عنوان

An investigation into strategy use and background variables in learning English :

Number

TLets536191

Title Proper

An investigation into strategy use and background variables in learning English :

General Material Designation

[Thesis]

First Statement of Responsibility

Al-Mandil, Sanaa Ibrahim

Title Proper by Another Author

the case of tertiary level students in Saudi Arabia

Name of Publisher, Distributor, etc.

Institute of Education, University of London

Date of Publication, Distribution, etc.

1999

Dissertation or thesis details and type of degree

Thesis (Ph.D.)

Text preceding or following the note

1999

Text of Note

This study investigates the interrelationship between the learning strategies as used by Arabic learners of English, their individual variables, and their proficiency level. The subjects are students in King Faisal University in Saudi Arabia. They came from various educational backgrounds and proficiency levels to learn English mainly for academic purposes. The data consisted of recorded interviews with the subjects, questionnaires, and their academic achievements in four different types of language tests. The information obtained provides an overview of the learners' educational background and learning experiences. Some evidence of correlation has been found between the use of learning strategies, the level of proficiency and the individual variables such as motivation, age, attendance of private schools versus government schools, extracurricular exposure to English, etc. All of these variables are affected by the current provision of language teaching in Saudi Arabia and which the study had shed light on its weaknesses. Beside students' needs as reflected in the interview, the findings appear to indicate the need for a change in the current English teaching situation in Saudi Arabia. The study reviews the deficiencies in the current system and whether any features of it would be obstacles should a more flexible, communicative style of ELT, encouraging strategies, be introduced. The study draws some implications from the results for future research.

Al-Mandil, Sanaa Ibrahim

University College London (University of London)

Electronic name

p

[Thesis]

276903

a

Y