Grammar Learning Strategy Inventory (GLSI): Another look

Abstract

Despite all the progress that has been made in research on language learning strategies since the publication of Rubin’s (1975) seminal paper on good language learners, there are areas that have been neglected by strategy experts. Perhaps the most blatant manifestation of this neglect is the paucity of research into grammar learning strategies (GLS). The main premise of this paper is that for such research to gain momentum, it is to necessary to create valid and reliable data collection instruments that would enable tapping the use of different types of GLS. In line with this reasoning, the article reports a study that aimed to determine the psychometric properties of the Grammar Learning Strategy Inventory (GLSI), a tool constructed by Pawlak (2009b, 2013) on the basis of his classification of strategies for learning grammar in a second or foreign language. Exploratory factor analysis was also employed with the purpose of uncovering the underlying structure of strategic learning of grammar. The analysis provided evidence for largely satisfactory validity and reliability of the GLSI, indicating at the same time there is room for improvement, with concrete changes being possible after the instrument has been tested with a much larger sample.

Grammar learning strategies as a key to mastering second language grammar: A research agenda

“…The findings of these studies (e.g. Sarıçoban, 2005; Pawlak, 2008, 2009, 2012b, 2018a) are far from conclusive but they suggest reliance on a limited number of rather traditional GLS as well as evident impact of predominant instructional and assessment techniques. Still, the empirical evidence is very tenuous; we have just begun to uncover the pieces of the puzzle concerning what learners do to facilitate the process of learning and using grammar structures.…”

“…This division, however, was never intended to be a complete taxonomy but, rather, to inspire future discussion and empirical work. I built on this scheme and created what represents the only comprehensive classification (Pawlak, 2013, 2018a) in which GLS are divided into four groups: metacognitive, affective, social, and cognitive. The last category includes strategies for: (1) aiding the production and comprehension of grammar in communication tasks, (2) developing explicit knowledge, (3) developing implicit knowledge, and (4) dealing with corrective feedback on grammar use.…”

“…On this basis, I designed a research tool, the Grammar Learning Strategy Inventory (GLSI), comprising 70 five-point Likert-scale items. The investigation of the properties of the GLSI provided ample evidence for its validity and reliability (Pawlak, 2018a), and, to the best of my knowledge, it constitutes the only theoretically and empirically driven research instrument for collecting data on GLS. This is the reason why its use is suggested as a point of reference in the tasks proposed below.…”

“…The designed instrument should be non-language specific, thus ensuring applicability to a range of L2s, and it should take into account strategies for the development of explicit and implicit (highly automatized) knowledge. The points of reference could be the classification of GLS and the tool developed by Pawlak (2013, 2018a), which may have been designed for English majors but they are outcomes of a principled approach to the study of GLS and currently have no other published alternatives.…”

“…The focus could be on the GLSI or the tools developed in Research tasks 1 and 2. The choice of the GLSI is justified as it is currently the only comprehensive tool for investigating GLS, it has been initially validated in the Polish context (Pawlak, 2018a) and, despite its shortfalls, holds much promise for revealing how learners tackle the challenges of L2 grammar. The instrument could be validated in a variety of settings, for example with English majors in countries other than Poland.…”