Language Learning Strategies (LLSs) act as a catalyse to increase learners' understanding of the target language. Learners need to explore a wide range of LLSs and decide which strategy works best for them because there is no single strategy that has been proven to be the universal success of learning a second language. This paper aims to identify the language learning strategies preferred by successful language learners. The study employed a quantitative research design which involved 54 successful language learners who are serving as teachers and lecturers of English as a second language (ESL) at various learning institutions in Malaysia An online survey with a Likert Scale of 1 to 5 adopted from the Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL) by Oxford (1990) was used to identify the language learning strategies preferred by the respondents and results revealed that metacognitive, compensation, social, memory and cognitive strategies were the most frequently employed while affective strategies were moderately employed strategies among the participants. Therefore, it is revealed that the successful language learners are highly aware of their language learning strategies used and this may not only benefit them as a successful language learner but also their students as they may train their students using varied strategies to succeed in English language learning.

The Covid-19 pandemic is a health crisis that has been affecting the world since December 2019. The death toll that keeps spiking up day by day has led the government to take precautions in schools in order to ensure students' health and safety. The temporary closure of various educational institutions including universities, schools and kindergartens has given a significant impact on our education system. This unprecedented situation has resulted in the transition of the face-to-face teaching method to virtual learning. This literature review focuses on the use of gamification as a tool for language learning and teaching, specifically for the educators and learners of English as a Second Language (ESL) in conducting virtual lessons in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic. Thus, the impacts and challenges of the utilisation of gamification tools in the virtual classrooms conducted due to Covid-19 pandemic have been identified as a way to enhance ESL virtual classrooms through improvements in the method of teaching for students' educational development with regard to ESL knowledge.