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Abstract：Since 2001， a newly-issued English curriculum standard and a series of English textbooks have been adopted in secondary schools across China， in which four types of English language learning strategies need to be taught. By the method of survey， this paper presents a report on the four types English language learning strategies used by the students in Grade One Class Five， No.8 Senior High School of Guiyang city. The results of this study show that the highest rank （3.74）is for cognitive strategies while the lowest （3.6）is for resourcing strategies. Based on these findings， the researcher recommends that more training on English Language learning strategy should be given to students by teachers to improve learners' English learning efficiency.
Key words：English language learning strategy；High school student
English language learning strategy training
1. Introduction
1.1Recent researches on language learning strategy
Within the field of education during the last two decades， a gradual but significant transformation has taken place， resulting in less stress on teachers and teaching and greater emphasis on learners and learning （Nunan， 1988）. One consequence of this shift was an increasing awareness and interest in resources for learning styles and language learning strategies in foreign and second language teaching and learning. Researchers such as Nunan （1995）and Tudor （1996）have stressed that effective learners use a variety of different strategies and techniques in order to solve problems they face while acquiring or producing the language. One focus of research in the area of EFL has been the identification of how learners process new information and what kinds of strategies they employ to understand， learn or retain the information.
1.2Purpose of the research
This study aims at finding out the most frequently used English language learning strategies used by the students from Grade One Class Five of No.8 senior high school of Guiyang. Firstly， this thesis introduces the background of language learning strategies against which the study was developed. Secondly， it comes to a research done among Year One students， from whom the data is collected. Thirdly the analysis of the data is given and finally several suggestions for English language learning strategies training are provided.
2. Background of Language learning strategies
2.1Definition of a Language Learning strategy
The term language learning strategy has been defined by many researchers. Here， the writer chooses some representative view for reference. Wenden and Rubin （1987：19）define learning strategies as “any sets of operations， steps， plans， routines used by the learner to facilitate the obtaining， storage， retrieval， and use of information.”
Richards and Platt （1992：209）state that learning strategies are “intentional behavior and thoughts used by learners during learning so as to better help them understand， learn， or remember new information.”
According to Stern （1992：261）， “the concept of learning strategy is dependent on the assumption that learners consciously engage in activities to achieve certain goals and learning strategies can be regarded as broadly conceived intentional directions and leaning techniques.”
From these definitions， a change over time may be noted， from the early focus on the product of linguistic or social linguistic competence， there is now a greater emphasis on the processes and the characteristics of language learning strategy.
2.2The Characteristics of language learning strategy.
Although the terminology is not always similar， with some writers using the terms “learner strategies” （Wenden and Rubin， 1987）， others “learning strategies” （O' Malley Chamot， 1990）， and still others “language learning strategies” （Oxford， 1996）， there are a number of basic characteristics in the generally accepted view of language learning strategy.
First， language learning strategies are learner generated. They are steps taken by language learners. Second， language learning strategies enhance language learning and help develop language competence， as reflected in the learner's skills in listening， speaking， reading， or writing the second language or foreign language. Third， language learning strategies may be visible （behaviours， steps， techniques， etc.）or unseen （thoughts， mental processes）. Fourth， language learning strategies involve information and memory （vocabulary knowledge， grammar rules， etc）. In addition to the characteristics noted above， Oxford （1990）states that language learning strategies，
allow learners to become more self-directed
expand the role of language teachers
are problem-oriented
involve many aspects， not just the cognitive
can be taught
are flexible
are influenced by a variety of factors.
2.3The origin and early researches on language learning strategy
Research into language learning strategies began in the 1960s. Particularly， developments in cognitive psychology is influenced much of the research done on language learning strategies （Wiliams and Burden 1997：149）. In most of research on language learning strategies， the primary concern has been on “identifying what good language learners report they do to learn a second or foreign language， or， in some cases， are observed doing while learning a second or foreign language.” （ Wenden and Rubin1987：19）. In 1966， Aaron Carton published his study entitled.The Method of Inference in Foreign language study，' which was the first attempt on learner strategies. After Carton， in 1971， Rubin started doing research focusing on the strategies of successful learners and stated that， once identified， such strategies could be made available to less successful learners. Rubin （1975）classified strategies in terms of processes contributing directly or indirectly to language learning. Bialystok （1979）， Cohen （1990）， and many others studied strategies used by language learners during the process of foreign language learning.
2.4The importance of language learning strategy for second or foreign language learning and teaching.
