Keywords
Abstract
Making the students conscious of their own learning strategies is tantamount to making them learn how to learn. Realistically, when students fail to recognize their own learning styles their academic performance is expected to be a failure. Wirth (2008) recognizes that learning how to learn is an important skill in today’s recent explosion of knowledge and technology. This paper investigated on the language learning strategies of the college students and explore the relationship among LLS, gender and language proficiency. The study used the descriptive design in identifying the language learning strategies of the participants. In identifying the strategies objectively, this paper used the Strategy Inventory Language Learning (SILL) of Oxford (1990) since it is designed for ESL and EFL learners. Likewise, this paper correlated the participants’ gender and the results of the English language proficiency test. From the result of the analysis of the language learning strategies of the college students, metacognitive strategies are frequently used in learning a second language of the students who are enrolled in education and information technology courses. Significantly, all groups of participants are usually employing social strategies in their language learning. Cognitive and metacognitive strategies among other categories of strategies surveyed are essential for successful language learning. Language learning strategies have significant negative correlation to gender, in favour of female students who utilized these strategies more frequently than male students. The findings of the study might have contributed to the quest for more effective language instruction that is centered on developing L2 learners to become self-directed learners. This can only be possible if language teachers would be able to raise consciousness of students on how they learn best. Understanding LLS of students is a challenge for language teachers to craft teaching strategies or styles that would be a learner-centered approach. By focusing on the learners and considering the different strategies they use while learning L2, ESL learners will become self-directed, and independent learners of English.