A Comparative Study Of Language Learning Strategies Use Between L2 English And L3 Japanese Learners

Language learning strategy is a key factor that affects the quality of foreign language learning.Currently,it is gaining more and more attention from language researchers and foreign language teachers.Considering that there have fewer studies concerning directional L3 learning strategies than that of L2 in the domestic field of linguistics,this study takes the students majoring in foreign language as the subjects of research,and aiming to explore the use of learning strategies between L2 English learners and L3 Japanese learners on this basis.This study considered Oxford’s Strategy Inventory of Language Learning,version 7.0 as an instrument of investigation and quantitatively analyzed 439 questionnaire samples among which there were 238 English majors and 201 Japanese majors from ten different universities in Yunnan with the help of statistical software SPSS 22.0,thus aiming to exploring the differences of L2 and L3 learners’ strategy use in their process of language learning.The results obtained from the data analysis revealed that:(1)The levels of L2 and L3 learners’ strategy use were not high relatively,and the average values of their strategy use merely reached an intermediate level by comparing Oxford’s hierarchical classifications for strategy use;(2)L2 learners employed more learning strategies than L3 learners in the process of their language learning according to the results of descriptive statistics and paired-sample t-tests;(3)Results of one-way ANOVA indicated that L2 learners adopted learning strategies far more frequently than L3 learners from an overall perspective of learning strategies use;(4)From the viewpoints of single learning strategy category,L2 learners applied strategies more frequently than L3 learners in terms of memory,cognitive,metacognitive and affective category of strategies.While staring from the perspectives of social and compensation strategies use,the average values of L3 learners were relatively higher than that of L2 learners;(5)By comparing the strategies use of L2 and L3 learners,it could be found that the average values of metacognitive and compensation strategies use were both higher relatively compared with other categories of strategies employed by L2 and L3 learners;(6)According to the results of independent sample t-test analysis,grade and gender had no significant correlation with the strategy use and choice of L2 and L3 learners.This study conducted a systematic analysis for the actual situation of L2 and L3learners’ strategy use.It was conducive to helping foreign language learners explore strategies and methods genuinely suitable for their own learning style better based on understanding the practical status of other groups’ strategies use.At the same time,it also contributed to improving the foreign language teachers’ awareness as supervisors and encouraging them to actively give students strategy guidance in class,thus achieving an authentic integration of teaching and guidance through continuously optimizing their own professional knowledge.The thesis further pointed out the shortcomings of the current study and discussed the feasible directions of future research on this basis in the last section.