Language Learning Strategies Customary: Learners and Teachers Approach and Notion

Abstract

The study aimed at investigating how the learners and teachers at the Centre for Foundation Studies of the International Islamic University Malaysia perceive and approach language learning strategies. Data needed for the study were extracted from the Strategy Inventory for Language Learning Strategies given to 300 randomly selected students from 2 different groups – 150 students who passed the English Placement Test (referred to as EPT-pass in this study) and 150 students who failed the English Placement Test (referred to as EPT-fail in this study), 14-week lesson plans prepared collectively by the teachers at the learning institution as well as interview sessions and lesson observations involving 4 teacher volunteers. Overall, there was a positive indication of language learning strategies in both approach and notion where learners from 'EPT-pass' group were found to have been using language learning strategies more frequently in comparison to learners from 'EPT-fail' group, which was identified through higher value of mean scores, analyzed using SPSS. Language learning strategies were also evidently nurtured in those 14-week lesson plans examined and the four teacher volunteers seemingly to have both positive notion and approach where language learning strategies are concerned and language learning strategies were positively incorporated into lesson implementations.