Within communicative approaches to language teaching， a key goal is for the learner to develop communicative competence in the target second / foreign Language， and Language learning strategy can help students in doing so. After the1980s ，during which the importance of communication strategies as a key aspect of strategic （and thus communicative）competence was recognized ， a number of works appeared about communication strategies in second/foreign language teaching. Communication strategies are used by speakers intentionally and consciously in order to cope with difficulties in communicating in a second/foreign language （Bialystok， 1990）. The term language learning strategy is used more generally for all strategies that second/foreign language learners use in learning the target language， and communication strategies are therefore just one type of language learning strategy. For all second/ foreign Language teachers who aim to help develop their students' communicative competence and language learning， then， an under -standing of language learning strategy is crucial. As Oxford（1990a）puts it， “language learning strategies are especially important for language learning because they are tools for active， self-directed involvement， which is essential for developing communicative competence”（P.1）.
In addition to developing students' communicative competence， language learning strategy are important because research suggests that training students to use language learning strategy can help them become better language learners. Early researches on good language learners by Rubin （1975）， Stern （1975）and Naiman（1978）suggested a number of positive strategies that such students employ， ranging from an active task approach in and monitoring one's second/foreign language performance to listening to the radio in the second/foreign language and speaking with native speakers. A study by O'Mally and Chamot（1990）also suggests that effective second/foreign language learners are aware of the language learning strategies they use and why they use them. Graham's （1997）work in French further indicates that second/foreign language teachers can help students understand good language learning strategies and should train them to develop and use them. What's more， since 2001， a newly-issued English curriculum standard have been adopted in secondary schools across China， in which four types of language learning strategies need to be taught， namely； cognitive strategies， self-management strategies， communication strategies and resourcing strategies. To sum up， it appears that a number of language learning strategies are important if second/foreign language teachers are to assist students both in learning the second/foreign language and in becoming good language learners.
3. Research Method
3.1Subjects
In the present research， the subjects are 25 students from Grade one Class 5 in No.8 senior high school of Guiyang. The students enter this school after they finish their 9-year compulsory education.
3.2Instrument
In order to measure the four types of language learning strategies， the questionnaire material was used in this study， which is adopted by Stern's （1992）classification of language learning strategies.
According to stern （1992：262-266）， apart from affective strategies， strategies are divided into cognitive， self-management， communication and resourcing， which are meet the goal of the newly-issued English Curricuuim Standard on language learning strategy in China.
Cognitive strategies （5items）are steps or operations used in learning or problem solving that require direct analysis， transformation， or synthesis of learning materials.
Self-management strategies （5items）are related with the learner's intention to direct his own learning. A learner can take charge of the development of his own programme when he is helped by a teacher whose role is an adviser and resource person.
Communication strategies（5 items）， such as gesturing， paraphrase， or asking for repetition and explanation are techniques used by learners so as to keep a conversation going.
Resourcing strategies （5 items）are used for facilitating learning by cooperating with others and acquainting with the target culture， etc.
The final version of the questionnaire（see appendix）included 20 items to which the subjects responded on a 5-point scale（1=I never do this； 2=I seldom do this； 3=I sometimes do this； 4=I usually do this； 5=I always do this）.
3.3Data-collection and data-analysis
On October， 20th， 2006， the writer did a survey about English Language learning strategy among students in Grade One class Five of No.8 senior high school in Guiyang. The questionnaires distributed by the research were written in Chinese， which were given out during the students’ regular English classes. 25 questionnaires were sent out and all of them were reclaimed. The effective rate was 100%. Later， I translate the mess phenomena into mean-formed results.
4. Results， discussion and implication
4.1 Results
The table below presents rank ordering of the four types of strategies according to their frequency of usage. The means of the table show that cognitive strategies have the highest mean （3.74）followed by self-management， communication while resourcing strategies ranked the lowest mean （3.6）.
StrategiesMeanRankCognitive3.741Self-management3.712Communication3.653Resourcing3.64Total score3.67 4.2 Discussion
It means that among the four types of strategies， cognitive strategies are most frequently used by students. Resourcing strategies are least frequently used and the others in between. In addition， it shows that the students use learning strategies with medium frequency. The high use of cognitive strategies among the students is similar to that observed among students from Asian countries like Japan and Korea as reported in some of the studies on Asian students （Sheorey， 1998）. The researcher believes that the use of some individual strategies could be attributed to learners who have different learning styles and educational background differences.
