Self-reported strategy use and its variation according to proficiency among university learners of English as a foreign language
Keywords:
Strategy Inventory for Language Learning, learning strategies, Oxford PlacementAbstract
This study aimed at investigating the self-reported language learning strategy use among university learners of English as a foreign language and the variation of this use according to the level of English proficiency. A translated version (into Spanish) of the SILL (Strategy Inventory for Language Learning) (Oxford, 1990) was administered to obtain data about perceived strategy use and English proficiency was measured by means of the Oxford Placement Test (Allan, 2004). The data were analysed using descriptive (mean, standard deviation, frequency and percentage) and inferential statistics (ANOVA followed by a post hoc Scheffé’s test). The results show that the participants were medium strategy users overall, with affective strategies showing the most frequent use, followed by compensation strategies and metacognitive strategies. Regarding variation in perceived strategy use according to English proficiency, the study concludes that the higher the proficiency level, the more frequent the declared strategy use. The findings suggest that factors, such as cultural and socio-educational origin, and proficiency level affect both strategy choice and frequency of strategy use.
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