Another look at the effect of gender on the use of language learning strategies: The case of advanced polish learners of english

Authors:

• Mirosław Pawlak

Abstract

Although research into language learning strategies has undergone a number of transformations over the last 30 years (cf. Oxford 2001; Dörnyei 2005; Grenfell and Macaro 2007; Ellis 2008; Cohen 2011a, b; Oxford 2011; Pawlak 2011a, b), one of the most robust lines of inquiry is represented by studies seeking to identify the factors which may influence the choice and use of strategic devices. This is evidenced by the fact that over the years researchers have managed to establish links between the application of language learning strategies and a wide array of individual (e.g. age, gender, motivation, experience in language and language learning), situational (e.g. culture, ethnicity, instructional setting, learning task) and group (e.g. socially constructed goals shared by students) factors (cf. Takeuchi et al. 2007; Ellis 2008). In some cases, however, the research findings have proved to be inconclusive, with the contribution of specific factors being mediated by intervening variables. One such factor is undoubtedly gender since, whereas some research projects have indicated that women are more active strategy users than men (e.g. Oxford and Nyikos 1989; Dreyer and Oxford 1996), others discovered no differences between the groups (e.g. Griffiths 2003), or found that males employ strategies more frequently than females (e.g. Wharton 2000). Given these conflicting results, which may be the outcome of cultural and educational influences, the paper reports the findings of a study which aimed to explore the differences in the use of strategies by male and female advanced Polish learners of English. The participants were 280 English Department students and the data were collected by means of the Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (Oxford 1990). It was found that the females reported statistically significantly more frequent use of strategies, both overall, those falling within the memory and metacognitive categories, and a number of specific strategic devices.