4.3Implication
The most important implication of this study is the need to provide students with further opportunities to use language learning strategies more frequently since the overall strategy use by the subjects under study falls in the medium range. The less frequent strategies in this study （communication and resourcing）can form the core of a program of classroom strategy instruction. O’Malley and Chamot introduces the following steps to strategy instruction：
…the teacher first identifies or shows students for their current language strategies， explains the rationale and application for using additional learning strategies， provides opportunities and materials for practice， and evaluate or assist students to evaluate their degree of success with new learning strategies. （1990， PP.157-159）
The teacher's role in strategy training is an important one. Firstly， the teacher should learn about the students， their interest， motivation and learning styles. Secondly， the teacher should also analyze his/her textbook to find out whether the textbook already includes language learning strategies. The teacher should look for other language materials if language learning strategies are not already included within his/her materials. Last but not least， the teacher also needs to study his/her own teaching method and overall classroom style. One way to do so is to take lesson plans into consideration. The teacher can determine whether his/her lesson plans give learners chance to use a variety of learning styles and strategies or not. It should be emphasized that questioning oneself what to plan before each lesson and evaluating lesson plan after the lesson in terms of strategy training， the teacher can become better prepared to focus on language learning strategies training during the process of teaching.
5. Conclusion
This study aimed at examining the four types of language learning strategies of a group student in No.8 senior high school of Guiyang. The results showed that these students were medium users of strategies. Furthermore， Cognitive strategies marked the highest usage which indicated that such strategies could be related to educational background differences and students' learning styles.
In conclusion， it is obvious that language learning strategies facilitate the learning of the target language by the learner. Thus， teachers need to become aware of the strategy instruction and more comprehensive research on a wide range of variables affecting language learning strategies employed by Guiyang high school.Students are also needed in order to pave the way for reaching the goal of the current English teaching.
References：
［1］Bialystok， E.1990.Communication Strategies： A Psychological Analysis of Second Language Use. Oxford： Basil Blackwell.
［2］Cohen， A.1990. Language Learning： Insights for Learners， Teachers and Researchers. New York ： Newbury House.
［3］Graham， S.1997. Effective Language Learning. Clevedon， Avon： Multilingual Matters.
［4］Naiman， N.1996. The Good Language Learner. Clevedon， Avon ：Multilingual Matters.
［5］Nunan， D.1988. The Learner-Centered Curriculum. Cambridge； Cambridge University Press.
［6］O’Malley， J.M. and Chamot， A.1990. Learning Strategies in Second Language Acquisition. Cambridge： Cambridge University Press.
［7］Oxford， R1990. Language Learning Strategies； What Every Teacher Should Know. New York ： Newbury House.
［8］Rubin， J.1975. What the “good language learner” can teach us. TESOL Quarterly.
［9］Rubin， Jand Thompson， I.1994. How to Be a More Successful Language Learner. Boston： Heinle and Heinle.
［10］Richards， J.and John Platt.1992. Longman Dictionary of Language Teaching and Appiled Linguistics. Essex?Longman.
［11］Sheorey， R.1998. The State of English and English Language Teaching in India. TESOL Matters?
［12］Stern， H.H.1992.Issues and Options in Language Teaching. Oxford ： Oxford University Press.
［13］Tutor， I1996. Learner-Centredness as Language Education.
［14］Wenden， Aand Joan Rubin1987. Learner Strategies in Language Learning. New Jersey： Prentice Hall.
［15］Williams， M and Burden， R.1997. Psychology for Language Teachers： A Social Constructivist Approach. Cambridge： CUP.
［16］文秋芳，2003。《英語学习的成功之路》，［M］。上海：上海外语教育出版社。
［17］中华人民共和国教育部。2001。《英语课程标准》［M］.北京：北京师范大学出版社。
Key words：English language learning strategy；High school student
English language learning strategy training
1. Introduction
1.1Recent researches on language learning strategy
Within the field of education during the last two decades， a gradual but significant transformation has taken place， resulting in less stress on teachers and teaching and greater emphasis on learners and learning （Nunan， 1988）. One consequence of this shift was an increasing awareness and interest in resources for learning styles and language learning strategies in foreign and second language teaching and learning. Researchers such as Nunan （1995）and Tudor （1996）have stressed that effective learners use a variety of different strategies and techniques in order to solve problems they face while acquiring or producing the language. One focus of research in the area of EFL has been the identification of how learners process new information and what kinds of strategies they employ to understand， learn or retain the information.
1.2Purpose of the research
This study aims at finding out the most frequently used English language learning strategies used by the students from Grade One Class Five of No.8 senior high school of Guiyang. Firstly， this thesis introduces the background of language learning strategies against which the study was developed. Secondly， it comes to a research done among Year One students， from whom the data is collected. Thirdly the analysis of the data is given and finally several suggestions for English language learning strategies training are provided.
