Understanding Taiwanese College Students & Strategies for English Language Learning

Different students have different degrees of success in learning English as a Foreign Language (EFL). In material assigned to them, the students may not accomplish the study goals properly without an understanding of learning strategies. This paper discusses the results of a survey designed to determine how well students know and utilize such strategies. The O'Malley & Chamot strategy inventory (1990) and Tarone’s Classification of Communication Strategies (1981) were used to create the English Learning Strategy Questionnaire (ELSQ). A cluster sampling of 525 Taiwanese students participated in the research. Results indicated that Taiwanese college students use language learning strategies included in ELSQ with moderate to low frequency. Students’ gender, grade level, and high school background significantly influence some of the strategies they use. Results of this study also suggested that Taiwanese students tend to favor translation strategies that would help them to better understand the language and metacognitive strategies that help them to reflect upon their English learning process.