The language learning strategies adopted by UiTM Shah Alam ESL learners / Mahadi Kamaludin

This study was carried out to investigate the language learning strategies adopted by undergraduate ESL learners at UiTM Shah Alam. It focuses on
identifying the types of language learning strategies adopted by three groups, advanced (30 subjects), intermediate (40 subjects), and elementary (50 subjects) ESL learners. It also looks at the language learning strategies used in three different settings; in the English classroom, informally outside the classroom and preparing for English examinations. A total number of 120 first semester bachelor's degree students from three classes from the three faculties participated in this study. The three faculties were Faculty of Business Management and Administration (46 students), Faculty of Performing Arts (34 students) and Faculty of Civil Engineering (40 students). These faculties were selected to represent the three major clusters of all the faculties in UiTM i.e. Administration and Business, Social and Humanities and Science and Technology. The instrumentation utilized for this study was a questionnaire adapted from Oxford (1989) and Muhammad Amin Embi (2000). The questionnaire consists of two major sections, Section 1: Background Information (10 items) and Section 2: Strategy Inventory For Language Learning (49 items). Section 2 are divided into three parts, Part A: The Way you Learn English in the Classroom (17 items), Part B: The Way you Learn English Informally Outside the Classroom (23 items) and Part C: The Way you Prepare for your English Examinations (9 items). The questionnaire was distributed in three different sessions in September 2005. All the subjects were given 45 minutes to answer the questionnaire, which were collected on the same day. The data collected was analyzed using frequency
distribution. The focus of the calculation was to determine the frequencies, percentages and means of the subjects' responses to the statements in the questionnaire . All the data are presented, analyzed and interpreted based on four specific research questions.