Language learning strategies of mandarin learners at different course levels / Lim Lee Sah, Gan Kiat Chien and Eng Sze Boon

The effective use of language learning strategies by second or foreign language learners plays an important role to reach communication competence. Hence, the present study attempts to investigate the language learning strategies of Mandarin learners. The participants were 165 Mandarin students whom learned Mandarin as a foreign language in Malacca City Campus, University of Technology MARA. This study employed a descriptive survey method-using questionnaire to gather the information. The Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL) developed by Oxford (1990) was used as the instrument to elicit information about the six categories of strategies as mentioned in the SILL namely, memory, cognitive, compensation, metacognitive, affective and social strategies. The overall results obtained demonstrated that all the Mandarin learners did use language learning strategies but their use was generally of moderate frequency. The evidence shows that overall use of language learning strategies by the Mandarin learners was in a medium level (M==2.5 to 3.4). Levell learners obtained the highest mean score (M==3.40), and this was followed by Level 3 learners (M==3.33), whereas Level 2 learners obtained the lowest mean score (M==3.17). Results obtained also indicated that both categories of social strategies and metacognitive strategies were used more frequently by all the Mandarin learners, regardless of their course level. The results demonstrates that the most favourite strategy item is a cognitive strategy, "I take notes in class in the Mandarin language" (M==3.93). The least used item for the participants is also a cognitive strategy "I write personal notes, messages, letters, or reports in the Mandarin language" (M==2.27). Due to the importance of language learning strategies on the aspect of teaching and learning Mandarin as a foreign language, it is suggested that there is a need for teachers to identify learners' strategies and conduct training on the strategies.