An Investigation On The Learning Strategies Used By Kenyan Students Learning Chinese Language

Technological advancement is contributing to globalization and a cohesive interconnectedness among countries.Students are being pro-active by learning various international languages to survive in the global society.However,they are facing immense challenges that make learning difficult.In order to make learning easy and fun,and in order to learn,retain and use the target language,students use various learning strategies.Some of the strategies are helpful while others are not effective in language learning.This research paper focused on the different language learning strategies used by students learning Chinese language in Kenya.For credibility,the target group was Kenyan students pursuing Chinese language Kenyatta university Confucius Institute.Interviews and questionnaires were used as the primary sources of data while published books,journals,magazines and articles were the secondary source of data.Graphs and tables were used for data analysis and presentation.According to the research,students in Kenyatta University Confucius Institute commonly use memory,cognitive and compensatory strategies to help them learn Chinese language better and effectively,the least used strategies by students are metacognitive and affective strategies.Students use different learning strategies based on their learning motivation and the difficulties they face during learning Chinese as a second language.The study therefore suggests that teachers should organize and train students on using different learning strategies in order to help them learn better and achieve good results.Teachers should also mingle with the students outside classroom so that they can understand the difficulties that students encounter in their learning process.