This paper presents the results of a comparative investigation into the learning styles and strategies of effective and ineffective language learners. Subjects for the study were one hundred and ten undergraduate university students in Hong Kong. They were categorized as "more effective" or "less effective" learners, on the…

Language learning strategies have been researched for more than 30 years yet there remain many unanswered questions. Some of these questions relate to the target language being studied, specifically Japanese, and the influence of learner variables on the choice of language learning strategies, specifically cultural background. This study seeks to…

This empirical study investigates the beliefs of teachers and students regarding strategies for learning and teaching Chinese tones, which constitute a crucial feature of the spoken language and often cause problems for learners. Two online questionnaires that listed 11 Chinese tone learning strategies and 7 tone teaching strategies were…

This paper reports research on the learning style preferences of 1616 university students learning foreign languages for academic purposes across eight fields of study in a given educational and cultural context, namely, tertiary education in Greece. Data was collected by using the Style Analysis Survey the outcomes of which were further analysed…

Understanding language learners' strategy use from their own perspectives rather than according to researchers' preconceptions is essential for appropriate research and pedagogy. However, the literature on Chinese learners has tended to rely on anecdotal descriptions or Western constructs to portray Chinese learners' strategy use, and this results…

Metacognitive knowledge--what students know about themselves, the tasks they complete and their learning strategies--is essential for successful self-directed learning. It follows that those who work in self-directed learning settings need to stimulate their students' metacognitive development. Previous research in metacognition has defined its…

This survey study investigated learning beliefs held by distance English language learners in China. Beliefs about the nature of language learning, the role of the teacher, the role of feedback, language learning strategies, and self-efficacy were examined through survey instruments. The main research focus was on the difficulties perceived by…

This study investigates the use of language learning strategies (LLSs) by Saudi EFL (English as a Foreign Language) students inside the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The study determines if gender and academic major have any effect on that use and reveals the potential benefits for Saudi students in the area of strategy instruction. Data was collected…

This paper examines the development of strategy use over 6 months in two lower-intermediate learners of L2 French in secondary schools in England. These learners were selected from a larger sample on the basis of their scores on a recall protocol completed after listening to short passages at two time points: one was consistently a high scorer;…

This paper reports a re-interpretation of the data from an inquiry exploring changes in 14 Chinese learners' uses of language learning strategies after they moved from mainland China to Britain. Using a socio-cultural theoretical framework, the analysis of the learners' experiential narratives lends tentative support to the postulation that the…

Learner autonomy has been an important issue in English Language Teaching since the 1960s. In language teaching it is of vital importance, since learning can only occur if the learners are willing to learn. So, the students have to realize that their role in the process of learning is crucial. Students have different needs, styles of learning and…

This research seeks to extend our current knowledge by exploring the relationship between preferred language strategies, age, proficiency, and self-efficacy beliefs. Responding to the call for more replication of strategy research and for research in different cultural contexts, this research was undertaken in Botswana between 2002 and 2005. The…

This paper reports on a study which examines the extent to which specified cognitive, social, and metacognitive strategies, are used by language students when working with computer-based materials (CBMs), in self-study contexts outside of the language classroom; particularly in a self-access centre (SAC). Data were collected using questionnaires,…

This article describes a programme of autonomous language learning (ALMS) introduced at Helsinki University Language Centre in 1994. The programme was developed to encourage students to become actively involved in their own learning in terms of deciding what they need and wish to learn, setting goals and objectives, achieving these objectives, and…

Orthographic languages have not been a major focus for second language learning strategy researchers. Much of the strategy research has focused on English as a second language or English as a foreign language. This is despite the many structural differences, particularly in relation to reading and writing, which might significantly influence…