Language Learning Strategies by Successful Language Learners Maryam A’dilla Binti Zainudin P GGGE 6533

Introduction Sample -10 secondary school students (4m, 6f) -Form 4 -Scored A’s in English, PT3

Instrument a set of questionnaires (7 parts): demographic information, listening strategy use, speaking strategy use, reading strategy use, writing strategy use, vocabulary strategy use and grammar strategy use. The questionnaire: adapted from Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL) by Oxford (1990) and Young Learners’ Language Strategy Use Survey (YLLSUS) by Cohen and Oxford (2002), while the questions for grammar strategy use were adapted from the study conducted by Ali Gurata (2008). Data Analysis -descriptive: frequencies and percentages

Purpose of Study This study attempted to investigate the most common and the least common language learning strategies used by students. At the same time, it sought to identify the difference in terms of the use of strategies made by male and female students in language learning.

Findings Listening Strategiesn% Strategies to improve my exposure to second language: Listen to English radio or songs Watch English TV shows Strategies to listen to conversation in English: Listen for key words in order to understand the conversation. Prepare for talks and performance I will hear in English by reading some background materials beforehand Strategies I use when I do not understand what someone says Ask the speakers to repeat what they said if it was not clear to me Use the speakers’ tone of voice as a clue to the meaning of what they are saying

Findings Speaking Strategiesn% Strategies that I use to practice speaking Practice saying new expressions to myself Practice new grammatical structures in different situations to build my confidence in using them Strategies that I use to engage in conversations Plan out in advance what I want to say. Try to figure out and model native speakers’ language patterns when requesting, apologizing or complaining. Regularly seek out opportunities to talk with native speakers Strategies I use when I cannot think of a word or expression Switch back to my own language momentarily if I know that person I am talking to can understand what is being said Use words from my own language, but say it in a way that sounds like words in English

Findings Reading Strategiesn% Strategies that I use to improve my reading ability Look for important facts in the text I read. Look for things that are not too hard to read. Think about what will come next in the reading Strategies that I use when I do not understand what I read Use a dictionary to find the meaning of words that I do not understand. Guess the meaning by using clues from other parts of the materials I read

Findings Writing Strategiesn% Strategies that I use to improve basic writing skills use reference materials such as glossary, dictionary or thesaurus to help find or verify words in English Practice writing the alphabet/ new words in English Strategies that I use to write better Plan what I am going to write Use the spell checker and/or grammar checker in the computer when I am writing

Findings Vocabulary Strategy Usen% Strategies that I use to learn and use new words Make a mental image of new words in order to remember them. Associate the sound of the new words with the sound of a word that is familiar to me. List new words with other words that are related to it Strategies that I use to recall vocabulary Visualize the spelling of new words in my mind. Look at the meaningful parts of the word (e.g prefix or suffix) to remind me of the meaning of the word

Findings Grammar Strategy Usen% Strategies that I use to learn and use new grammar structures Ask my teacher to repeat if I do not understand his or her explanation of a new grammar structure. Compare a new grammar structure with its equivalent in my native language. Try to combine the new structure with my previous knowledge to express new ideas or to make longer sentences

Findings LLS and Gender Listening Strategies female students tend to use metacognitive, cognitive strategy in learning the language. male students tend to use more compensation strategy to improve their listening skills. Speaking Strategies: the same pattern Female students prefer to use metacognitive and cognitive strategy Compensation strategy is more preferable for the male students Reading, Writing and Vocabulary Use Strategies no difference Grammar strategy use both male and female students agreed on the use of cognitive strategies and metacognitive strategies

Implications 1)Pedagogical -teaching materials -activities in the classroom 2)Learners Learning Strategies -Patterns of preferred strategies >> effective

Conclusion Main features of Successful Language Learners Independent Realize their strengths and weaknesses Willing to improve themselves Use various strategies, even though they were not aware of this before Try to adopt and adapt things they have learnt