A CRITICAL LOOK AT THE APPLICATION OF LANGUAGE LEARNING STRATEGIES (LLS) BY CHINESE LEARNERS OF ENGLISH

The field of foreign/second language teaching became familiar with the concept of language learning strategies (LLSs) through the work of Rubin (1975). Since then a lot of researches have focused on shedding light on different aspects of language learning strategies. A sufficient volume of research has concentrated on investigating the effect of different factors on the use and choice of LLSs. From among these influential elements “cultural background” sometimes referred to as “ethnicity”, “nationality” or “national origin” has been reported to affect students’ use of LLSs and thus leading to individual differences within various cultural contexts. Also, it has been reported that learners in second language learning environments use strategies more frequently than those in foreign language learning situations. Based on these premises, the current study attempts to take a detailed look at the patterns of LLSs used by Chinese EFL learners, aimed at shedding light on possible differences and similarities with other EFL or ESL contexts. To obtain a better understanding, first, definitions, characteristics as well as different taxonomies of LLSs are presented. Then providing some information about Chinese culture as well as the traditional education system in China, this paper focuses on reviewing a series of studies conducted on LLSs in Chinese EFL context. Finally drawing on the obtained findings the implications and applications of using LLSs in Chinese EFL context are discussed.