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

the whole system of secondary education in Ho Chi Minh City. The strength of qualitative and quantitative research tools allowed a reliable result in the DK students’ LLS usage, then educators/ language teachers can recognize which is needed to apply and to what extent for a modification or a change. From here, this study revealed the real result of teaching at primary schools in Vietnam affected secondary school student’s learning style, right after beginning a new school year. The application of LLS in secondary education is essential to promote the development of the teacher staff and students’ potential competency at secondary schools in both theoretical and practical aspects.

1.2. Rationale for the study

As Rubin (1987, p.22) insisted “Language Learning Strategies are strategies which contribute to the development of the language system which the learner constructs and affects learning directly”. Oxford (1990, p.1) also proved that “learning strategies are tools for active, self-directed involvement, which enhance students’ learning and develop communicative competence”. Standing in such a situation (i.e. explained in the Item 1.1. General context and secondary education in Vietnam including DK Secondary School), the rationale for this thesis adoption was firstly due to the practical situation of most secondary schools - facing an out-of-date state, lacking an understanding of learning strategies, and no strategy training to secondary school students, even lacking dynamicality and creativity. Secondly, it was the same topic of LLS but this research was conducted on learning EFL in a secondary school of District 6, Ho Chi Minh City without learning ESL like in high school education or any educational type in Vietnam. Thirdly, being based on what was found in other researches, journals, and in the literature review showed that learners should use as many language learning strategies as possible; nevertheless, learners’ comprehensive ability is very important, their competence and language use

need to be reinforced in accordance with the existing educational context at secondary schools in Vietnam. In doing so, learners need to acquire reading skill first then reading strategy as a preparation for communicative competence. This helps students at secondary schools self-regulate their learning attitude sooner and intensify the use of Language 2 (L2) through reading – A new learning method stressing the student-centered approach, not teacher-centered approach (Graham, Woore, Porter, Courtney & Savory, 2020). Correspondingly, the rationale of this research to be considered in priority in English language learning and teaching at secondary schools in Ho Chi Minh City.

1.3. Aim of the study

This research aimed at identifying the levels of strategy use among the students at Doan Ket Secondary School, the correlation between the use of language learning strategies and students’ performance in English reading. Hence, both teachers and students may discover remarkable cases, secondary school teachers can adjust the students’ learning environments assisting back to the students or consulting education in case of any changes.

Furthermore, based on the research results from the 6-grade students at Doan Ket Secondary School that educators or secondary school teachers may discover these students’ more or less use of language learning strategies in English reading to consider fine-tuning the balance use among their language learning strategies (i.e. increasing or decreasing the frequency of LLS use, types of LLS, if any LLS combination, etc.) or to make the informed decisions regarding whether the procedures or proposals encourage students (which LLS should be used by the students and which LLS should be trained), and instruct these learners how to employ language learning strategies effectively, specifically the use of English reading strategies.

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1.4. Research questions

Derived from the above perspective, the researcher suggested the two following research questions to obtain the aim and objectives of the study:

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

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

1.5. Background of the study

In the last decades, there were a large number of research journals over the world that confirmed the roles of Learning Strategies in acquiring a FL/ SL, specifically English language. Reading was proposed to be extremely important among other language skills – complementing each other through the scanning and skimming roles before. Nowadays, the development of language learning and teaching theories are the issues that are beyond the level of teaching practice. And teaching English through Instructed Language Learning Strategies has much applied in the world, but still much limited in Vietnam.

There has been a great deal of considerable contribution from the language researchers in the world (from the 2000s up to now inclusive) who have made constant modifications for Language Learning Strategies (LLS). Vietnam has also attained many worthy researches and journals posted on the pages of International Reading Association or on others’, and the Vietnamese researchers in multi-fields including education perspectives have been awarded the valuable praises (e.g. several research journals from the 2011s to 2020 have deserved to be posted on the TESOL Encyclopedia of English Language Teaching, Arab World English Journal, Universal Journal of Educational Research, International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, Indonesian Journal of English Language Teaching, Language Education in

Asia, etc.). Remarkably having applied Oxford’s first book “Language Learning Strategies” (1990) so far, continuously following the advanced trends of social language from her and her colleagues (1995, 2003, 2008, 2013, 2014,

2017, 2018, 2020).

Oxford (1990) defined and classified “Language Learning Strategies” as a recipe of “what every teacher should know” in language teaching through the use of direct strategies for learners’ performance of four language skills, combining with the indirect strategies to be the most effective LLS users. As stated in the aim and objectives, this study was to explore the DK school’s existing circumstance affecting to DK students’ English learning results through the effective methods - a recast from other researchers in and out Vietnam. The reason for choosing Oxford (1990) in this study was that it assured the requirements of secondary education research (learners can apply English LLS quickly and easily at secondary schools). Any accomplishment of LLS definition and classification is marked as a first step of the SLA process. The basic merits of LLS still stand in the highest position throughout the years, making a baseline for further research of LLS. A child who speaks a language other than L1 going to school for the first time, that child has to learn the way people learn a language other than their mother tongue (Ellis, 1997). When learners know how to grasp or improve their language knowledge means that they move to another step of SLA, then LLS will support their learning directions.

