GENDER DIFFERENCES IN THE USE OF LEARNING STRATEGIES IN ADULT FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNERS

Abstract

Learning strategies today represent a topical field of research in glottodidactics. Oxford (1990) defines them as specific actions taken by the learner to make learning easier, faster, more enjoyable, and more transferrable to new situations of language learning and use. Deployment of appropriate strategies ensures greater success in learning and more confidence. The first part of the paper lists the key definitions of learning strategies notion, while the second part presents the results of quantitative survey that was conducted at the American College of Management and Technology in Dubrovnik on the sample of 181 respondents learning German, Spanish, French and Italian. The learning strategies were tested using a questionnaire based on Oxford's SILL (Strategy Inventory for Language Learning, Oxford, 1990). The survey aimed at determining gender differences in the use of learning strategies and differences in the application of certain types of learning strategies. The results have shown that there are statistically significantly differences in the frequency of the learning strategy use: memory strategies are mosty frequently used ones, while cognitive strategies are used least frequently. However, there are gender differences in the use of learning strategies, where the female sex more frequently uses all types of learning strategies, except socio-affective strategies. The final part of the paper specifies the implications for teaching practice and provides guidelines for future research.