The use of language learning strategies in English reading at Doan Ket secondary school - An investigation

students supporting the participants use these LLS actively without waiting for any outside impact.

The outcome of the second research question indicates the correlation between the DK secondary school students’ use of learning strategies and their performance in English reading. The piece of evidence is that the memory and cognitive strategies were the two most frequently used ones during their learning process. Good students who did use these two strategies more successfully than average and poor ones, thus this result is partially coincidental to Ehrman and Oxford (1989) about “cognitive style and aspects of personality”. It stated that “students are influenced by their cognition for learning motivations”; however, that research was just for adults (e.g. high school students up). In the case of Doan Ket students, they are too young to have the best LLS themselves; nevertheless, they can first use the easiest learning strategy - “Memory strategy” to help themselves overcome the learning content. The cause of a rate distinction between the good and the poor- grade students in the school is the cognition and memorizing ability of learning a second language among them, that improve a student’s English reading skill and decide that one’s language achievement. It means that good-grade students can self-recognize and choose themselves a suitable language learning strategy while the others get poor grades because they lack appropriate language learning strategies or do not care about the learning outcomes. This fact is identical to Baye (2018)’s research mentioned in the above literature that the programs of the secondary education have focused on teachers’ instruction, and language reading comprehension always requires the flexible learning strategies from students. The more they read, the more mnemonic knowledge in the heads stipulating an existing brainstorm. A student’s learning cognition will upgrade this cognition to be metacognitive one and create more wills for

one’s future direction or self-assess for long-term learning strategy orientation. Hence, “Metacognitive strategy” is the most important among LLS because of its natural language apprehension through learners’ awareness.

Besides that, the students were not aware of the effect of English reading strategies offering them to be more passive or timid to their language skills/ areas that related to reading skills while comprehensive reading is one of the receptive skills before touching productive skills (Park-Oh, 1994). As a result, they have not been confident enough to employ English learning strategies, or they randomly use the reading strategies at the lowest level because they do not know how literacy proficiency has affected the qualification of reading comprehension. Another cause is that these students were not well-trained with any program of language learning strategies. They still retain the learning customs from the primary schools forgetting they need changing in a newer environment - “Lower Secondary School”. Griggs & Dunn, 1984; Renzulli & Smith, 1984 claimed that “learners can quickly enhance their academic achievement, attitudes and behavior in the both levels of primary and secondary school”. Nevertheless, teachers can help “stretch their students’ learning styles by giving them some trial learning strategies” and vice versa to increase language proficiency, teachers can instruct the students how to use learning strategies relevantly.

Nevertheless, when making a statistical analysis from students’ English scorecards, it was found 68 Good-grade students of the total 176 (occupying

38.6 %), 55 fair students of the total 176 (occupying 31.2 %), 51 average students of the total 176 (occupying 29 %) and 2 poor-grade ones of the total 176 (occupying 1.1 %). In relation to the number of 68 good-grade students, they attained the minimum score of 8.0 and the maximum score of 10.0, thus the average computation for this student group’s English marks was equivalent

to 8.9. This quantity 38.6 % of good-grade students was quite successful in their comprehensive reading achievement by using the language learning strategies themselves. The most frequently used LLS of this 68 good-student group were metacognitive, cognitive, and memory strategies, which the metacognitive stood in the first position with the mean coefficient M=3.7 and the standard deviation SD=0.8. Inversely, the number of poorest students was 2 attaining both minimum and maximum score of 3.5 as a witness for students’ unconsciousness and no consideration in learning activities. The cognitive and memory strategies were the two ones with lowest mean coefficient (both had the lowest mean coefficient of M=3.1 and the standard deviation fluctuates from 0.5 to 0.8, SD=0.8). However, it is not necessary that all strategies lead to learning success (Oxford et al., 2014).

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Most people learn English as a SL/ FL to direct their future careers, so reading comprehension is the first important skill of all (Dubé et al., 2019). Being good at reading strategies help learners create their critical thinking, set up their own language learning or develop the target programs. After the research, it requires Vietnamese students with learning styles and LLS (Ngoc & Samad, 2020). According to this study, there is no difference on students’ sex when the rate of male and female do not influence the student’s learning results but it depends on students’ awareness in language learning. The learners’ LLS use has a direct correlation with their language learning achievement, in this case is English language. The correlation appeared strongly only if language learners plan the LLS choice, LLS use for English competency themselves. In short, this discussion part mentions the practical situation of Doan Ket Secondary School students in particular and contributes the positive opinions to the teenage learners on a general perspective of English learning in Vietnam.

4.3. Chapter summary

The chapter synthesized the results from questionnaires, interviews and some discussion of results. The DK students’ most frequently used learning strategy was the Memory Strategy, followed Cognitive Strategy, their least used learning strategy was Social Strategy, the lowest frequency in Social Strategy. The correlation between the frequency of LLS use and English proficiency explained the existing situation of DK students’ competency. The use of language learning strategies in English reading has offered learners a sense of self-awareness and helped make their own language progress. LLS and learning consciousness are extremely necessary to secondary school students, and especially valuable to a secondary school teacher's English language professional development. Many programs related to reading strategies have also much supported in creating the attractive readings on paper materials or online readings with multiple styles, that helps most students feel excited or interested in English reading contents.

All the aforementioned things discussed the significance of LLS use, particularly reading strategies in English teaching and learning, also the case of English reading skill. It proved the effectiveness of learning strategy choices which have had several certain impacts on learners’ language competency. LLS must be the major premise for learning English successfully in educational environments, leading learners towards a future desire.

