Abstract:
ABSTRACT
LEARNING STRATEGIES USE BY INTERNATIONAL
STUDENTS FROM TAIWAN IN A UNIVERSITY
CONTEXT: A CASE STUDY
by
©I-Ju Wu 2011
Master of Arts in Teaching International Languages
California State University, Chico
Summer 2011
There are increasing numbers of international students from Taiwan who
choose to advance their higher education and English learning in the United States.
However, the academic language that is required in the university classroom is more
cognitively demanding than the proficiency level the Taiwanese students develop
through prior English education. Therefore, this study addresses the academic challenges
that international students face in American universities. It examines how they overcome
these challenges, the language learning strategies they use and their effectiveness.
This study investigates the use of language learning strategies and their use in
academic learning by six Taiwanese international students at CSU, Chico. Like previous
studies, the results show some similar patterns of learning strategy use among
participants. The participants frequently use compensation, cognitive, and metacognitive
strategies to support their academic learning, but use fewer memory and affective
strategies at the university level. However, each participant had different past learning
experiences, motivations and academic difficulties which interacted with their strategy
use. The findings suggest that learners, instructors, and administrators of language
institutes should emphasize learning strategy training in order to support the increasing
numbers of international students from Taiwan. The instructors and administrators in
universities within the United States should also address international students’
difficulties in academic learning and take steps to facilitate their success.
