VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT

GENDER DIFFERENCES IN LANGUAGE LEARNING STRATEGY USE

Presenter: Nguyen Thu Hien

Cao Thuy Hong

OUTLINE
Introduction
Literature Review

Research Methodology
Data Analysis and Discussion

Conclusion

INTRODUCTION

Statement of the problem and rationale for the study

Cognitive view of learning:

Language learning = a dynamic and creative process Language learners = active strategy users and knowledge constructors

Teaching methods

Learners

How learners approach learning The kinds of strategies and cognitive processing they use Chamot & OMalley (1994)

Statement of the problem and rationale for the study

Learning strategies:

Learning strategies are optimal means for exploiting available information to improve competence in a second language (Bialystock 1987: 71) Learning strategies = one of the most important

variables influencing performance in a second language

(Oxford, 1989: 238)

Statement of the problem and rationale for the study

Individual learner differences Belief Affective states Learner factors Learning experiences Learners choice of learning Situational and social factors Target language Setting Task performed Gender

strategies

Gender = a profound choice on strategy choice

(Oxford & Nyiko, 1989: 545)

Research questions
What are EFL learning strategies employed by

the students?
Is there a significant difference in the frequency

of EFL learning strategy used by the male and female students?

LITERATURE REVIEW

Gender differences in second

language learning strategies
There are significant differences between male and female students use of LLS with females using those more frequently.
Green & Oxford (1995), Lan & Oxford (2003), Chang, Liu & Lee (2007), etc. Young and Oxfords (1997) study on the strategies used by native English-

speaking learners of Spanish found no significant differences between

males and females in their use of LLS.
Tercanlioglu (2004) in a quantitative data analysis on gender differences

in language learning strategies used by foreign language learners in a

Turkish University, report significant gender differences, favouring males in students strategy use.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Research approach
Quantitative approach

a methodology that aims to determine the relationship between one thing (an
independent variable) and another (a dependent variable) in a population. Hopkins (2000)

a formal, objective, systematic process ..." (Burns and Grove cited in Cormack, 1991:140).

far more manageable and easier to analyze (OMalley & Chamot, 1995: 94).

Qualitative approach
provide the depth of information (OMalley & Chamot, 1995: 94)

Participants
72 second- year students at a public university

in Hanoi, Viet Nam.

Gender: 27 males + 45 females.

Major: finance and banking

Age: 19- 21 years old Characteristics: confident, self- motivated, lively Proficiency level: Intermediate

Methods of data collection

QUESTIONNAIRES
Advantages

Disadvantages deal of

Afford

good

Sometimes, unreliable because the informants are careless in responding.

precision and clarity

Informants may not understand the

strategy descriptions in the questionnaires.

Data can be gathered in different time slots, but the data is comparable

It is often hard to elaborate on informants answers.

Simplify data manipulation

Low rate of return

Methods of data collection

Steps of constructing the questionnaires

Oxfords Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL)- version 7.0

Translate the questionnaires into Vietnamese

Pilot the questionnaires

Revise the questionnaires

Deliver the questionnaires

Methods of data collection

Emerging themes from the questionnaires

INFORMAL INTERVIEW

Students are more motivated to response in a interview because they are pleased to have someone take personal interest in their learning

processes (O Malley & Chamot, 1995: 94)

Participants: 8 students (4 males + 4 females) Language of the interview: Vietnamese Audio- taping the interview

Methods of data analysis

Data from the questionnaires
Mean scores for each question item

Coded

Average mean scores of the six categories of LLS

SPSS version 16.0

T- test
Frequencies (Means, SD) of LLS used by students

Spearmans rho two- tailed test Significant relationships? Gender and LLS use in general? Gender and specific strategies in the categories?

Data from interview

Partly translated

Used for data analysis

into English

Steps of the research

Identifying the sample, accessed the prospective informants

to invite them to participate.

Constructing, piloting and revising the questionnaires Distributing and collecting questionnaires Analyzing data from questionnaires Indentifying emerging themes in the questionnaires

Formulating and revising the interview questions

Interviewing a group of informants

DATA ANALYSIS

AND
DISCUSSION

Data analysis and discussion

Research question 1: What are the EFL learning strategies employed by the students?

N A- Memory B- Cognitive C- Compensation D- Metacognitive 72 E- Affective F- Social Overall strategy use 72 72 72 72

Mean 2.58 (Medium use 2.87 (Medium use) 3.35 (Medium use) 3.02 (Medium use) 2.24

Std. Deviation .50492 .46744 .62123 .61988 .29539

Frequency Ranking 2 4 6 5 1

72
72

2.61 (Medium use)

2.78 (Medium use)

.34364
.37833

Note: Scores were rounded to 2 decimal places. 6 = most frequently used; 1= least frequently used

Data analysis and discussion

Research question 1: What are the EFL learning strategies employed by the students?

