LLS use and Proficiency: Assamese ESL Learner’s Context

Abstract

This paper studies the relationship of Language Learning Strategies (LLS) use and proficiency. Four hundred and fifty undergraduate Assamese ESL learners from three colleges of Dibrugarh University, Assam participated in the study. The aim of the paper is to investigate the relationship of Assamese ESL Learner’s use of LLS and reading and writing proficiency in English. A Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL) based questionnaire is used to identify learner’s use of LLS and a reading and writing activity questionnaire is used to measure learner’s proficiency. The participants answered the instruments at the beginning of the experiment, followed by LLS instruction for four weeks and a post-test on the same questionnaires. The Pearson’s correlation analysis revealed significant positive correlation between the use of all the six types of LLS categories and learner’s proficiency in reading and writing, both in the pre and post-test context. The study recommends that LLS instruction should be integrated in the undergraduate ESL classrooms to increase learner’s proficiency in English.