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An investigation into strategy use and background variables in learning English : the case of tertiary level students in Saudi Arabia

Al-Mandil, Sanaa Ibrahim; (1999) An investigation into strategy use and background variables in learning English : the case of tertiary level students in Saudi Arabia. Doctoral thesis , Institute of Education, University of London. Green open access

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Abstract

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.

Type: Thesis (Doctoral)
Title: An investigation into strategy use and background variables in learning English : the case of tertiary level students in Saudi Arabia
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
Publisher version: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?did=1&uin=uk.bl...
Language: English
Additional information: Thesis: (PhD) University of London Institute of Education, 1999.
UCL classification: UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10020320
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