Study Of LLS Used By Self-taught Learners And Some Related Factors Affecting Their Use Of LLS

The present study investigated the use of language learning strategies of 57 (39 females and 18 males) self-taught learners of English as a foreign language; with a consideration of such variables as motivation, beliefs, sex, and starting-point of self-taught learning. The subjects are participating in the Self-taught Higher Education Examinations of Jiangsu Province in the Yangzhou urban district and majoring in English. LLS use was assessed through the Language Learner Factors Questionnaire modified from Dr. Wen (2000), and interviews with 8 volunteers from the 57 subjects following an interview syllabus also adapted from Dr. Wen (2002). The major findings are as follows:1. The reported frequency of LLS use by the self-taught learners was medium-high on the whole, with the learners reporting most frequent use of management strategies, followed by form-focused strategies, function-focused strategies and using-mother-tongue strategies.2. Self-taught learners tended to be driven by surface motivation more strongly than by deep motivation. In general, both kinds of motivation correlated with LLS positively. Surface motivation correlated to form-focused strategies and deep motivation to function-focused strategies more significantly than other corresponding pairs of strategies.3. All language-learning beliefs reached high frequency except using-mother tongue beliefs. Self-taught learners held management beliefs the most strongly, followed by form-focused beliefs, function-focused beliefs and using-mother tongue beliefs. Management beliefs to management strategies and form-focused beliefs to form-focused strategies showed significant correlation. Function-focused beliefs and function-focused strategies were positively correlated, but not reaching the significant level. In contrast, using-mother-tongue beliefs and using-mother-tongue strategies are negatively correlated.4. Sex difference also influenced the choice of LLS. Females used function-focused strategies more often than males, while in terms of management strategies, form-focused strategies and using mother-tongue strategies, the findings were vice versa. In addition, females and males showed significant difference in theuse of function-focused strategies and using-mother-tongue strategies, but no significant difference in employing management strategies and form-focused strategies.5. Learners who started their self-taught English study in high school (including technical secondary school and vocational secondary school) use form-focused strategies and using-mother tongue strategies more often than learners from colleges (including universities) did, while in terms of management strategies and function-focused strategies, the findings were vice versa. The study also indicated that learners from high schools and learners from colleges has significant differences in employing management strategies, function-focused strategies and using-mother-tongue strategies, but no significant difference in employing form-focused strategies.In summation, the present study have revealed that self-taught learners' motivation, beliefs, sex, and starting-point of foreign language learning affect their employment of LLS. Finally, limitations of this study are pointed out; several pedagogical implications of the findings are discussed along with recommendations for further research in this area.