VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOL UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND EN'TERNATEONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF GRADUATE AND POSTGRADUATE STTDIES AOS ee oka kk LƯU HỎNG TRANG AN EXPLORATORY STUDY ON LANGUAGE LEARNING STRATEGIES USE OF STUDENTS FROM TLIS - SOUTIERN NEW HAMPSIIRE UNIVERSITY (USA) JOINT BACHELOR PROGRAM Nghiên cứu thăm dò về việc sử dụng chiến lược học Lập ngôn ngữ của sinh viÊn chương trình đào tạo cử nhân liên kết giữa trường Tại học Ngoại ngữ - DHQGHN và trường Đại học Southern New Hampshire (Hoa Ky) M. MINOR PROGRAMME TIIESIS Field : English Teaching Methodology Code : 60140111 HANOI — 2016 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNLVERSITY, HANOL UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF GRADUATE AND POSTGRADUATE STUDIES LƯU HÒNG TRANG AN EXPLORATORY STUDY ON LANGUAGE LEARNING STRATEGIES USE OF STUDENTS FROM TLIS - SOUTIIERN NEW HAMPSIIRE UNIVERSITY (USA) JOINT BACHELOR PROGRAM Nghiên cứu thăm dò về việc sử dụng chiến lược học tập ngôn ngữ của sinh viên chương trình đào tạo cử nhẫn liên kết giữa trường Đại học Tgoại ngữ - DHQGHN và trường Đại học Southern New Hampshire (Hoa Ky) M. MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field ; English Teaching Methedulugy Code : 60140111 Supervisor : Dr. Nguyễn Thị Ngọc Quỳnh HANOI — 2016 DECLARATION I, lau Hong ‘rang, declare that the thesis entitled “An exploratory study on language learning strategies use of students from ULIS-Southern New Hampshire university (USA) joint bachelor program” reports the result of the study conducted by myself.
The minor thesis is submitted to the Faculty of Graduate and PostGraduate Studies - University of Languages and International Studies - Vietnam National University, Hanoi for Degree of Master in ‘leaching English Methodology. It has not been published anywhere. Tlanoi, 2016 Luu Hong Trang ACKNOWLEDGEMENT First and forcmosi, I would like to send my sincere thanks to my supervisor, Dr. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Quynh, for her valuable guidance, helpful advice, recommendation, and encouragement during the time I tried to complete this minor thesis.
Without her supervision, this work would never have been possible Besides. T would like to thank all Une teachers of the Facully of Graduate and PostGraduate Studies - University of Languages and International Studics - Victnam National University, Hanoi for their valuable lectures, whose knowledge is the foundation for my thesis My decpest thanks also go Lo all students studying al the joint bachelor program between University of Languages and International Studies and Souhem New Ilampshire Universily, USA. Withoul their aclive participation, I would not have fulfilled this study Finally, I would like to express my biggest love and thanks to my family, my close friends and my colleagues at Centre for Intemational Education, ULIS, VNU for their unconditional support during the time I conducted my research. 11 was all of hem who gave me the will lo complete this challenging work.
ABSTRACT ‘This study examines the influence of some variables namely gender, motivation and experience of English language learning on the use of language learning strategics by students at the joint bachelor program between University of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam National University, [lanoi and Southern New Ilampshire University, USA. The study made use of guided narratives to collect demographic information from the participants and Oxford’s Strategy inventory for Language Learning (SILL) version 7.0 to determine the relationship between the variables and the students’ use of language learning strategies. ‘fhe findings revealed that gender difference is not one of the factors contributing to the differences in the choices of language learning strategies. On the other hand, molivation and experience in learning English have effect on the selection of language learning strategies to some extent.
Students with high level of motivation use MGla-cognitve stratogics with higher frequency than lowly-motivatcd students. Students who do not have prior experience of learning English reported higher use of Memory strategics than those learners wilh prior experience of English learning from established language centres, specialized language classes, or private tutorials. TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION - i ACKNOWLEDGEMENT - ii ABSTRACT. ue LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS vi LIST OF TABLES vil CILAP 1: INTRODUCTION vii 1.
Statement of the problem and rationale for the study. Aim of the study ta 1. Scope of the study. Organization of the study CHAP 2: LITERATURE REVIEW.
Language Learning Strategies (LLSs) 2. Definition of loaning stratogics 2. Classification of language learning strategics 5 2. Variables that Influence the Selection of Language Learning Strategies 6 2.
Prior Experience of the |.anpuage | earning " CHAPTER 3: METIIODOLOGY. Data collection instruments and procedures 15 3. Reliability of the questionnaire. 19 CHAP 4: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 21 4.
Students’ demographic information 21 4. The Influence of Gender on the usc of L1. The Influence of Motivation on the use of LLSs.4, The Influence of Experience in English Language Learning on the use ofL1. Summary of major findings.
Lmplications for language teaching and learning. Recommendations for Future Research 30 REFERENCES. I LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ULIS - University of Languages and International Studies SNHL: Southern New Hampshire University LL5s : Language learning strategies SILL : Strategy Inventory for Language Learning STEP : Society of Testing English Proficiency vi LIST OF TABLES ‘Table 1.1: Description of Gender Table 1.2: Description of Motivation Table 1.3: Description of Experience in learning English Table 2.1: The use of LLSs by Gender ‘Yable 2.2: ‘The use of |LLSs by Motivation Table 2.3: The use of LLSs by Experience in learning English CIIAP 1: INTRODUCTION 1. Statement of the problem and rationale for the study University of Languages and International Studics (ULIS), Vietnam National University, Hanoi, Vietnam has recently been rated as one of the tap universities in South East Asia for Languages and language studies at the undergraduate level.
