Gender-Based Differences in Language Learning Strategies of Science Students

Abstract

Since the early 1970s there has been considerable research interest in the strategies that foreign or second language learners use in learning and using the target language. While the accumulated literature to date suggests a possible relationship between strategy use and foreign language learning success, a substantial number of studies have been undertaken in relation to various factors which have been found to affect strategy choice and use. Although gender is typically a significant factor in other disciplines in particular in educational and psychological research, gender has only received sporadic attention in the studies of language learning strategies. This study, therefore, is an attempt to explore the influence of gender on language strategy use. A total of 115 science students were involved in this study. Survey method was used as data collection instrument. The results indicate that female students reported higher strategy use. More specifically, female learners showed greater use of the five major strategy categories (memory, compensation, cognitive, metacognitive and social strategy categories).