| When learning and using a foreign language, learners employ a set of languagelearning strategies for the purpose of aiding their comprehension, storage, retrieval,and application of information (Oxford,1990). Oxford (1990) attached greatimportance to language learning strategies and regarded language learning strategiesas individualized activities taken by learners to help them learn more easily, moreself-directed, and more capable of handling new tasks. And it has reached aconsensus among strategy researchers that employing appropriate language learningstrategies can assist language learners to make up for what they do not know, toachieve their learning potentials, and to become independent and self-regulatedlanguage users (Goh,2012).Most of the studies on language learning strategies have been conducted in onlyone language learning environment, e.g. in the United States (Wharton,2000).However, not many studies have investigated language learning strategies acrosslanguage learning environments. Moreover, there is little research on comparison ofstrategy use patterns between learners studying in mainland China and learnersstudying in Taiwan. According to Wharton (2000), the use of different types andfrequency of strategies may depend on the kind of learner, the context in whichlearning occurs, and the language activity to be accomplished. So there is a need formore studies on different language learners in different learning environments.Similarly, Bedell and Oxford (1996) stated that there are some differences in the useof language learning strategies between Chinese English learners in mainland Chinaand in Taiwan. They believed that these contrasts deserve additional investigationand called for more research in this area. So this is the main impetus for the present study.The present study generally aims to explore the similarities and differences inthe use of language learning strategies between English majors studying in mainlandChina and English majors studying in Taiwan. By comparing the two groups’different patterns of strategy use and their perceptions of language learning, thisstudy might bridge a research gap in language learning strategy area. In other words,this study may help language learners, language teachers, and strategy researchersknow more about the patterns of strategy use employed by Chinese mainlandEnglish majors and Taiwanese English majors as well as the similarities anddifferences between these two patterns. This study also provides insights into thereasons for the differences in strategy use between the two groups of English majors.Besides, the findings of this study may illustrate the merits of employing a mixedmethods approach to explore language learning strategies. Furthermore, the presentstudy also offers some implications for both language learners and language teachers.It is hoped that language learners could benefit from these implications and makeprogress with their English. It is also hoped that the implications for languageteachers could assist them in strategy instruction and English teaching.In all, the present study consists of six chapters.Chapter One first introduces the research background of the present study. Inthe background part, the main impetus for this study is briefly described. Besides,the language learning environment in mainland China as well as the languagelearning environment in Taiwan is introduced. Then this chapter clarifies the purposeof the study and points out the significance of the study.Chapter Two first presents a general review related to theoretical contributionsand previous investigations of language learning strategies in the following areas:(1)definitions and features of language learning strategies,(2) taxonomies of languagelearning strategies,(3) individual and situational variables that may affect the use oflanguage learning strategies. Then based on this general review, the theoreticalframework for the present study is summarized at the end of this chapter. In detail,Oxford’s (1990) definition and the twelve key features of language learning strategies she proposed form the main operational definition for this study. Moreover,Oxford’s Six-Category Model of language learning strategies developed in1990isthe main reference framework for the categorization of language learning strategiesin the present study. Besides, Oxford’s New Model of language learning strategiesproposed in2011—the Strategies Self-Regulation (S2R) Model which emphasizesthe learner’s identity as a self-initiating, reflective and responsible social agent alsosupplies some research guidance for the study. Last, the review of related empiricalstudies also provides some implications for the present study.Chapter Three demonstrates the methodology adopted in the present study. Thepresent study employed the mixed methods research, an integrated approachinvolving both quantitative and qualitative data collection methods. It was conductedwith two groups of participants at two different universities respectively in mainlandChina and in Taiwan, including a total of158English majors. The quantitativeinstrumentation which consisted of Learner Background Questionnaire and theStrategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL) Version7.0(Oxford,1990)(Appendix A) was used to collect quantitative data. The semi-structured interviewswere administered to collect qualitative data. Qualitative data complementedquantitative data in this study. Besides, the research questions, data collection anddata analysis procedures are described in detail in this chapter.Chapter Four reports the quantitative results obtained mainly from analyzingthe SILL data along with the qualitative results gained from analyzing thesemi-structured interviews. The quantitative results are guided by the first threeresearch questions and the qualitative results are guided by the fourth researchquestion. The quantitative results presented in the first part indicated several findingsconcerning the patterns of language learning strategies used by Chinese mainlandEnglish majors and Taiwanese English majors. The first finding is that all of theparticipants as a whole reported an overall medium frequency range of strategy use.Although both groups of participants generally employed language learningstrategies at a medium level, they used the six strategy categories in the SILL indifferent rankings. The independent samples t-tests further demonstrated that the categories of memory strategies, cognitive strategies and the overall strategiesdisplayed significant differences between the two groups of participants. Thequalitative results in the second part investigated the two groups of participants’different skill-based language learning strategies and they suggested that theparticipants’ different patterns of strategy use and their language learning wereinfluenced by various variables, e.g. motivational orientations andsituational/contextual factors.Chapter Five integrates and interprets the quantitative results and the qualitativeresults which have been presented in Chapter Four. Then it provides the majorfindings gained from discussing these results. In detail, the major findings of thepresent study indicated that, on average, both groups of English majors sometimesused overall SILL strategies and they used compensation strategies most frequently.Moreover, in general, Taiwanese English majors used overall SILL strategies as wellas memory strategies and cognitive strategies significantly more frequently thanChinese mainland English majors did. For the use of the other four categories ofstrategies in the SILL—compensation strategies, metacognitive strategies, affectivestrategies and social strategies, there were no significant differences between the twogroups. Another major finding of the present study revealed that motivationalorientation as a kind of individual learner variable, and the curriculum, theassessment methods, teachers, friends and family members as situational/contextualvariables had significant influences on the two groups’ strategy use and their Englishlearning. All these variables, except the situational/contextual variable of teachers,might contribute to the differences in strategy use between the two groups. Besides,different awareness of language learning strategies might be another reason for thedifferences.Chapter Six first summarizes the major findings of the present study. Thensome implications for both language learners and language teachers in these twolanguage learning environments are provided according to the major findings of thepresent study. In detail, for language learners, raising their awareness of languagelearning strategies is of most importance. For language teachers, they need to apply some popular techniques to integrate strategy instruction with their lessons. Thus,they can help language learners know more about appropriate strategies whilepresenting language points. At the end of this chapter, limitations of the presentstudy and recommendations for future research are presented. |
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