Morcover, hosides the university’s strengths in pedagogy and linguistic studies training for domestic students, the university is on its way to develop international programs with various universities in the world Among those program highlights the joint bachelor program in Keanomics/ Finance between ULIS and Southern New Hampshire university, USA (SNHU). To ensure the standards of an international program, most of the time, the program courses are delivered fully in English language. As a result, students’ English language acquisilion and proficiency is the key to the success of the Lraining program. Among significant [actors contribuling to the variation in students’ English language acquisition, language learning slralegios arc belicved lo have groat impacis.
According to Meschyan and Hemadez (2002), learnine a forcign language effectively means using adequate learning strategies. Despite this value of language learning strategies (LLSs), no research work bas been done lo investigate the use of language learning strategies by students at this joint bachelor program. ‘Thus, the researcher conducts this study with the hope of finding ways to better English language proficiency of the target students by providing insights to their use of LLSs.2, Aim of the study The research paper is carried out to investigate the influence of some variables namely gender, motivation and experience of English language learning in the use of language learning strategies by students at ULIS-SNHU joint bachelor program. Asa result, the study addresses three main questions as follows 1.
To what extent are there significant differences in strategies used by male and female students? 2. 1o what extent are there significant differences in strategies used by highly and lowly motivated students? 3, To what extent are there significant differences in strategies used by students with or without prior experience of learning English? 1. Scope of the study As a fruitful research area of language teaching and learning, language learning strategies has been identified to have relationship with a lot of factors such as learners’ proficiency, learners’ styles, age, motivation, gender and other individual differences. Within the limitation of a thesis paper, this study investigates the influence of three student variables including gender, motivation and experience of learning English in the use of language learnmg strategies particularly hy students enrolled in the joint bachelor program between University of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam National University and Southern New Hampshire Universily, USA 1.
Research methodology ‘The study employed a mixed - methods approach. Accordingly, data was collected from a standardized questionnaire and guided narratives. ‘Lhe collected data wore analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively 1. Organization of the study Chapter ] — Introduction — deals with rationale, aim, scope and methodology of the study Chapter 2 — Literature review — provides the background of the study, including definitions and classification of the key concept “language learning strategies”, overview and summary of research on variables influence the selection and utilization of language learning strategies namely gender, motivation, experience of learning English.
Chapter 3 — Methodology — describes the setting, participants, instruments of the study, as well as the procedures employed to collect and analyze the data. Chapter 4 Results and discussion presents and analyzes the findings that the researcher discovered from the data collected, and compares them with the findings of previous studies Chapter 5 Conclusion present a summary of the major findings, implications for language teaching and learning, limitations of the research as well as some suggestions for further studics Following this chapter are the References and Appendix CIIAP 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 2. Language Learning Strategics (LLSs) 2. Definiliuns of learning strategies Up to now there is still no agreed definition of language learning slralegics; however, mosl rescarchers define Ieaming stralegics as learners’ actions and/ or behaviors to facilitate the learning process.
Rubin (1975: 43) defines learning strategies as leamers’ techniques or devices to acquire knowledge. Wonden (1998) clarifies the definition by affirming that learning strategies are “mental steps or operations that learners use to learn a new language and to regulate their efforts to do so” (p. More specifically, Richards and Schmidt (2002: 9, cited im Olga, 2003) consider learning strategies as “the different ways in which learners try to understand the grammar, meanings and uses, and olher aspects of the language they are learning” ©’ Malley and Chamot share the same idea regarding learning strategies as: “the special thoughts or bchaviors that individuals usc to help them comprehend, learn, or retain new information. Learning strategies are special ways of processing information that enhance comprehension, learning, or retention of the information.” (O* Malley and Chamot, 1990, p.1) In this study, the researcher adopts the definition given by Oxford (2001) that learning strategies are mental operations used by learners te aid the acquisition, storage, retrieval, and use of information; and specific actions taken by learners to facilitate their learning process 2.
Classification of language learning strategies Throughout the history of researching learning strategies, various models of categorizing Icaming strategics have been developed; however, the researcher chooses to carry out the study basing on Rebecca L. A lot of scholars (Ellis, 1994, Jones, 1998; Bremner, 1999) consider Oxford’s model as the most comprehensive and detailed classification of learning strategies to date compared to other models where most of the Jactors are overlapping In Oxford’s framework, learning strategies are classified mto two sets of taxonomy: “Direct strategies’ and ‘Indirect strategies’. Direct strategies include memory strategies. cognitive strategies and compensation strategies which “involve direct learning and use of the subject matter” (Oxford, 1990, p.12) and “require mental processing of the language” (Oxford ,1990, p.
© Memory strategies are the methods particulariy customized in order to support Icarners so that they can become able to store fresh data in the memory and recover the data when needed at a later period (Magogwe & Cliver, 2007). © Cognitive strategies consist of the abilities which permit the learners to approach, appreciate and create dialect or the targeted language by various diverse means. © Compensation strategies refer to the eollection of practices or behavioral characteristics that are utilized in order to compensate as well as to support the leamers so thal they can easily and comprehensively utilize the largeted language On the other hand, indirecl stralegies are those lechniques which “support and manage language learning without (in many instances) directly involving the target language” (Oxford, 1990, p.