A Comparative Study On Speaking Strategy Use Of Non-English Major Postgraduates

This study investigated the differences between language learning strategy preferences and actual strategy use, the correlations among three categories of learning strategies, total strategy use and proficiency of spoken English, and the microgenetic changes taking place in strategy use over sessions by SILL questionnaire and microgenetic methods. 6 samples from an intact class of 41 first-year postgraduates of Science at Xidian University in Xi'an, China, were divided into two groups, a GLL (good language learner) group and a BLL (bad language learner) group, to make comparison and contrast. By combinations of various instruments, such as Microsoft Excel, SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) software, Pearson product-moment correlations, Microsoft Excel histogram and a delicate research method of Microgenetic analysis, the current study generated four significant findings: 1) three categories of learning strategies used by post graduates of Science fell in the frequency level of medium according to Oxford's classification, the Metacognitive strategies the most frequently used;2) there existed one obvious discrepancy between suppositional and situational use of cognitive strategy by GLL, while the gaps could be found between that of Metacognitive strategies, Cognitive strategies, Social-Affective strategies, and the overall learning strategy by BLL;3) the total (overall) learning strategy use by postgraduates were highly correlated with the application of their Cognitive strategies and Metacognitive strategies at the significance level of 0.05, while the samples' performance in two tasks had significant correlations with their Metacognitive strategies use as well as total learning strategy use;4) the respective change paths of learning strategy use by two groups over 5 sessions were quite different, presenting unstable traits of learning strategies which vary with stakes, conditions, etc. These results also come to implications in three fields of theory, practice, and methodology.