CHAPTER 5. CONCLUSION

This chapter presents the study’s conclusion as a reaffirmation of the two framed research questions as well as its significance. Moreover, this chapter 5 also discusses some limitations of the study and simply ends with suggestions.

5.1. Conclusion

In the consideration of the aforementioned research questions via the combination of quantitative and qualitative approaches, the quantitative research inclined to test the use of English language learning strategies and the qualitative result was signified through the correlation between the frequency of learning strategy use and how students performed English Reading, that showed students’ high and low English proficiency.

5.1.1. Answer to the research question 1

What language learning strategies are most frequently used by students at Doan Ket Secondary School?

The investigation indicated the following result: Doan Ket Secondary School students frequently used the memory strategy most and the social strategy least among language learning strategies. In that way, the LLS classification before LLSI of the investigation was somehow the same viewpoint as Minh & Intaraprasert (2012), Ngoc & Samad’s (2020) research on LLS with “rote-learning knowledge” incurred from memory strategy. An exception of the DK good-grade students with metacognitive strategy best which had a similar part to Cong-Lem (2019) on LLS use and metacognitive strategies, to Wolsey’s (2020) research on metacognitive awareness and learners’ self-assessment.

Their frequently used LLS were memory strategy, only good students did metacognitive strategies, representing that good students were able to use more

reading strategies to memorize things than others. This research question showed the necessity of LLS, typically reading strategies, and LLSI at Doan Ket Secondary School – as a stereotype of the secondary education system in such difficult areas. Reading strategies have been of vital importance in language learning.

Furthermore, an attachment between this study and the previous studies exposed that students’ age also plays an influential role during the learning process of students. For instance, these surveyed 6-graders are still young (e.g. aged 11-12) so their frequently used LLS were Memory strategy, only good students did Metacognitive strategies. This represents good student’s learning needs and desires, the well-qualified students at every educational level. The practical situation is that these good students’ qualifications can be upgraded the following school years provided that they keep their learning attitude at a pace whilst the normal ones cannot catch up with the language content from their classes resulting in low quality. But up to a new stage of their age (e.g. High school), they gradually recognize the value of LLS and come back to the former learning. In this case, they may attain their need of completing language programs, and take progress beyond their threshold or recede into the background knowledge. Thus, this study is rather relevant to the educational implications of other research from Baye (2018), Dubé et al. (2019), etc. about LLS for secondary school students in general.

5.1.2. Answer to the research question 2

What is the correlation between these students’ use of learning strategies and their performance in English Reading?

The study helps recognize the correlation between the students’ use of learning strategies and their performance in English Reading - English proficiency. The students’ LLS use has positively correlated with their learning

achievement, and also the case with reading skills. Thus, this study motivates the reading strategies among secondary school students. The students who have good reading strategies mean they can use their reading skills to perform English comprehension well. The result of this study indicated the LLS choice, LLS instruction, and even the student’s awareness affect students’ English achievement very much. From this perspective, language reading is essential to the effective learning achievement, as Pellicer-Sánchez et al. (2020)’s examination on reading effectiveness and reading instruction. Through that correlation, it has made the value of LLS in reading language comprehension, and in struggling readers (Nazurty et al., 2019). The learners, whose practice reading every day makes their brains activate strongly. In general, secondary school students should use more reading strategies and even other LLS because the more the variety of language learning strategies to be used, the more the active learning among students; the less language learning strategies to be trained, the less effective the students’ language learning.

After the result of this study, teachers can draw out the suitable courses for the learners properly and help them achieve the targeted learning outcomes as Malang’s (2020) research on English proficiency-instruction relationship for learners’ language proficiency. In short, learners sometimes meet difficulties in learning a language (English). These ones should overcome difficult reading tasks (Phuc’s, 2020), meaning that learners should improve English reading first to support other language skills during their learning process. Otherwise these language learners can step in the next higher level of self-regulation in context later (Oxford, 2017) and easily adapt to Oxford’s strategic self- regulation model of language learning (Oxford, 2013). Consequently, learners gradually know how to set up or at least choose their own learning strategies to be successful members someday.

In conclusion, this study existed some absurd indicators in analyzing research database but remained showing the significance of LLS use, first and foremost reading strategies which were indispensable to English learning and teaching at secondary schools, and some pedagogical implications regarding LLS instruction were later suggested encouraging future research of LLS in different educational contexts.

5.1.3. Significance

This study is theoretically and practically significant. Specifically, the investigation of English LLS in the Vietnamese context (Doan Ket Secondary School) contributes to the understanding of this approach deeply. The investigation helped explore whether the learning outcomes of secondary school students were found in other contexts (which LLS can be expected to use most and what new issues emerged if any LLSI).

In a theoretical aspect, this study contributes to a critique and/ or a reflection of a secondary school mechanism for pedagogic changes and enhancement of educational quality. Particularly, it also contributes to the academic research field based on the review of literature, finding out the most effective learning resolutions for the DK Secondary School students in Vietnam, raising these students’ awareness and continuously contributing to academic research fields.

In a practical aspect, this study helps clarify what is necessary for secondary school students’ effective learning outcomes and what impedes their reflection and active learning. Previously, a few studies on some LLS in Vietnam have been conducted but the majority of the students was at high schools, tertiary/ higher education. It seems no plan for secondary education research, therefore the conditions for beginner students at lower secondary school have not been identified. This study identified several related factors to