I see no point in writing a diary. I think its a girly thing (M1, 4) At home, I usually revise the lesson in class, note down the new words and

structures and look up the new words in the dictionary (M2, 3; F 1, 4)

In class, I underline the new words in the reading text or write down the new

words in a notebook. Then I ask the teacher for the meaning and write down the meaning; sometimes look up the meaning of the new words at home using a dictionary, write the meaning in the notebook and try to learn the new words. (F3)

Data analysis and discussion

Comparing the current research findings with others
Most frequently used Study This study 1st Compensation (M= 3.35) 2nd Metacognitive (M= 3.02) 3rd Cognitive (M= 2.87) 4th Social (M= 2.61)

Least frequently used

5th Memory (M= 2.58) 6th Affective (M= 2.24) Overall M= 2.78 M= 3.25

(1) Chinese
(2) Chinese (3) Taiwanes e (4) Turkish (5) Korean

Metacognitive (M= 3.74)

Metacognitive (M= 3.54) Compensation (M= 2.97) Metacognitive (M= 3.39) Compensation (M= 3.14)

Compensation (M= 3.30)

Compensation (M= 3.46) Memory (M= 2.93) Compensation (M= 3.37) Social (M= 2.94)

Affective (M= 3.22)

Cognitive (M= 3.27) Metacognitve (M= 2.91) Cognitive (M= 3.23) Cognitive (M= 2.90)

Cognitive (M= 3.21)

Affective (M= 3.16) Social (M= 2.90) Memory (M= 3.22) Memory (M= 2.74)

Social (M= 3.12)

Social (M= 3.07) Cognitive (M= 2.84) Social (M= 3.14) Metacognitive (M= 2.74)

Memory (M= 2.91

Memory (M= 2.88) Affective (M= 2.80) Affective (M= 2.28) Affective (M= 2.43)

M= 2.89

Data analysis and discussion

Research question 2: Is there a significant difference in the frequency of EFL learning strategy

used by the male and female students?

Table 7: Correlations between gender and language learning strategy use

gender
Spearman's rho

LLS total score .200 .092 72 1.000

.

gender

Correlation Coefficient

1.000
.

Sig. (2-tailed)
N

(> .05)

72 .200 .092 72

LLS total score

Correlation Coefficient

Sig. (2-tailed) N

72

No association between the two variables

Data analysis and discussion

Correlations between gender and sub- categories of language learning strategy use N= 72 Independent variable: Gender Strategies Female N= 45 M A. Memory B. Cognitive C. Compensation D. Metacognitive E. Affective F. Social SD .48705 .47414 .58378 .64011 .27531 M Male N= 27 SD .54091 .46225 .66958 .59285 .28152 .32879 .060 .001 .172 .075 .399 .399 .615 .995 .149 .532 .001 .001 r=.399 (moderate) p < .05 r: close to 0 p > .05 r p Comments

2.6051 2.8529 3.4329 3.0491 2.3236

2.5474 2.9156 3.2222 2.9667 2.1059

2.7082

.31979

2.4559

 "When I feel stressful, not just in my study but also in my

daily life, I usually need to cry and get it all out" (F2)
"When I am stressful, I often find someone who I can

confide. We can talk over the problem. And then once I've had a chance to talk through all the things I usually feel

better." (F3)
just let it pass and moved on. (M1).

CONCLUSION

Summary of the findings

Students are medium strategy users with the average mean score of

2.78.
Of the six sub-categories listed in Oxfords (1990) SILL,

compensation and metacognitive were used most frequently.

Memory and affective strategies were the least frequently used strategies.

The range of sub- strategies used by the students is also limited.

Summary of the findings

There were no significant differences between male and female

students overall use of strategies.

Differences were only reported in male and female students use of

social and affective strategies with females being the more frequent

users.

Recommendations
Emphasize strategy training
At institutional level:

Convince teachers that learning strategies can be effective for their students (Wilson, 1988, cited in Chamot & OMalley, 1995)

Organize

workshops,

collaborative

planning

and

classroom

observation feedback with peers (Joyce & Showers, 1987)

Develop the materials and curriculum that would enable teachers to

carry out their strategy training

Recommendations
For teachers:

Integrate strategy trainings into the lesson through

well- organized activities. Help students gradually reduce their anxiety by using

mental techniques

Create a positive attitude towards making error in class Make use of diary, journal writing and informal sharing in the classroom

Limitations of the research and suggestions for further research

Limitation
Research tool- questionnaires: the strategies reported are those that Further research to decide whether these the subjects perceived themselves as strategies are actually used by the using. students or not (immediate verbalization). Population:
-Small (72 students)
-All at intermediate level -Bigger scope -Focus on different levels of proficiency

Suggestions

The research result can hardly be generalized to a bigger population

Limitations of the research and suggestions for further research

Other suggestions

Areas for further research:

the relationship between gender, language learning strategies and language proficiency

Strategy training