THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN USE OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING STRATEGIES AND PERSONALITY TRAITS IN IRANIAN UNIVERSITY LEVEL LEARNERS OF ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE
Introduction
As Wenden (1985) reminds us, there is a proverb states “Give a man a fish and he eats for a day. Teach him how to fish and he eats for a lifetime”. Applying such proverb in language teaching and learning, tells us that if the students are taught the strategies of language learning to work out, they will be empowered to manage their own learning.
Henderson and wellington (1998, p.36) states that “The quality of the classroom language bound up with the quality of learning”, and moreover Wellington and Osborne (2001, p.6) mention that “Language development and conceptual development are inextricably linked”. Learning strategies are sensitive to the learning context and to the learner’s internal processing preferences, and there is relationship between the frequent use of learning strategies and achievement in the language (Green & Oxford, 1995). In such situation, there is claim that use of Language Learning Strategies help the learners retrieve and store material, and facilitate their learning (Grander & Maclntyre, 1992).Chomat, Barnhardt, El-Dinary and Rabbins (1999,p.166) state that “Differences between more effective learners and less effective learners were found in the number and range of strategies used”. In this way, the importance of encouraging learning strategies is undeniable.
The term language learning strategies is not newly created and they have been used for thousands of years as Oxford (1990) mentions about mnemonic strategy as one famous example. They have been popular in language teaching and learning since the last three decades and they have become so much effective where they have been transformed into language teaching and learning. And research on Language Learning Strategies (LLSs) has a history of about thirty years and much of this history has been sporadic and since 1980s and the early 1990s was the main beginning point of various studies on Language Learning Strategies (Chamot, 2005, p.112).
It is common in the literature that on language learning strategies to refer to the recent studies. Over the last three decades, numbers of studies were done on learning strategies (Ellis, 1985; Willing, 1988; Oxford, 1990; O’Malley & Chamot, 1990) and their focusing on learners and learning rather than teacher and teaching (Nunan, 1988; Lessard-Clousten, 1997). And the various definitions have been given to language learning strategies. Stern (1983) states that “In our view strategy is best reserved for general tendencies or overall characteristics of the approach employed by the language learner, leaving techniques as the term to refer to particular forms of observable learning behavior”, O’Malley et al (1985) define learning strategies as “Operations or steps used by a learner that will facilitate the acquisition ,storage, retrieval or use of information” .Weinstein and Mayer (1986) discuss as “Learning strategies are the behaviors and thoughts that a learner engages in during learning that are intended to influences the leaner’s encoding process”. One year later, Chamot (1987) expresses “Learning strategies are techniques, approaches or deliberate actions that students take in order to facilitate the learning, recall of both linguistic and content area information”. The other pioneering person in this field, Rubin (1987) notes that “Learning strategies are strategies which contribute to the development of the language system which the learner constructs and affects learning directly” and some years later in 1975, she defines them as “the techniques or devices which a learner may use to acquire knowledge”, or in other definition with Wenden, they (1987,p.6) define them as “behaviors learners engage in to learn and regulate the learning of second language” .Oxford(1990) defines language learning strategies as “behaviors or actions which learners use to make language learning more successful, self-directed and enjoyable” and in other definition she and Crookall (1989,p.404) define language strategies as “steps taken by the learner to aid the acquisition, storage and retrieval information” . And Ellis (1994) defines strategy as “mental or behavioral activity related to some specific stage in the overall process of language acquisition or language use”. In the last definition, Learning Strategies are defined as “special thoughts or actions that learners use to help [the learners] comprehend, learn, or retain new information” (Grenfel & Harris, 1996, as cited in Lessard-Clousten.1997).
Still the concept of language leaning strategies itself is “fuzzy” (Ellis, 1994) and as Oxford (1990, p.49) states “there is not complete agreement on exactly strategies are and how they should be defined”. Griffiths (2004,p.5) reminds us that “amid this welter of overlapping material and conflicting opinion, the process of establishing terminology ,definitions and classification for language learning strategies is far from straightforward” .Moreover there are different terminology used by researchers regarding such concept. Some of researchers use “learning strategies” (O’Malley et al, 1985; Oxford, 1990) and the others use “learner strategies” (Wenden & Rubin, 1987; McDonough, 1995, 1999).
