VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES & INTERNATIONAL STUDIES LE QUANG DUNG AN INVESTIGATION INTO LANGUAGE LEARNING STRATEGIES USED BY ETHNIC NON-ENGLISH MAJOR STUDENTS AT A UNIVERSITY IN THE NORTH OF VIETNAM A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY HANOI - 2018 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com ĐẠI HỌC QUỐC GIA HÀ NỘI TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC NGOẠI NGỮ LÊ QUANG DŨNG AN INVESTIGATION INTO LANGUAGE LEARNING STRATEGIES USED BY ETHNIC NON-ENGLISH MAJOR STUDENTS AT A UNIVERSITY IN THE NORTH OF VIETNAM Chuyên ngành: Lý luận và Phương pháp giảng dạy bộ môn tiếng Anh Mã số: 62140111 Cán bộ hướng dẫn: 1. Dương Thị Nụ HANOI - 2018 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com Statement of Authorship The thesis entitled “An Investigation into Language Learning Strategies Used by Ethnic Non-English Major Students at a University in the North of Vietnam” has been submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. I, the undersigned, hereby declare that I am the sole author of this thesis. I have fully acknowledged and referenced the ideas and work of others, whether published or unpublished, in my thesis.
My thesis does not contain work extracted from a thesis, dissertation or research paper previously presented for another degree or diploma at this or any other universities. Signed Le Quang Dung January, 2018 i LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com Acknowledgements I am deeply indebted to the individuals that provided support for the completion of this study. Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Van Trao and Dr.
Duong Thi Nu supervised the entire study and, most importantly, read and discussed every aspect and section of this dissertation with assiduity. Their recommendations also helped to shape the form and contents of the final version. I am equally indebted to them for the exceptional friendliness, kindness, and patience that they demonstrated during my study at ULIS-VNU and my research. My sincere thanks also go to the former Dean Assoc.
Le Hung Tien and the current Dean - Dr. Huynh Anh Tuan as well as the staff members at the Faculty of Postgraduate Studies, The University of Languages and International Studies (ULIS), Vietnam National University (VNU), who are always so kind and supportive during my study time. In addition, I would like to express my thankfulness to all the participating teachers at the 4 universities within Thai Nguyen University who helped me in my preliminary research, especially the teachers who accompanied me during a long time of my data collection time. The results I have achieved today partially belong to them.
I also thank all my informants for giving me the responses I needed to illustrate the views expressed in this study. Last but not least, I would like to thank my fellows at Thai Nguyen University for their dedication and support, my family members for their motivation for me to overcome all the difficulties and to become a better me now. Thanking you all Le Quang Dung January, 2018 ii LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com Abstract The present research focused on identifying the types and frequency of language learning strategies used by a group of 527 ethnic students studying English at Thai Nguyen University, and then determined whether there is a relationship between language learning strategies and factors affecting the choices of LLS by ethnic TNU EFL learners. In other words, the purpose is to examine whether the factors such as; (i) gender, (ii) English language proficiency, (iii) major fields of study, and (iv) learning styles have any influence on their use of language learning strategies.
The researcher employed a mixed-method design, involving both quantitative and qualitative approaches. The quantitative part was two questionnaire surveys (LLSQ and PLPQ) and the qualitative component was a semi-structured interview. The mixed-method study conducted demonstrated that students used all the learning strategies, but at different frequency rates. This result allowed the researcher to reach the conclusion that there are no particular preferences in students‟ utilization of LLSs, since they drew on the entire set of strategy types which were medium use.
The overall analysis of the participants‟ LLSQ scores and through the semi- structured interview did not take into consideration student‟s factors which are language proficiency, major field of study, gender or learning styles impact. iii LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com TABLE OF CONTENTS Statement of Authorship. iii List of Abbreviations. vii List of Tables.
viii List of Figures. Background to the Study. Scope of the study. Aims of the study.
Definitions of terms. Significance of the study. Structure of the study .10 CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW. Language Learning Strategies Definitions.
Language Learning Strategy Classifications. Factors Influencing Language Learning Strategy Choice. Language Learning Strategies and Gender. Language Learning Strategies and English Language Proficiency.
Language Learning Strategies and Major Field of Study. Language Learning Strategies and Learning Styles. Language Learning Strategy Research in Vietnam. Theoretical Framework of the Present Study .36 iv LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com CHAPTER 2: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY .1 Context of the study.
Research Design for the Present Study. Mixed-Methods Research. Data Collection Methods. Data Collection Instruments.
Language Learning Strategy Questionnaire. Perceptual Learning Style Preference Questionnaire. Semi-structured Interview .4 Students‟ level of Proficiency. Data Collection Procedures.
Characteristics of Participants in the Quantitative Phase. Characteristics of the participants in the Qualitative Phase. Synthesizing Quantitative and Qualitative Data .78 CHAPTER 3: RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS. Operational and Measurement Levels of the Variables.
Results and Discussions of the Quantitative Phase. Research question 1: What English language learning strategies do TNU ethnic students employ for their EFL learning?. Research Question 2: What English language learning strategies are frequently used by the TNU ethnic students?. Research Question 3: To what extent, do the students‟ choices of language learning strategies vary significantly with their gender, major fields of study, levels v LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com of proficiency and learning styles? If so, what are the main patterns of variation?.
