Language Learning Strategy Preferences of Asian EFL Learners

Abstract

Responding to the controversies in the results of past studies concerning the effect of nationality/ethnicity on using language learning strategies, this study adopts Oxford's (1990) strategy inventory for language learning (SILL) to report Iranian male college level EFL learners' pattern of strategy use and compare it with other Asian EFL learners' strategy use pattern. This comparison might hopefully enhance scholars' understanding about the role of nationality/ethnicity in learners' choice and use of strategies and would also add to the literature in the field. As such, the results of the study revealed that the Iranian participants are medium strategy users (M = 3.31) and resembled many other Asian background EFL learners. Descriptive statistics, multivariate analysis of the variances (MANOVA) and follow-up post-hoc comparison tests used in this investigation showed that the participants perceived using metacognitive (M = 3.79) and social (M = 3.82) categories of strategies at a high level and significantly (p < .05) higher than other categories of the SILL. Memory (M = 2.89) and affective (M = 2.75) categories of strategies turned out to be least favored by them and were less significantly (p < .05) used than other categories listed in SILL. The results of individual strategy item analysis were in conformity with the above results. Based on the noticeable similarities discovered in the strategy use pattern of Asian EFL learners, the author suggested some guidelines for teachers and policy makers working in Asian EFL context.