2. Statement of the problem and purpose of the study
Use of strategy is influenced by number of factors (Oxford, 1990) and the frequency and variety of Language Learning Strategies vary between different learners and depend on a number of variables (Chamot & Kupper, 1989).And researches show that individual students differ considerably in the use of learning strategies (O’Malley & Chamot, 1990; Oxford & Cohen, 1992). However, factors such as attitudes, sex, ethnicity and the others have received lesser emphasis in the recent studies of Language Learning Strategies (Oxford & Cohen, 1992). But the situation has improved somewhat through the personlogical work of some investigators (Ehraman & Oxford, 1990).Although still there is need to do more research on personlogical aspects because of the importance of personlogical traits as factor influence learning strategy use (Willing, 1987).In this way, recent studies try to focus more on individual differences in strategy use (Oxford, 1992; Oxford & Ehrman, 1993).
In Iran, as multi-lingual country, English is taught as a foreign language and compulsory paper from seventh standard. In intermediate and advance level, the learners of English need to broaden their vocabulary to express themselves more clearly. In such situation, in order to learn English in all levels, there are different learning strategies are used by the learners, i.e. memory strategies, cognitive strategies, compensation strategies, metacognitive strategies, affective strategies, social strategies.
In this project work, the researcher aims to test 1) whether there is relationship between use of Memory strategies and personality traits in Iranian university level learners of English as a foreign language or not, 2) whether there is relationship between use of Cognitive strategies and personality traits in Iranian university level learners of English as a foreign language or not, 3) whether there is relationship between use of Compensation strategies and personality traits in Iranian university level learners of English as a foreign language or not,4) whether there is relationship between use of Metacognitive strategies and personality traits in Iranian university level learners of English as a foreign language or not,5) whether there is relationship between use of Affective strategies and personality traits in Iranian university level learners of English as a foreign language or not,6) whether there is relationship between use of Social strategies and personality traits in Iranian university level learners of English as a foreign language or not,
3. Significance and justification of the study
Iran’s geographical position, at the center of one of the world’s major cross-roads, has had a direct bearing on its long history, ethnic and linguistic composition. The Iran of today is a multi ethnic and multilingual society. Though, according to Act 15 of the Iranian constitution, the official language of Iran is Persian (Farsi), the language of the ancient parts, approximately 23% of the population also speak a second Indo-Aryan dialect or language as well (Salehkhan, 1999).
There are a large number of students, whose contribution to the promotion of the country is of great importance. The students study English as compulsory paper since seventh standard. And English is one of the most important subjects in many schools around the world, including Iran. Considering this, the researcher endeavors to conduct a research and is hopeful to find useful results which would shed some light on the issue of the relationship between use of English Learning Strategies and Personality traits and helps modify the present curriculum.
4. Research question and Hypothesis
The present study will set out to find solutions for the following research questions:
1. Is there any relationship between use of Memory strategies and Personality traits of the learners?
2. Is there any relationship between use of Cognitive strategies and Personality traits of the learners?
3. Is there any relationship between use of Compensation strategies and Personality traits of the learners?
4. Is there any relationship between use of Metacognitive strategies and Personality traits of the learners?
5. Is there any relationship between use of Affective strategies and Personality traits of the learners?
6. Is there any relationship between use of Social strategies and Personality traits of the learners?
The following research hypothesizes are suggested:
Ho1.There is relationship between use of Memory strategies and personality traits of the learners.
Ho2.There is relationship between use of Cognitive strategies and personality traits of the learners.
Ho3.There is relationship between use of Compensation strategies and personality traits of the learners.
Ho4.There is relationship between use of Metacognitive strategies and personality traits of the learners.
Ho5.There is relationship between use of Affective strategies and personality traits of the learners.
Ho6.There is relationship between use of Social strategies and personality traits of the learners.
5. Methodology
5.1. Participants
Initially a total of 200 students (both of male and female) at three universities in Khonzestan Province in south of Iran, will be asked to participate in this project. By means of a background questionnaire some demographic information about participants will be elicited. Based on some indicators such as the parents’ soci-educational background and occupation (which, according to Morrison 1958, is a good indicator of social class status), the participants will be matched as closely as possible for socio-economic background to minimize the effect of social class. Accordingly, the participants will be classified as middle class.
5.2. Instrumentations
The five different instruments used in this thesis will include:
A background questionnaire for eliciting demographic information concerning the subject socio-educational background ;
A self-report proficiency questionnaire for assessing students’ degree of Language Leaning Strategies use ;
A questionnaire for eliciting information concerning the subject use of Language Learning Strategies;
A questionnaire for eliciting information concerning the subject Personality traits ;
A general English proficiency test for determining the proficiency level of participants in English.
