STA THESIS 401.'?3 GOW 30001005476868 Gowans, Catherine J Second language learning ^strategies and factors affecting their i.ise : a Second Language Learning Strategies and Factors Affecting their Use: a qualitative study of the experiences of missionaries in Nepal by Catherine J. Gowans Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Victoria University of Technology Faculty of Arts Department of Communication, Language and Cultural Studies 1999 Table of Contents List of Tables v Declaration of originality vii Author's note viii Acknowledgments ix Abstract x Introduction 1 Chapter 1 Literature Review 5 1.1 Strategies in second language acquisition 5 1.2 Factors affecting language learning strategies 1.3 Methodologies in second language learning strategy research 42 Chapter 2 Research Context and Methodology 49 2.1 Research context 49 2.2 Aims of the study 57 2.3 Methodology 59 2.4 Participants for the research 65 2.5 Field work data collection 74 2.6 Limitationsof the study 77 2.7 Narrative data analysis 78 Chapter 3 Situation and the Special Personal Qualities of the 81 'Successful' Language Learners Chapter 4 Other Factors Affecting the Language Learning 110 Experiences of the 'Successful' Language Learners 4.1 Motivation 110 4.2 Metacognitive knowledge 117 4.3 Personality ^ 129 4.4 Leaming style 133 Chapter 5 The Language Learning Experiences of the 'Less 139 Successful' Language Learners 5.1 Strategies of the 'less successful' language leamers 139 5.2 Psychological influences on the learner's experiences 151 5.3 Beliefs 155 5.4 UMN language materials and language teaching method 156 Chapter 6 Conclusions 162 6.1 The'successful'language leamers 162 6.2 The 'less successful' language leamers 171 6.3 Comparison between the 'successful' and 'less successful' 174 language leamers 6.4 Areas of further research 181 111 References 184 Appendices 197 Appendix A Fax to the United Mission to Nepal outlining criteria for selection of participants for the study. Appendix B Letter to be sent to prospective participants introducing myself, asking them to participate in the study and explanation of what is involved in the research. Appendix C Sample transcript. Interview with Hamish - a 'successful' language leamer Appendix D Sample transcript. Interview with Milly - a 'less successful' language leamer IV List of Tables Table 1,1 Features of Language Leaming Strategies 6 Table 1.2 Strategy use by psychological type from Ehrman and 31 Oxford (1990) Table 1,3 Leaming Style Profile (LSP) 34 Table 2.1 The participants' gender, age, occupation, nationality and accommodation in the initial five months of being in Nepal 68 Table 2.2 The number of years of participants' previous language leaming experience and Language Proficiency Interview (oral 69 test) and written test scores Table 3.1 Strategies used by Creme whilst staying in her Nepali home 87 Table 3.2 Strategies used by Lyn during her LOP period 90 Table 3.3 Strategies used by Adrian in his LOP period 91 Table 3.4 Cognitive and metacognitive strategies used by 'successful' 96 language leamers in the workplace Table 3,5 Social strategies used by 'successfiil' language leamers in the 98 workplace Table 3.6 The 'successful' language leamers use of the language trainer - 101 post LOP Table 3.7 Social strategies used by 'successful' language leamers in 104 activities related to the Nepali church Table 3.8 Cognitive and metacognitive strategies used in activities 106 related to the Nepali church Table 5.1 Cognitive, memory and metacognitive strategies used by the 141 'less successful' language leamers Table 5.2 Social and affective language leaming strategies used by the " 144 'less successful' language leamers VI Declaration of Originality This thesis contains no other material that has been accepted for any other degree in any university. To the best of my knowledge and belief, this material contains no other material previously published or written by any other person, except where due reference is given in the text. Signature: VII Author's note The language and the people of Nepal and the people of Nepal are often both referred to as 'Nepalese' in Western society. The use of this word is a variation from common usage (Stiller, 1993: ii). In this thesis, the author prefers to use the term 'Nepali' to refer to the language and 'Nepali or Nepalis' to refer to the people in keeping with common usage, and these terms will be used throughout the thesis. Vlll Acknowledgments I would sincerely like to thank the following people, who in some way, assisted in the preparation of this thesis. Their contribution is sincerely appreciated. Professor Helen Borland for supervising me. Without Helen this thesis would not have been completed. She was not involved with the initial design of the study, and graciously agreed to supervise me a third the way through the thesis. Glenice Davies who introduced me to the research methodology, narrative inquiry The United Mission to Nepal (UMN) who kindly