Individual Learner Differences and Language Learning Strategies

This study aimed to investigate what language learning strategies were frequently used by English as a foreign language undergraduates at a public university in Bangkok, Thailand and the significant differences in the use of language learning strategies based on individual differences, including gender and self-rated English proficiency. The research was conducted with 392 Thai undergraduates through administering a quantitative method. Instruments for the study included a demographic questionnaire and Oxford’s Strategy Inventory for Language Learning. The findings revealed that research participants reported a low-to-medium use of language learning strategy. The strategies most used by learners were compensation strategies while the least were cognitive strategies. Regarding gender differences, female participants used the all six strategy categories more than did the male counterparts. The results also demonstrated that participants with different English proficiency employed learning strategies at different levels with a statistical significance at .05 in almost six strategies, except affective strategies. Research participants who were good at English most used metacognitive while social strategies were most used by participants with less English proficiency.