The relationship between the use of language learning strategies, learners’ beliefs about CALL and speaking in a foreign language
The relationship between the use of language learning strategies, learners’ beliefs about CALL and speaking in a foreign language

Summary/Abstract: As MacIntyre (1994, p. 185) states, “one of the most fertile areas of research in language learning in recent years is the topic of language learning strategies” (LLSs). However, similarly to other individual differences (IDs), such as learning styles, research into this cognitive variable suffers from theoretical weaknesses such as the lack of one commonly accepted definition or the existence of rival taxonomies. The definitions and conceptualizations offered in the second language learning literature have been referred to as ‘inconsistent’, ‘elusive’, or ‘fuzzy’ (Dörnyei & Skehan, 2003; Droździał-Szelest, 1997). It is interesting to note that there is a plethora of research into the relationship between use of LLSs and foreign language (FL) achievement, with FL speaking skills being no exception (e.g., Pietrzykowska, 2014). However, the link between these variables has rarely been addressed with respect to Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL), which is a vast area that has evolved dramatically in the last 50+ years and is now a crucial component of second and foreign language pedagogy. The current study was conducted among English for Specific Purposes (ESP) students as part of research into individual differences in FL learning. The present paper aims to investigate the relationship between learning strategies, learners’ beliefs about CALL, and FL speaking. Taking into consideration the fact that there have been very few empirical studies investigating the relationship between the variables, the topic appears to be both interesting and challenging.

• Details
• Contents