granted me permission to interview UMN missionaries. The UMN missionaries who so willingly offered to be interviewed, Mrs. Suzaime Harding and Mr. Khadka Adhakari, and others in UMN who helped with administrative details for the study during field work. Joan Mackie, a friend who liaised with UMN for my accommodation, and in whose flat I lived for three months whilst in Kathmandu. Karen Perrin, a friend who helped with transcription in Nepal, Richard Leiva in the Faculty of Arts, Computer Laboratory. Richard provided valuable assistance when my knowledge of computer programs was sorely lacking. Lastly, to my mum for her encouragement and support in so many ways throughout the duration of this project. IX Abstract In the past 20 years identifying the effective second language leaming strategies of language leamers is a topic that has received considerable attention in the field of second language acquisition. More recently, research has focused on the factors that affect strategy use. Attention has been focused in these areas largely because effective strategy use and the factors affecting strategy use are said to contribute to the language learner's success in language leaming. This thesis investigates the use of second language leaming strategies in a naturalistic leaming context, that of missionaries in Nepal. It attempts to understand how 'success' or communicative competence is achieved for these missionaries of the United Mission to Nepal (UMN). In order to do this it explores the language leaming experiences of both 'successful' and 'less successful' language leamers of UMN, particularly concentrating on strategies related to oral communication. More importantly though, it is concemed with examining the influence of various factors on the strategies used by these language leamers in the informal leaming envirorraient (i.e. 'real-life' situations). Research undertaken for this thesis was carried out in Nepal, and unlike much of the other research carried out in this area, a qualitative approach is adopted in the study. The primary method of research used with 12 missionaries from UMN is narrative inquiry and the stories or narratives of the missionaries' language leaming experiences serve as raw data for the study. Analysis of the data reveals that both 'successful' and 'less successful' language leamers of UMN used a variety of strategies in the informal leaming environment to assist them in leaming the Nepali language. The analysis also reveals that strategy use is affected by a number of factors operating within the language leaming experiences of these leamers. Situation, the special personal qualities of the 'successful' language leamer, motivation, metacognitive knowledge, personality and leaming style are prominent factors influencing strategy use by the 'successful' language leamer. In contrast, the language leaming experiences of the 'less successful' language leamer differ markedly. Their narratives reveal that anxiety prevents them from using effective social and cognitive strategies more often in 'real-life' contexts. It appears that factors such as, metacognitive awareness and self-esteem, in particular, contribute to the anxiety experienced by these 'less successful' language leamers. The perception these leamers have of the language materials and teaching method used by UMN may also indirectly contribute to this anxiety. Significantly, the research also reveals how factors affecting strategy use are often interconnected and impact on each other in the language leaming process. XI Introduction Nestled high up in the Himalayas is the small kingdom of Nepal. It is'the size of the state of Victoria (Australia) with a population of 21 million people (Whitaker's Almanack, 1996: 954). As one of the poorest and least developed nations in the world 86% of the population now exist on two dollars or less a day (The World Bank, 1999: 197). Until the middle of this century this little known kingdom remained closed to the outside world, only in the early 1950s were foreigners allowed to enter. At this time many International Non-Govemment Organisations (INGOs) clamoured to provide aid to Nepal. Christian missions, who had previously been denied entry, were now keen to enter and set up some form of 'development' work in the country. Thus, in the 'development' climate of the time the United Mission to Nepal (UMN) was established. The development work of UMN first began in 1954. Since that time the missionaries working with the mission have been required to leam the Nepali language. Without a fairly 'good' grasp of spoken Nepali many UMN missionaries are not able to carry out their work, train other Nepalis in certain skills and participate in the life of the Nepali church. In the 45 years that UMN has been in Nepal there have been many missionaries who have been more successful at leaming the Nepali language than others; the 'successful' UMN language leamer being defined as one who is communicatively competent.