Assessing language learning strategies employed by university English major students in Saudi Arabia

This study sought to explore the frequency and type of language learning strategies employed by university students. It also investigated the impact of proficiency levels, gender and year of study on the use of language learning strategies. The study participants were 256 English major students enrolled in three universities in Saudi Arabia. This study employed the Strategy Inventory for Language Learning questionnaire for data collection. The results reported that language learning strategies were used at a high level. Metacognitive strategies were the most commonly used, whereas memory strategies were the least commonly used. In addition, the higher their proficiency levels, the more the students used language learning strategies. Female students tended to use memory, cognitive, metacognitive, compensation and affective strategies more frequently than did male students. No significant differences were found in the use of language learning strategies in relation to year of study.