Language Learning Strategies and Students’ Performance in ESL Classrooms

Abstract

This study investigates the relation of language learning strategies, memory, cognitive, compensation, metacognitive, social and affective strategy with the language performance of undergraduate students in ESL classroom. Data from the sample of 97 male and 63 female learners in a private university was collected through Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL) by Oxford (1990), which is based on 50 items on the pattern of five-point Likert scale. Students’ GPA scores were collected for the relevant course in order to examine language performance. For descriptive and inferential statistics, the data have been analyzed through SPSS 15.0. The results showed a significant difference between used language strategy and performance. The cognitive and memory strategies were more significant while social and affective strategies were least significant. The study also revealed that female students used strategies more than male students, however gender did not play any significant role in language performance.