Learning Strategies Used by ESL Pupils in A Sub-Urban Primary School to Develop Listening Skills

Abstract

In a language learning classroom, developing learners' listening skills is a vital part of language development. In ESL classrooms, it is one of the main skills the ESL learners have to master to ensure effective communication so as to enable the learners to shift from classroom language to real language. However, despite its importance, listening is considered a difficult skill to develop and learn, especially in countries where English is a foreign language. Hence, the present study investigated the language learning strategies used by ESL pupils in a suburban primary school in Sarawak to develop listening skills. 31 Level-2 primary school pupils aged between 10-12 years old were selected to participate in this study through purposive, convenience sampling technique. A questionnaire adapted fromYoung Learners' Language Strategy Use Survey (YLLSUS) was used to collect data. Four language learning strategies, viz., cognitive, metacognitive, affective, and social strategies were proposed in the current study. The findings indicated that "listening to others" was the most used strategy meanwhile "listening to the radio in English" was the least used strategy. It is hoped that the study could provide some insights for the ESL teachers on listening strategies that could be