The Impact Of Individual Differences On The Use Of Learning Strategies

In the second language learning area, the method of teaching shifted to the study of individual differences of learners. Many researchers such as Long and Richards, they not only studied the theoretical language learning but also practical language learning. They gave the most researchers a common direction. So in the second language learning area, the researchers began to put attentions to the strategies on second language acquisition and learning both in and out of classrooms. The researchers of behaviors (Benson 2005) also began to draw their selves to the learning strategies.Many researchers have already studied the different directions of language learning strategy, such as effectiveness, categories, characters, descriptions and so on. And the result is that the learning strategy is very important for language learning. Some successful learners use learning strategy very often. But the learning strategy is not absolute good or bad for all the learners. They are also many other factors influence the learning output. But emphasize on the learning strategy has been neglected. Many researchers (Oxford 1989) have already studied the relationship between many other factors and language learning strategy use preferences in the second language learning, but there are few researchers conducted about the relationship between learning strategy use preferences and the individual learner differences.What is the factors affecting English learning achievement? Most researchers (Wen 1996, 2001; Ma 1997; Hao 2001) have investigated this topic. They found that the variables are learning styles, majors, durations, motivations and the learning strategies. However, the relationship between language learning strategy use and individual differences are not paid much attention to. On another hand in home many researchers (Wen 1995; Wen 1996; Wen 1997; Wen 2001; Ma 1997) took the university students as their subjects. Language learners in the universities or colleges and the senior high schools are in the different language conditions. There are many differences between them such as language proficiency level and stage of language learning.This study is focusing on the home not the whole world. It is basing on the Chinese cultural contexts. The topic of this study is what the relationship between the individual differences, which are gender, motivations, duration, and major and learning strategy use among the senior high school students.This study provides evidence that these factors have an effect on the choice of learning strategies use. This study also proved that how they're different levels of influence are. In the following part this study gives some advice on learning strategies, strategy training and pedagogy.There are limitations of this study. There are the only participants of NO.36 senior high school of Shenyang of Liaoning Province. In addition their number is just few. The influence of these factors on learning strategy use preferences is a very complex topic. And the data collection technique just only explores the questionnaires. It should use other data collection techniques such as interview. After reading this paper both language teachers and language learners can get some useful advice. This study can lead to a substantial amount of research in this area of the future.