Strategy Self-efficacy As Predictor Of Language Learning Strategies Use: An Investigation

Self-efficacy is defined as people's belief about their capabilities to produce designated levels of performance that exercise influence over events that affect their lives. It determines how people feel, think, motivate themselves and behave through cognitive, motivational, affective and selection processes. Specifically, self-efficacy regulates what people choose to do, how much effort they invest in what they undertake, how long they persevere in the face of obstacles and failure experiences, how much stress and despondency they experience in coping with demanding situations, and their resilience to adversity. Self-efficacy has proven to be a more consistent predicator of behavioral outcomes than any other motivational constructs.Strategy self-efficacy can be defined as students' beliefs in their capabilities to use certain strategies to solve problems and difficulties in their language learning. It is concerned with students' judgment in specific domain of their abilities to learn strategically. It exerts influences on learning process and learning outcomes by affecting the utilization of language learning strategies. In the process of strategy choice and performance, strategy self-efficacy mediates between learners' knowledge about language learning strategies and their actual use of language learning strategies.This study attempts to investigate the relationship of strategy self-efficacy and language learning strategies use of Chinese English majors. Through two questionnaires, The Strategy Self-efficacy Questionnaire and The Strategy Inventory for Language Learning, researcher is able to collect and analyze data on students reported sense of self-efficacy and language learning strategies use to address the research questions:1. What are the general situations of the strategy self-efficacy and language learning strategies use of English majors?2. Are there any significant differences in strategy self-efficacy and language learning strategy performance between students of different genders and schools?3. Whether strategy self-efficacy correlates to the use of language learning strategies significantly?4. To what extent can strategy self-efficacy predict the use of language learning strategies?Results reveal that most English majors are less efficacious in their abilities to produce certain language learning strategies and use strategies in medium frequency. Gender and school differences don't contribute to the variances of strategy self-efficacy and strategies performance. Significant and positive relationship between strategy self-efficacy and language learning strategies use has been found in the investigation. Students who perceive themselves as more confident strategy users report greater strategy application. Learner's perceived strategy self-efficacy has been proven to be a strong predictor of the use of language learning strategies, being able to account for 47.6% variance of the use of language learning strategies.The theory of self-efficacy will help to explain what happens inside the learner when he is engaging in language learning strategies choice and use so that people will have a better understanding of the psychological procedure involved in strategy choice and use.The findings provide incentives for teachers to develop and promote learners' strategy self-efficacy along with strategy instruction, which will ultimately enhance learners' language proficiency and help them to take on challenging learning tasks through out their life-long learning.