6 .Design and Procedures
The thesis will be implementing on the basis of an ex-post design. The reasons behind choosing such design are as follows:
The researcher has not control over the manipulation of the independent variables;
There will be no treatment;
The nature of the study requires the researcher to look for some degree of relationship between the variables rather than a cause effect relationships.
To achieve the objectives of this study the above procedures will be taken by investigator for the development of the questionnaires.
The corpus of the present study is as following:
1. Introduction
2. Review of Literature
3. Methodology
4. Results and Discussion
5. Conclusion
7. Delimitation of the study
Generally speaking, there are some difficulties inherent in the endeavor to conduct any research on the learners of a foreign language. Some problems are the results of the qualitative research, methods and the type of instrumentation used in conducting this type of research (Ellis, 1986). Similarly, the present research due to using ex-pose facto has certain delimitation that must be taken in mind in the interpretation of the results. Since there is no control over the manipulation of the variables, no cause effect relationship could be stated. The lack of the comprehensive operational definitions is one of main delimitation and the second is the question of generality.
8. Definition of key terms
“Learning” is defined as “knowledge or skills acquired through experience or study or by being taught” (Concise Oxford English dictionary, 2008, p.811), or it can be defined as “the activity of obtaining knowledge” (Cambridge International dictionary of English, 1995, p.806).And “learn” is defined “to acquire knowledge of or skill in study, instruction, practice or experience” (The new lexicon Webster’s encyclopedic dictionary of the English, 1995,pp.562-563) or “ acquire knowledge of or skill in (something) through study or experience or by being taught” (Concise Oxford English dictionary, 2008, p.811). And “learner” is “a person who is still learning something” (Cambridge International dictionary of English, 1995, p.806).The term, “acquisition” is defined as “the action of acquiring” (Concise Oxford English dictionary, 2008, p.12) and “acquire” is defined as “learn or develop (a skill, quality, etc.)” (Concise Oxford English dictionary, 2008, p.11).Or in some other source the “acquire” is define as “to obtain” (Cambridge International dictionary of English, 1995, p.12).Also “acquisition” can be defined as “the gaining of something for oneself, act of acquiring”(The new lexicon Webster’s encyclopedic dictionary of the English, 1995,p.7) and “acquire” is “to gain for oneself, to come to have” (The new lexicon Webster’s encyclopedic dictionary of the English, 1995,p.7).
“Language” is defined as “the method of human communication either spoken or written, consisting of the use of words in structured and conventional way” (Concise Oxford English dictionary, 2008, p.801), or it can be defined as “a system of communication consisting of a set of small parts and a set of rules which decide the ways in which these parts can be combined to produce message that have meaning” (Cambridge International dictionary of English, 1995, p.756).
“Strategy” is defined as “a plan designed to achive a particular long-term aim” (Concise Oxford English dictionary, 2008, p.1425), or it can be defined as “a detailed plan for achiving success in situations such as war, politics, business, industry or sport, or the skill of planning for such situations” (Cambridge International dictionary of English, 1995, p.1435).
“Personality” can be defined as “the combination of characteristics or qualities that form an individual’s distinctive character” (Cambridge International dictionary of English, 1995, p.1070), or it can be defined as “the total of psychological, intellectual, emotional and physical characteristics that make up the individual, esp. as others see him” (The new lexicon Webster’s encyclopedic dictionary of the English, 1995,p.749).
9. Presumed Pedagogical Implication
A presumed pedagogical implication is that there is positive relationship between personality traits of the learners and Language Learning Strategies which are used by them. And knowing the psychological trait of the learners can aid language learning. This is particularly to encourage the teachers to focus on the personality traits of the learners in language learning courses. Such focus can help the learners to be more successful in language leaning achievements.
If the positive effects of personality traits are supported, it is helpful to encourage the teachers to focus on personality traits of the learners. Furthermore, they will be another support for positive view on the effect of personality traits on Language Learning Strategies and Language Learning.
On the contrary, if negative effects of personality traits are supported, it implies that personality traits are hindrance for some of Language Learning Strategies and Language Learning. Also if the negative effects of personality traits are supported, it implies it should not encourage the teachers to preserve on focusing of personality traits in their language teaching classes generally. Hence it will support the negative view on personality traits.
If the results are mix and do not indicate any specific advantage or disadvantage for personality traits, we could reason that it has a neutral effect in use of Language Learning Strategies and Language Learning.
On the basis of the probable results, teacher training programs, curriculum development material preparation and syllabus design can be adjusted accordingly.
References
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PROJECT SUPERVISOR: RESEARCH SCHOLAR:
Dr. B.K.RAVINDRANATH SEYED HOSSEIN FAZELI
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