Indirect Learning Strategies in University Students' EFL Development1

Abstract

This article aims at raising awareness of the need to implement indirect strategies in the language learning process to maximize results. Although there is a comprehensive classification of indirect learning strategies, a great deal of research and practices in the EFL classroom have been devoted to encouraging and polishing the students' memory, cognitive, and compensation strategies only (Oxford, 1990). Indeed, metacognitive, affective, social (MAS), and indirect learning strategies in English language development have been overlooked and unexplored without recognizing their essential role in language success. The present study explores quantitative and qualitative data and is developed through a case study analysis. The sample population was comprised of 50 students who were either studying English Teaching or pursuing an Associate degree in English along with six teachers from the English Teaching faculty, all from Universidad Nacional, Pérez Zeledón Regional Campus in Costa Rica. A student and a teacher questionnaire allowed the researchers to collect and analyze the data. The results revealed the types of indirect learning strategies least used and encouraged by both learners and teachers respectively. In light of this, researchers recommend several ways to implement MAS strategies, promote an enriched vision to teach a language class using a broader array of techniques and activities, and enable both teachers and students to become more effective stakeholders of the teaching-learning process.