Language Learning Strategies Based On Gender

Abstract

Gender as an individual characteristic has been proved to affect the use of strategies in learning a foreign language but how gender affects the use of strategies in learning a local language where the people in the community speak a national language is not explored yet. Some studies show that female students employed language learning strategies more often than male students (Oxford & Nyikos, 1989; Awang Hashim & Syed Sahil, 1994; Green and Oxford, 1995; Dreyer & Oxford, 1999). The present study was aimed to identify how gender affects the use of strategies in learning a local language in the environment where people in the country have a national language. A Non–probability sampling was used to collect data. With the Cronbach Alphas ranging from .79 to 82, mean scores of the use of language learning strategies the male and female students reported using were compared. In the present study it was found that metacognitive strategies were the strategies mostly used by female students and cognitive strategeis were the strategies mostly used by male students. This means that male students are likely to be more dependent on memorization than female students. Cognitive strategies which are characterized at least with memorization or rote learning in the present study tend to be used by male students.

Gender-Based Differences in English Language Learning Strategies Among Vietnamese EFL High School Students

“…Gender: (1) A person's gender is the fact that they are male or female. (2) You can refer to all male and female people as a particular gender. (3) In grammar, the gender of a noun, pronoun or adjective is whether it is masculine, feminine or neuter.…”

“…(1) To what extent do Vietnamese EFL high school students employ LLS in their English learning? (2) To what extent do males and females differ in employing LLS in English learning?…”