The document discusses 5 key factors that influence language learning strategies: 1. Motivation - Highly motivated students use more strategies. Motivation can be intrinsic or extrinsic. 2. Gender - Some studies found females use more strategies while others found no significant difference. 3. Proficiency level - More proficient learners use a wider variety of strategies, especially metacognitive and social strategies. 4. Socioeconomic status - Learners from wealthier backgrounds can access more resources and native speakers to support their language learning. 5. Age - Younger learners may develop fluency faster while older learners grasp grammar concepts more quickly. Both age groups use different strategies effectively.

1. 5 Factors Affecting Language Learning
Strategies (LLS)
By: Salma binti Abdul Razak
(P71693)

2. Factors affecting LLS (variables)
 There are many factors that influence the selection and usage of LLS among
L2 learners (Kamarul & Amin, 2012) [cited from past related studies].
1. Motivation 12. Status of L2
2. Gender 13. Ethnic Affiliation
3. Cultural background 14. Social-cultural environment
4. Attitudes and beliefs 15. Learners’ differences
5. Types of tasks 16. Context of language learning
6. Learning styles 17. Linguistic
7. EFL/ESL background learning 18. Age
8. Choice of career 19. Personality
9. Duration of language learning 20. Learning experience
10. Purpose of learning 21. Socio-economic status
11. Proficiency level
Salma binti Abdul Razak (P71693)

3.  Khamkhien (2010)
1. Motivation
2. Learning experience
3. Gender
 Rahimi, Riazi & Saif (2008)
1. Language proficiency
2. Motivation
3. Learning style
4. Gender
 Tatsuya Taguchi (2002)
1. Gender
2. Educational background
3. Duration of study at language-centres
4. Motivation
5. Levels of English proficiency
Salma binti Abdul Razak (P71693)

4. 1) Motivation
 Students’ motivation is influenced by their learning
goals, purposes or reasons of learning the L2, as well as clear
application to real-life contexts (Rahimi, Riazi & Saif, 2008).
 Based on the result of Khamkhien’s study, it shows that
motivation can be a significant factor contributing to the LLS
employed by learners but it is also influenced by their
nationalities (Khamkhien, 2010).
 Highly-motivated students are proven to use more strategies
in learning a language compared to the students with low
motivation (Oxford & Nyikos, 1989, and Okada, Oxford &
Abo, 1996, as cited in Tatsuya, 2002; Oxford, 1994).
Salma binti Abdul Razak (P71693)

5.  Two types of motivation – focus on Language Learning :
(Gardner & Lambert, 1972, as cited in Kamarul & Amin, 2012)
 Integrative/ Universal – to integrate with the language
community/users
 Instrumental/ Concrete – to get good grades, for career
development, for leisure reading
 Strong relationship between LLS and motivation; extrinsic
and intrinsic (Chang & Huang, 1999, as cited in Kamarul &
Amin, 2012) :
 Students with intrinsic motivation opted to deploy
cognitive and metacognitive strategies.
 Students with extrinsic motivation preferred memory and
affective strategies.
Salma binti Abdul Razak (P71693)

6. 2) Gender
 Female students has been reported in many studies to deploy
greater overall LLS compared to males (Oxford & Nyikos,
1989; Oxford, 1994; Noor Zainab, Fauziah, Azian & Babikkoi,
2012; Farzad, Mahnaz & NedaSalahshour, 2013).
 However, gender is not a factor that contributes to the
different choice of language learning strategies (Chang, 1990,
and Chou, 2002, as cited in Kamarul & Mohamed Amin, 2012;
Khamkhien, 2008).
 The result maybe affected by other variables - ethnic background,
cultural background, language learning environment, and the
number of participants of each gender for the current study
(Khamkhien, 2008).
Salma binti Abdul Razak (P71693)

7.  No significant difference in gender –
 experienced and matured respondents (Wharton (2000) as cited
in Kamarul & Amin, 2012).
 being influenced by gender of the L2 educators (Cross (1983) as
cited in Kamarul & Amin, 2012).
 ability to immerse with the language community or being
taught by L2 educators using similar teaching methods
(Tatsuya, 2002).
Salma binti Abdul Razak (P71693)

8. 3) Proficiency Level
 Students’ learning experience and their awareness of the learning
processes have impact on their choice of LLS > the higher the
proficiency level of the students, the more aware they are of the
rules and strategies of language learning (Rahimi, Riazi & Saif,
2008).
 Proficient learners applied all types of strategies more frequently
than the lower ones (Adel, 2011; Farzad, Mahnaz, &
NedaSalahshour, 2013).
 High-proficiency – meta-cognitive and social strategies
 Low-proficiency – cognitive and compensation strategies (Tatsuya,
2002)
* A very important implication : an increase in the years of language
learning does not necessarily translate into an increase in proficiency
level (Rahimi, Riazi & Saif, 2008).
Salma binti Abdul Razak (P71693)

