Investigating the Use of Grammar Learning Strategies in Hungary and Poland: A Comparative Study

Abstract

Abstract Although there is consensus that second language grammar instruction is needed, some controversial issues remain. Whatever instructional options are selected, it is vital that they allow the development of not only explicit knowledge but also implicit or at least automatized knowledge that can be used in real-time interaction. Since this aim is difficult to achieve, students need to learn this subsystem on their own and this process can be aided by adept use of grammar learning strategies (GLS). However, research in this area is scarce, existing tools have not been validated in different contexts, and no cross-country comparisons have been made. The study addresses these gaps by examining the use of GLS by university students majoring in English in Hungary (N = 205) and Poland (N = 173). Data were collected by means of a standardized questionnaire and subjected to principal component analysis and correlational analysis. Independent- and paired-samples t-tests as well as regression analyses were also run. Some differences were found between the two contexts but overall patterns of GLS use were strikingly similar.