The Strategy Inventory for Second Language Learning: Tested, Adapted, and Validated in the Slovenian Higher Education Context

Abstract

In administering the Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL) survey, our research focused on the use of second language learning strategies (SLLS) among higher education students, ascertaining what SLLS they use, the relationships between the strategies, and how the use of one group of SLLS can explain the use of other groups of strategies. This study examined the validity of the SILL (Oxford, 1990: 293-300) in a specific context by performing an exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses based on the survey response data of 225 students learning English at the Faculty of Administration, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia. The results show that most of the fit indexes used to test Oxford's SILL provide an unacceptable fit, so a modification is proposed on the basis of the results of a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The adapted strategy inventory model with validated fit is introduced and discussed. It shows that basic cognitive and metacognitive strategies explain 58% of the variance of social learning strategies. The results also show that certain SILL strategies are outdated , possibly due to advancements in information technology and language learning. The implications of these findings are discussed in the light of future study areas of SILL and SLLS research.

Latvian Higher Education Institution Student Foreign Language Learning Strategies

“…Bremner finds that compensation and metacognitive strategies were used most of all, while affective and memory strategies were the least used ones (1998). Danko and Dečman (2019) and Wu (2008) also report that affective strategies were the least used ones. Danko and Dečman suggest that the role of affective strategies was more obvious at lower levels of proficiency.…”

“…Thus, it can be concluded that affective, cognitive, social and partly metacognitive approach are not formulated into language learning strategies. Meanwhile, the Companion Volume of New Descriptors (Council of Europe; 2018) replaces the descriptors of four language skills and lists appropriate strategies for carrying out the language tasks to be accomplished (Danko & Dečman, 2019).…”

“…Volume I, May 26 th , 2023. 385-394 387 5 "always or almost always true of me" (Bremner, 1998;Riazi, 2008;Vertongen, 2014-2015, Danko & Dečman, 2019. Other investigators, however, reduce the number of Likert scale options, offering the students to reply to strategy use statements with the options from "never" to "sometimes" (Bessai, 2018).…”

“…Considering the appropriateness of the language learning strategy use in the contemporary situation, Danko and Dečman (2019) argue that such strategies as the use of flashcards or rhymes from Oxford's original questionnaire have been overtaken using modern information technology. Nonetheless, they acknowledge that some authors claim that kinaesthetic students might enjoy working with tangible objects (Oxford, 2003, p. 273).…”

Language Learning Strategies in Online CLIL-Oriented Classrooms: Voices from Indonesian Higher Education Students

“…The researcher did not make any changes to the instruments as it is considered as standardized instrument with high level of validity. It was proven and adopted in various research around the world as well (Danko & Dečman, 2019;de Zarobe & Smala, 2020;M. Lestari & Wahyudin, 2020;Nesrine Aoudjit, 2018;Park & Kim, 2017;Ranjan et al, 2021;Saks & Leijen, 2016;Stander, 2020).…”