9. 4) Age
 Neither the older nor the younger beginners used more LLS –
quantitative research (Karim & Mohammad, 2013).
 The younger beginners seemed to use slightly more LLS than
the older beginners – qualitative research (Karim &
Mohammad, 2013).
 Adult learners
- able to grasp knowledge of syntax and morphology faster than
children
- deploy more flexible, general and up-to-date strategies
- more efficient in learning grammar anda vocabulary
 Young learners
- able to develop native-like pronunciation and fluency
- deploy simple and easy strategies
(Scarcella & Oxford (1992) and Ehrman & Oxford (1995) as cited in
Kamarul & Mohamed Amin, 2012).
Salma binti Abdul Razak (P71693)

10. 5) Socioeconomic Status
 People with different socioeconomic statuses have different
resources to support personal development (Tam, 2013).
 Students from more affluent homes can afford to go to tutorial
schools to strengthen their learning while poorer student cannot
(Kamarul & Mohamed Amin, 2012 & Tam, 2013).
 The greatest difference between different socioeconomic
classes is in the use of Social Strategies – to interact with
foreign maids at home (Tam, 2013).
 The higher the socioeconomic status of learners, the more
frequently they used Social strategies in learning English >
having clear purpose of learning the L2 (i.e. for daily
interaction).
 Access to native speakers is essential to improve students’
English Proficiency (Tam, 2013).
Salma binti Abdul Razak (P71693)

11.  Those who come from wealthier and higher status families
are proven to have higher cognitive ability (IQ) (Kamarul &
Mohamed Amin, 2012).
 This is influenced by parents’ educational background and
family income.
 Students with higher educated parents generally used more
LLSs and applied them outside classroom and for exams –
Cognitive and Social Strategies (Nazali (1999) in Kamarul &
Mohamed Amin (2012); Kamarul & Mohamed Amin, 2012).
 Students from wealthier families deployed more LLSs
outside classroom and for exams (Kamarul & Mohamed
Amin, 2012).
 Male students from wealthier families used more LLSs compared
to wealthier females.
 Female students from lower SES deployed more LLSs compared
to males from lower SES.
Salma binti Abdul Razak (P71693)

12. References
Adel, A. R. 2011. Effects of L2 proficiency and gender on choice of language learning strategies
by university students majoring in English. The Asian EFL Journal Quarterly. 13 (1),
114-162. From http://www.asian-efl-journal.com/PDF/March-2011.pdf#page=114
[March 25, 2014].
Farzad, S., Mahnaz, S. & NedaSalahshour. 2013. The relationship between language learning
strategy use, language proficiency level and learner gender. Procedia-Social and
Behavioural Sciences 70. 634-643. From
http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1877042813001043 [March 25, 2014].
Kamarul Shukri Mat Teh & Mohamed Amin Embi. 2012. Variasi Penggunaan Strategi
Pembelajaran Bahasa. Dlm. Strategi Pembelajaran Bahasa, hlm. 79-105. Kuala
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Karim Sadeghi & Mohammad Taghi Attar. 2013. The relationship between learning strategy
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2014].
Salma binti Abdul Razak (P71693)

13. Khamkhien, A. 2010. Factors affecting language learning strategy reported usage by Thai and
Vietnamese EFL students. Electronic Journal of Foreign Language Teaching. 7(1), 66- 85.
From http://e-flt.nus.edu.sg/v7n12010/khamkhien.pdf [March 20, 2014].
Mohammad Rahimi, Abdolmehdi Riazi & Shahrzad Saif. 2008. An investigation into the factors
affecting the use of language learning strategies by Persian EFL learners. Canadian
Journal of Applied Linguistics (CJAL). 11(2), 31-60. From
http://journals.hil.unb.ca/index.php/CJAL/article/view/19915/21770 [March 20,
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Noor Zainab Abdul Razak, Fauziah Ismail, Azian Abdul Aziz, Mallam, A. B. 2012. Assessing the
use of English Language Learning Strategies among secondary school students in
Malaysia. Procedia-Social and Behavioural Sciences 66. 240-246. From http://ac.els-
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Oxford, R. 1994. Language Learning Strategies: An Update. ERIC Digest. From
http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED376707.pdf [March 22, 2014].
Tam, K. C. 2013. A study on Language Learning Strategies (LLSs) of university students in Hong
Kong. Taiwan Journal of Linguistics, 11(2), 1-42. From http://tjl.nccu.edu.tw/volume11-
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Salma binti Abdul Razak (P71693)