The development of education has created exciting contests to academic researchers, in which included the studies of LLS. Prominently, Madam Oxford’s contribution to the LLS research now and then. Some modifications and innovations were presented in Oxford (2013) emphasizing the self- regulation model, and in Oxford (2017) on self-regulation in context based on

the former LLS under an experienced and persuasive way to the readers in the world. However, this study did not enter for a deep research of LLS because the DK students’ language skills were noticed at the beginning of this research procedure on LLS in English reading. DK students have faced the difficulties in English learning, still far from the FLA process. These students need LLS instruction to have the best one for their language knowledge. Nevertheless, they need more time to improve and prepare for the newer directions in future. As Oxford, Lee, Snow, & Scarcella (1994, p.257) specified “the integration of language skills in an international perspective” and enclosed “the five different types of instructional designs” (called the five specific instructional models) reserving these integrating language skills. In addition, many other researchers have explored and examined some different types from the related factors affecting learners’ language ability and language competence (e.g. Weinstein, Husman & Dierking, 2000; Huong, 2015; Mai, 2017; Linh, 2019; Wolsey,

2020, Malang, 2020).

Thanks to the theoretical foundation prefabricated from the domestic and international materials/ researches, this investigation of secondary school students’ LLS partly explained their learning outcome during a whole school year, and helped with making the future plans of next years. On the other hand, it pointed out the role and strength of comprehensive reading in activating students’ LLS and of LLS instruction. There still came many other aspects of learners’ LLS, but this study mainly presented the practical learning situation of the typical representative – only DK Secondary School students with their frequency of LLS use. The researcher only analyzed some of the students’ most frequently used LLS to remind the significance of LLSI to the students, as well as how they performed their reading ability resulting in their learning reports at school. This explained why the English reading strategy was chosen in this

study, and answered the reason for just skimming without deeply analyzing all LLS (6 learning strategies as in Oxford’s model, 1990).

1.6. Thesis overview

The structures of this thesis consisted of five chapters. The initial chapter described the general contexts of language learning and teaching, of secondary education in Vietnam, and developed the research questions. Chapter 2 established the argumentative theories which are presented through the review of the literature on: the language learning strategies (LLS), the significance of LLS use in English reading at secondary school, and the previous studies about LLS. The research gap was identified through the findings from the literature review. Chapter 3 presented the methodology including the research objectives and research questions, the research procedure of the study, the sites and participants, and the research methods including data analysis in which was developed based on the study background and the literature review. Chapter 4 synthesized the research context, results and discussed the findings of the study in relation to the literature. Chapter 5 provided an overall picture of the research content - made conclusions, and discussed implications including limitations of the study and suggestions for future research.

1.7. Chapter summary

This chapter 1 was initiated by the Vietnam general contexts of language learning and teaching, particularly at secondary education through the changing trends and the LLS direction or orientation for an SLA/ FLA. The rationale for the study in this chapter also explained some reasons for a true investigation of DK 6-graders’ English LLS in District 6, Ho Chi Minh City. The benefits of investigation stimulated the effectiveness of English language teaching and learning at secondary education, based on reading comprehension ability and/ or reading competence. The aforementioned aim of this study was to identify

the frequency of LLS use to see the role of reading strategies in English learning, and the correlation between the LLS employment and DK students’ English reading performance.

This chapter partly mentioned the contribution of in and out researches to the innovations of language learning and teaching, specifically this study proved that secondary school teachers have played a big role in both teaching English language knowledge, consulting and/ or directing English LLS to the students, properly adjusting the related factors to the students’ process of language acquisition. The introduction of two research questions rightly exposed the confronting problem of DK school students – their use of LLS in English reading. Furthermore, this chapter 1 summed up the background of the study based on the combination of the qualitative and quantitative research methods to make the problems of this study explicable and understandable. The free source of academic references has made several convenient conditions so that the researcher can find out and decide her own choice of primary material (Oxford’s, 1990) and secondary materials (Oxford’s and others’) among the diversified sources of referential research. Thereby, the results of this study were realized as a significant database of language learning strategies (LLS) and language learning strategy instruction (LLSI) in order to improve or readjust the existing educational circumstance in the DK school itself.

CHAPTER 2. LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1. Language learning strategies

To answer the two research questions, the study made a joint lead back to the nature of language. Noam Chomsky insisted “Language serves essentially for the expression of thought” (Language and Responsibility, 1977). When studying human language means approaching what some might call “the human essence, the distinctive qualities of mind that are, so far as we know, unique to man” (Language and Mind, 2000). Therefore, appropriate language learning strategies make learners improve language proficiency as well as increase their self-confidence (Oxford, 1990). Surely, learners' own language learning strategies are essential in the process of language learning.

2.1.1. Definitions of learning strategies

As being collected from multisource, Language Learning Strategies (LLS) is an academic term used to show learners’ language comprehensive processes and referred to their conscious actions during those process. Language learning strategies help learners with their effective language learning or usage. Many linguists over the world have defined language learning strategies in various ways:

 Rubin (1975, p.43) defined language learning strategies as “the techniques or devices which a learner may use to acquire knowledge”.

 Tarone (1981, p.290) defined learning strategies (LS) as “an attempt to develop linguistic and sociolinguistic competence in the target language to incorporate these into one's interlanguage competence”.

 O’Malley and Chamot (1990, p.1) illustrated learning strategies “as special thoughts or behaviors that individuals use to help them comprehend, learn, or retain new information”.