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Title
Thai Pre-University Students and their Employment of Language Learning Strategies
Presenter
Duangporn Sriboonruang
Abstract
This paper reports on a study of language learning strategies used by EFL pre-university students in Thailand. The study aims at investigating the overall use of language learning strategies. The respondents were 1,816 pre-university students. The language learning strategy questionnaire with the Alpha coefficient (α) .83 to Alpha coefficienct (α) .96 was used as the main instrument for data collection. The language learning strategy questionnaire was based on the researcher-generated language learning strategy inventory. The data obtained through the questionnaire were analysed with an assistance of the SPSS programme. The main statistical method used was the descriptive statistics including percentage, standard deviation, and mean scores. The results show that the participants reported an overall use of strategies at the medium level ( = 2.21). Regarding the two main categories (In-Class strategy and Out-of-Class strategy), the students also reported employing the strategies under these two categories at the medium level. The mean scores were 2.24 and 2.19 respectively.
When taking a close look at the individual strategies, we found that the majority of the students reported 1) listening to the teacher attentively and 2) taking note while studying in class with a teacher, in order to understand the lessons while studying in class; 3) asking a classmate or classmates either in class or outside class in order to solve the problems encountered in the classroom lesson; 4) listening to English songs in order to gain more knowledge about vocabulary; and 5) trying not to talk with other students while studying in order to understand while studying in class. The percentages of the students reporting these strategies were 82.0; 70.8; 69.0; 55. 6; and 55.5 respectively. The implications arising out of the findings were also discussed.
Key words: language learning strategies, pre-university students
Biographical Data
Duangporn Sriboonruang earned her M. Ed in TESOL and she is a government grantee working towards a PhD in English Language Studies under the joint programme between Suranaree University of Technology, Thailand and The University of Leeds, UK. Her main research interest is about language learning strategies and teaching methodology.
contact asian_efl_journal@yahoo.com
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