language Learning Attitudes (LLA), Language Learning Strategies (LLS) and Language Proficiency (LP) of 120 college students from 4 courses. It employed Lunsford’s Standardized LLA Questionnaire, Oxford’s (1994) Strategy Inventory of Language Learning (SILL); and Reading Proficiency Test.  It used mean, standard deviation, Pearson r, Multiple Regressions, t-Test of significant difference, and One-Way ANOVA for treatment of data.  This study found out that students are Average in LLA; “Somewhat true of me” in LLS and Poor in reading proficiency. No significant relationship between respondents’ LLA and reading proficiency; Very low correlation between respondents’ LLS and reading proficiency; Sex and course do not affect students’ LLA and do not influence the latter’s contribution on reading proficiency except for the inferential level; and Sex does not influence respondents’ LLS and reading proficiency except course.  This study hardly provides empirical data to support the theories in LLA and LLS which are supposed to have a significant role in affecting students’ reading proficiency. It also denies the role of schema theory in reading by activating learners’ prior knowledge to process meaning and concepts from the reading selections.  Variable course may seem to provide empirical support to the extension of the theories in LLS as well as schema theory in reading.

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (5) ◽  
pp. 581-596

Technology plays a crucial role in the self-guided learning of a second language in general and English in particular. Nevertheless, many students in different contexts still ignore the application of technology-enhanced language learning (TELL) tools in enhancing their foreign language proficiency. Therefore, this study is conducted to investigate the attitudes towards the use of TELL tools in English-language learning (ELL) among English majors at one university in Vietnam. To collect data, 197 English majors participated in finishing the questionnaire, and 20 students were invited to join the interviews. The findings are that the majority of students have positive attitudes towards the use of TELL tools and the frequency of using these tools is very high. In addition, the results also reveal that there is no significant difference in attitudes towards and frequency of using TELL tools in learning English in terms of the year of study. However, students of different levels of academic achievements have different attitudes towards using TELL tools and use TELL tools to learn English differently. Received 2nd May 2019; Revised 16th July 2019, Accepted 20th October 2019


2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hao-Yuan Cheng ◽  
Nai-Ying Chang

<p>This study investigated whether learning strategies had made any impact on learners’ achievement and explored whether learning motivation was correlated with learning strategies. The participants of this study were the students from the EFL (English as a Foreign Language) intermediate level course at a college in Taiwan. The students were given a pretest and a posttest. The mean scores of these tests were compared with a SILL survey (Strategies Inventory for Language Learning) at the end of the investigation. The participants’ course performance was compared with their use of learning strategies. The assumption of the relationship between learning strategies and motivation is that motivated learners have a greater desire to seek out solutions or support from others and employ more strategies to process the new information. The results of this investigation revealed that only the memory strategies had a significant difference in the posttest of Group A on the independent sample t-test analysis.</p>


2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jorge Cevallos Bravo ◽  
Eder A. Intriago ◽  
Jhonny Villafuerte Holguin ◽  
Gustavo Molina Garzon ◽  
Luis Ortega Arcia

This quantitative research aims to examine how different levels of motivation relate to frequency of occurrence of autonomous language learning activities undertaken by undergraduate students. Eight hundred and sixty-two college students from 10 vocational training programs of a public university located in Ecuador, South America, participated in this study. Spratt’s questionnaire that regards ‘autonomy and motivation’ as a cyclical interaction in the language learning process, was updated by the researchers, adding digital education elements. The data were analyzed using the program SPSS v24.0.0 The results showed that there was a significant relationship between: the language learning stimulation generated by professors and the participants’ learning attitudes. In addition, it was determined that the most frequent language practices in which the participants showed greatest autonomy were: listening to songs in English language, worrying about the correct pronunciation, and noting down interesting words or expressions in English.


Author(s):  
Ali Al-Issa ◽  
Ali Al-Bulushi ◽  
Rima Al-Zadjali

As a high-stakes international language proficiency benchmark, the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) requires different and special Language Learning Strategies (LLS), which pose numerous challenges to its takers. Some Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) majoring in English Language Teaching (ELT), have therefore, failed to achieve an overall score of Band 6 on the IELTS as a language proficiency requirement and a condition mandated by the Ministry of Education for selecting English language teachers among. This qualitatively driven hermeneutic phenomenology study, hence, discusses this issue from an ideological perspective. The study triangulates data from semi-structured interviews made with six fourth-year ELT Student Teachers (STs) at SQU and the pertinent literature. The critical discussion revealed various ideologies about the powerful impact of the IELTS on the STs’ English language development. The findings have important implications for the practices of the teachers in the Omani ELT school system and elsewhere.


2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 238
Author(s):  
Iis Lisnawati ◽  
Yuyun Yuniawati ◽  
Titin Kusmini

This research is experimental testing of Language Learning Strategies to improve student presentation at the Indonesian Department of Education, University of Siliwangi Tasikmalaya. Learning stage presentations using Language Learning Strategies are as follows. (1) preparation, (2) presentation, (3) practice, (4) evaluation, (5) expansion activities. In each stage been LLS is eclectic in accordance with the needs of learning, good learning objectives, material characteristics, and the characteristics of the students. There is a significant difference between the mean score of the pretest to posttest mean score in the experimental class and there is a significant difference between the mean score of posttest in the experimental class with a mean score of posttest in control classes. This proves that effective language learning strategies to improve student presentation.


