Singaporean students’ awareness of listening and speaking strategies

Zhang, D., & Goh, C. C. (2006). Strategy knowledge and perceived strategy use: Singaporean students’ awareness of listening and speaking strategies. Language Awareness, 15(3), 199-219.

Background

Recent research has looked extensively into the areas of language learner metacognitive knowledge and learners’ use of strategies. Although evidence suggests a link between the two variables, only a few attempts have been made to examine the proposed relationship. Of greater concern is the lack of attention to the relationship between learners’ beliefs and their use of strategies in the area of listening and speaking.

Aims

This study sought to examine students’ use and perceptions of listening and speaking strategies, and whether there was a correlation between their perceptions and use of strategies.

Sample

The study involved a total of 278 students from a Singapore neighbourhood secondary school. The average age of the students was 15 years.

Method

The authors issued a 40 item questionnaire, Metacognitive Awareness Inventory in Listening and Speaking Strategies (MAILSS), to ascertain the students’ beliefs and use of strategies. Items in the questionnaire were classified into four main strategy groups, namely, use-focused learning, form-focused learning, comprehension, and communication. The first two strategy groups included learning strategies for improving listening and speaking abilities. The remaining two strategy groups included learning strategies for facilitating comprehension and communication during real-time/online interactions with interlocutors

Findings

Students consistently viewed the four strategy groups to be useful. However, the use-focused learning strategies were perceived to be more useful than the form-focused ones, and students reported using them more frequently than the other strategies. In particular, students reported a higher frequency in their use of use-focused learning strategies that concerned activities outside school (e.g., watching English television programmes and movies). This indicated students’ willingness to practise using English when engaged in enjoyable activities.  Finally, although correlations were found between student beliefs and their use of strategies, the authors noted that the students’ reports on the usefulness of the strategies were far higher than their reported use of strategies.

Implications

The discrepancy between the students’ perceived usefulness and reported use of the strategies suggested that students, despite being aware of the potential benefits, were less confident in using the strategies. Factors accounting for the under-use of the strategies include the students’ lack of persistence in trying out the strategies as well as the absence of relevant strategy instruction. The authors proposed the inclusion of awareness-raising activities and strategy instruction to boost strategy use.

Original article retrieved from Taylor & Francis Online.