A STUDY OF EFL TECHNOLOGICAL AND VOCATIONAL COLLEGE STUDENTS LANGUAGE LEARNING STRATEGIES AND THEIR SELF-PERCEIVED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY

Research related to language learning strategies has prospered since the 1980s. The importance of language learning strategies in language learning has been proven and emphasized worldwide. Learners’ language learning strategies are one of the key dimensions for successful language learning. EFL should be taken not only as a subject in school, but also as a prerequisite essential competency for the labor market. In Taiwan, the technological and vocational education system has a long history and plays an important role in cultivating highly professional human resources in Taiwanese economic and industrial development. However, due to the lengthy education system in Taiwan with entrance examinations and the high value Chinese place on one’s academic performance, most of the students who choose to attend technological and vocational colleges tend to be those who do not perform well in academic subjects, including English. EFL in this system is a required subject that students, however difficult, still need to learn. There has only been limited research focusing on this specific group’s learning of EFL. This paper researches the language learning strategies employed by Taiwanese technological and vocational college students, their self-perceived English proficiency and their interrelationship.

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