Results and Discussions of the Qualitative Phase. Data Analysis and Results of the Interviews. Level of Language Proficiency. Learning Environment and Learning Opportunities.
Learning Styles from Secondary Teachers‟ Teaching Styles. Language Learning Strategies Training Necessity .135 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION. Summary of Research Findings. Limitations of the Study.
Implications and Recommendations of the Study.142 LIST OF PUBLICATIONS .166 vi LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com List of Abbreviations LLS: Language Learning Strategy LLSs: Language Learning Strategies EFL: English as a Foreign Language TNU: Thai Nguyen University TNUS: Thai Nguyen University of Sciences TUAF: Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry TNUT: Thai Nguyen University of Technology TNUE: Thai Nguyen University of Education SILL: Strategy Inventory for Language Learning LLSQ: Language Learning Strategy Questionnaire L2: Second Language M: Mean score PLPQ: Perceptual Learning Styles Preference Questionnaire S.: Standard Deviation SLA: Second Language Acquisition vii LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com List of Tables Table 2.1: The Reliability of the Vietnamese/English Version of the LLSQ .2 The Reliability of the Vietnamese/English Version of the PLPQ .3 Details of the participants‟ background .4: Characteristics of the interviewees.3: Descriptive Language Learning Strategies .4: Frequency of Students‟ Overall Strategy Use.5: Frequency of Use of Strategies in the Six Main Categories .6 Compare Means of six Main Categories .7: Reported Strategies Use by High Usage .8: Gender Difference in Language Learning Strategy Use .9: Strategy use in Categories by Major Fields of Study .10: Strategy use in Categories by levels of proficiency.11: Overall Students Learning Style Preferences .110 viii LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com List of Figures Figure 1: LLS classification of the present study .19 Figure 2: Theoretical Framework based on the Empirical Research .34 Figure 3: Theoretical Framework of the Present Study .35 Figure 4: Research Design for the Present Study .43 Figure 5: The flow chart of the Research design .45 Figure 6: Group averages of the LLSQ scores .68 ix LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail. Background to the Study Language learning strategies (LLSs) play a vital role in learning a second language (L2). They are specific actions or techniques that learners use to assist their progress in developing language skills. Use of appropriate learning strategies help learners to assimilate new information into their own learning and enables them to develop their understanding in mastering the forms, functions and culture required for the reception in the second language (Oxford, 1990).
Research results over the past decades have indicated that a key reason why many second language learners fail, while some learners do better with less effort, lies in various learner attributes such as personality traits, educational perspectives, motivation, cultural backgrounds, or language aptitude. It is also worth mentioning that types of strategies used by different learners vary due to stages of learning, teacher expectations, general learning styles, degree of awareness, teaching methods, text-books innovation, purposes for learning the language, and nationality or ethnicity (Bedell, 1993). To put it differently, a learner‟s individual factors can influence which learning strategy the learners will use for their foreign language learning. Once well-managed, these variables can significantly contribute to a learner‟s success in language learning., Reid, 1995; Wharton, 2000; Zhang, 2005; Rahimi and Riazi, 2005; Yang, 2010, Minh, 2012; Zeynali, 2012; and Salahshour and Sharifi, 2013) suggest that strategies of successful language learners can supply a basis for aiding language learners, and the conscious use of language learning strategies makes good language learners.
From my own experience as a teacher of English for many years at Thai Nguyen University (TNU), I am aware of the fact that students in general and ethnic minority group students in particular are often confused to use their own strategies and abilities to transform their failing situations into successful learning 1 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail. In addition, I found that students with different individual identities study English in different ways and have different levels of proficiency. It seems that they are not what so called “lazy” and “not motivated”. Their language achievement may be affected by many individual factors and the culture which they inherited.
A large number of studies have focused on L2 learning with the main focus on individual differences in language learners as the work by Rubin (1975) who has considered LLS as one individual difference variable which gained increased popularity among positivist researchers in understanding how languages are learnt. Rubin (1975) identifies the strategies that the „good language learner‟ uses and draws on this information to help less-effective learners. Learning strategies, in her opinion, have been in the centre of attention and gained great importance in the teaching-learning environment. Griffiths (2004) defines learning strategies as the specific actions taken by the learner to make learning easier, faster, more enjoyable, more self-directed, more effective and more transferrable to new situations.
Griffiths has a great concern with the relationship between LLSs and gender, which show language use and have mixed results. Still within the field of LLS and gender, some studies show that there is difference of LLSs use based on the gender (Ehraman & Oxford, 1989; Green & Oxford, 1995; Oxford & Nyikos, 1989; Zeynali, 2012; Salahshoura, Sharifib & Salahshour, 2013; Zarei, 2013). In such related studies, it was found that female students reporting all or some of six groups of LLSs more frequently than male (Dreyer & Oxford, 1996; Ghasedy, 1998; Goh & Foong, 1997; Green & Oxford, 1995; Hong-Nam & Learvell, 2006; Lan & Oxford, 2003; Lee & Oxford, 2008; Oxford, 1989; Oxford & Nyikos, 1989; Politzer,1983; Zeynali, 2012). However, the other studies prove that gender does not affect the use of LLS (Griffiths, 2003; Lee & Oxford, 2008; Ziahossein & Salehi, 2008).