earticle

영어

In this paper, “the valuable diagnostic tool” Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL), proposed by Oxford (1990), has been employed to conduct an empirical study on learning strategies of tertiary-level EFL learners in China on the basis of a brief survey of the research into L2 learning strategies. The paper examines and analyzes the overall frequency with which they employ learning strategies. The relationship between learning strategies and three other variables (gender, time spent in English learning, and English language proficiency) is also examined through the well-known SPSS 10.0. The findings of the research suggest that the learning strategies employed most frequently by the tertiary-level EFL learners are memory, cognitive and metacognitive strategies, followed by compensation strategies, with social and affective strategies the least frequently used. The study also shows that significant difference exists between the employment of learning strategies and gender in English learning, and that strategy use demonstrates a significant relationship, to varying degrees, with the time spent on English learning and English proficiency as well. Finally, the paper discusses the causes of such a relationship between the above-mentioned variables, and points out the major factors that affect the strategy use of the tertiary-level EFL learners in China.