Language learning strategies are tools, techniques that enable learners to learn more quicky and effectively as well as to be more autonomous and self-directed learners. Many researches in the field have proved the effectiveness of strategy use on learners’ success
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such as Mouton (2011) Radwan (2011) and Oxford (2003). Especially for students of English Language and Literature Department, who have to deal with the language, they need extra tools such as strategies to improve themselves in all four skills. Of all four skills, reading is the most essential one at the same time the most demanding and laborious task for students, as they are hand in glove with many books and materials written in English. Besides, it is the easiest way that they have the chance to be exposed to the target language and to have access to many sources of information. However, most of the students have reading comprehension problems. Many studies (e.g., Oxford, 1990; Sheorey & Mokhtari, 2001) have reported that attention to the use of strategies during the reading process helps learners to comprehend easily and to be more productive in various reading context. Studies back up the argument that proficient language learners use larger repertoire of strategies and are more successful in applying the appropriate strategies than their less proficient peers, for instance proficient readers make use of strategies such as monitoring, making intelligent guesses, and establishing ties within sentences, while less proficient readers fail to use many of these strategies. Identifiying the strategies that good readers preferred may present a new perspective for teachers of foreign language teachers. In the present study, the effect of language learning strategies on learners’ reading comprehension performances as well as variables influencial on strategy use of learners were investigated through implementing a reading test and the SILL by Oxford (1990). Although overall strategy use was not found to be correlated to a high performance in reading comprehension performances of learners, a detailed examination of the results offered that certain type of strategies had an effect on learners’ success. It may not be possible to generalize the results of the study to the other English Language and Literature Departments in Turkey. Nevertheless, the findings may provide, to some extent, teachers, researchers or educaters with ideas about the instruction of language learnings strategies for readers to cope with their reading comprehension problems and to reach an advance level of proficiency.
Before making any claims, it would be appropriate to state some concerns first. It should be firstly noted that all students were consciously or unconsciously apply strategies during the reading process; however neither teachers nor student received any strategy instruction before. Secondly, both high and low level students reported to use compensation strategies at highest frequency levels, while affected strategies were stated to
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be used the least. However, it should be noted that language learning strategies contribute to the success of learners as a whole. Another point is that any significant relation between strategy use and variables age and gender was not specified. On the other hand, a negative correlation between years of study and strategy use was stated. That imposes teachers on the instruction of strategy use, as learners are thought to unaware of the strategies they utilize.
In the light of the discussions, the present study could not provide a pattern which would enable us to distinguish high and low proficiency level students, as it was found out in the study that overall strategy use was not correlated to proficiency. However, certain types of strategies were found to be indicator of success among students. Cognitive strategies as well as seven individual strategies were found to be strong indicator of success. Besides, Oxford (1990) states that individual strategies may improve the proficiency level of learners. For that reason, it can be stated that understanding the correlation between reading comprehension and these strategies may enable learners to improve themselves, especially poor ones who need to cope with reading problems they face.
Furthermore, the findings of the study explicitly suggest a strategy training program at EFL contexts to produce strategic learners, in this sense strategic readers. It seems that students were not aware of the language learning strategies; rather they seemed to employ strategies mostly unconsciously. This leads to a need for a strategy traning program to teach learners to apply appropriate strategy for appriate task in the right time. However, teachers should be trained to learn how to implement a strategy program effectively and to assess the strategy use of learners before teaching them to students. Thus, an emphasis should be given to teacher training.
Moreover, factors that may influence the learners’ choice of strategy use examined in the study. Although age and gender were found out not to be correlated to stratgey use, years of English study was reported to correlate to strategy use in the negative direction. The variables other than the ones examined in the study such as learning style, motivation, cultural background and attitude may affect the way learners choose and apply strategies. All learners cannot be expected to use the same strategies in the same way; each of them is unique. This proves that it is not only the number of strategies but it is also of great importance to select appropriate strategies for learners’ needs and the ability to harmonize
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them for the task they deal with or for any context in order to produce desired outcome and to achieve success (Rubin, 1975; Oxford and Nyikos, 1989). Teachers should be aware of that some strategies may be more appropriate for students than the others in different contexts. For that reason, many different of tasks should be presented to learners so that they can apply strategies suitable for them.
Conducting a longitudinal study which involves results before and after the application of a strategy traning program may provide more strong arguments on the relationship between language learning strategies and reading comprehension, and hence contribute to the field. Accordingly, renewed programs and cirricula may be presented in the classrooms.