2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (Number 2) ◽  
pp. 55-81
Author(s):  
Abu Bakar Razali ◽  
Lim Ying Xuan ◽  
Arshad Abd. Samad

Purpose – In the field of second language education, self-directed learning is really important as it can empower students to attain optimal success in language learning by engaging students to express their ideas confidently, think reflectively and make use of language learning strategies. The main aim of the present study is to investigate students’ self-directed learning readiness (SDLR) in a foundation program in a public university in Malaysia so as to find out how they perceive this approach can improve their learning of the English language at tertiary level. More specifically, the researchers intend to find answers to these research questions: 1) Are foundation students ready to use self-directed learning strategies in English Language learning? (i.e. awareness, motivation and language learning strategies); 2) Is there a significant difference in the three attributes (i.e., awareness, motivation and language learning strategies) of self-directed learning among foundation students?; and 3) Is there a significant difference between English language proficiency (upper and lower) and the three attributes (i.e., awareness, motivation, language learning strategies) in using self-directed learning strategies? Methodology – A set of survey questionnaires with a 6-point Likert scale were administered to 400 students attending an English proficiency course (i.e., Introduction to Academic English) in the first semester of the Foundation Studies for Agricultural Science program. The data of the questionnaire were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent samples t-test and paired samples t-test. Findings – Results revealed that the respondents have a rather high degree of readiness to apply self-directed learning strategies in learning English. Motivation has the highest mean scores (M=4.57), followed by language learning strategies (M=4.41) and awareness (M=4.34). Results also showed that there are no difference in terms of SDLR depending on English proficiency levels, namely lower level (MUET Bands 1,2,3) and upper level (MUET Bands 4,5) (p>.05). Significance – The findings are beneficial for students to learn more about their readiness to apply the self-directed learning strategies. In particular, these findings also provide insights for lecturers, program administrators, curriculum developers, and policy makers to plan and implement suitable teaching methods, course outlines, and curricula for the development of the students’ English language abilities.


2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 59
Author(s):  
Qusay Mahdi Mutar

To learn English language, there are some language-learning strategies, which learners need to be familiar with. Thus, the purpose of this study is to investigate the language learning strategies used among Iraqi sixth-grade preparatory students, and how could gender and proficiency level effect on using language-learning strategies. To analyze the collected data, SPSS software version 20 included Independent sample T-Test Besides, one-way ANOVA and Tukey HSD have been used. A total of 210 sixth-grade preparatory students were chosen randomly from four-different secondary schools for the academic year 2016-2017 at al-Karkh side of Baghdad city. The study sample consisted of (105 females and 105 males). The findings revealed that EFL learners have shown medium use of language learning strategies, besides, no statistically significant differences between male and female students in the frequency of using LLSs. the findings also showed Cognitive and memory strategies were the most frequent used categories comparing to the compensation strategies that scored the least frequent category. As for language proficiency, the result showed that students with high proficiency used all six categories of learning strategies more than medium and low-proficiency students.


Author(s):  
Wagdi Rashad Ali Bin-Hady ◽  
Abdu Al-kadi ◽  
Ali Abbas Falah Alzubi ◽  
Hassan Saleh Mahdi

This chapter reports on the Yemeni and Saudi EFL learners' use of language learning strategies (LLSs) in technology-mediated language learning contexts. The study examines whether nationality and gender play a significant role in using LLSs on electronic platforms. The study adopted a correlative design in which 100 Yemeni and Saudi university students were recruited to respond to an online close-ended questionnaire. Drawing on Oxford's classification of learning strategies, the findings of this study showed that metacognitive and cognitive strategies were used more frequently compared to the other LLSs. Moreover, the findings of t-test showed a significant difference in the use of LLSs attributed to nationality in favor of the Saudi learners and no significant difference in the choice of LLSs attributed to gender. The study provided some suggestions for EFL learners to benefit from technology in their English language learning.


Author(s):  
Guoqiang Cui ◽  
Xin Chen ◽  
Wei Li ◽  
Shuyan Wang ◽  
Zhenhuan Yang ◽  
...  

Cell phone integration in education has been widely discussed and explored, especially in the field of foreign language study. Compared with other countries, cell phone educational integration in China is in its infancy. This article examined Chinese college students’ perceptions of cell phone usage in three aspects: interaction, course construction, and flexibility. Though students generally demonstrated great interest for the cell phone integration in English language study, no significant difference was found between students’ characteristics and perceptions of interaction, course construction, and flexibility in their use of cell phones. However, researchers did find that course constructions are a significant predictor of students’ senses of course flexibility issues. This study also found that many students hold neutral attitudes towards the integration of cell phones, therefore initial stage of cell phone usage is of great importance in order to attract and motivate more students.


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