2. Background of Language learning strategies
2.1Definition of a Language Learning strategy
The term language learning strategy has been defined by many researchers. Here， the writer chooses some representative view for reference. Wenden and Rubin （1987：19）define learning strategies as “any sets of operations， steps， plans， routines used by the learner to facilitate the obtaining， storage， retrieval， and use of information.”
Richards and Platt （1992：209）state that learning strategies are “intentional behavior and thoughts used by learners during learning so as to better help them understand， learn， or remember new information.”
According to Stern （1992：261）， “the concept of learning strategy is dependent on the assumption that learners consciously engage in activities to achieve certain goals and learning strategies can be regarded as broadly conceived intentional directions and leaning techniques.”
From these definitions， a change over time may be noted， from the early focus on the product of linguistic or social linguistic competence， there is now a greater emphasis on the processes and the characteristics of language learning strategy.
2.2The Characteristics of language learning strategy.
Although the terminology is not always similar， with some writers using the terms “learner strategies” （Wenden and Rubin， 1987）， others “learning strategies” （O' Malley Chamot， 1990）， and still others “language learning strategies” （Oxford， 1996）， there are a number of basic characteristics in the generally accepted view of language learning strategy.
First， language learning strategies are learner generated. They are steps taken by language learners. Second， language learning strategies enhance language learning and help develop language competence， as reflected in the learner's skills in listening， speaking， reading， or writing the second language or foreign language. Third， language learning strategies may be visible （behaviours， steps， techniques， etc.）or unseen （thoughts， mental processes）. Fourth， language learning strategies involve information and memory （vocabulary knowledge， grammar rules， etc）. In addition to the characteristics noted above， Oxford （1990）states that language learning strategies，
allow learners to become more self-directed
expand the role of language teachers
are problem-oriented
involve many aspects， not just the cognitive
can be taught
are flexible
are influenced by a variety of factors.
2.3The origin and early researches on language learning strategy
Research into language learning strategies began in the 1960s. Particularly， developments in cognitive psychology is influenced much of the research done on language learning strategies （Wiliams and Burden 1997：149）. In most of research on language learning strategies， the primary concern has been on “identifying what good language learners report they do to learn a second or foreign language， or， in some cases， are observed doing while learning a second or foreign language.” （ Wenden and Rubin1987：19）. In 1966， Aaron Carton published his study entitled.The Method of Inference in Foreign language study，' which was the first attempt on learner strategies. After Carton， in 1971， Rubin started doing research focusing on the strategies of successful learners and stated that， once identified， such strategies could be made available to less successful learners. Rubin （1975）classified strategies in terms of processes contributing directly or indirectly to language learning. Bialystok （1979）， Cohen （1990）， and many others studied strategies used by language learners during the process of foreign language learning.
2.4The importance of language learning strategy for second or foreign language learning and teaching.
Within communicative approaches to language teaching， a key goal is for the learner to develop communicative competence in the target second / foreign Language， and Language learning strategy can help students in doing so. After the1980s ，during which the importance of communication strategies as a key aspect of strategic （and thus communicative）competence was recognized ， a number of works appeared about communication strategies in second/foreign language teaching. Communication strategies are used by speakers intentionally and consciously in order to cope with difficulties in communicating in a second/foreign language （Bialystok， 1990）. The term language learning strategy is used more generally for all strategies that second/foreign language learners use in learning the target language， and communication strategies are therefore just one type of language learning strategy. For all second/ foreign Language teachers who aim to help develop their students' communicative competence and language learning， then， an under -standing of language learning strategy is crucial. As Oxford（1990a）puts it， “language learning strategies are especially important for language learning because they are tools for active， self-directed involvement， which is essential for developing communicative competence”（P.1）.
In addition to developing students' communicative competence， language learning strategy are important because research suggests that training students to use language learning strategy can help them become better language learners. Early researches on good language learners by Rubin （1975）， Stern （1975）and Naiman（1978）suggested a number of positive strategies that such students employ， ranging from an active task approach in and monitoring one's second/foreign language performance to listening to the radio in the second/foreign language and speaking with native speakers. A study by O'Mally and Chamot（1990）also suggests that effective second/foreign language learners are aware of the language learning strategies they use and why they use them. Graham's （1997）work in French further indicates that second/foreign language teachers can help students understand good language learning strategies and should train them to develop and use them. What's more， since 2001， a newly-issued English curriculum standard have been adopted in secondary schools across China， in which four types of language learning strategies need to be taught， namely； cognitive strategies， self-management strategies， communication strategies and resourcing strategies. To sum up， it appears that a number of language learning strategies are important if second/foreign language teachers are to assist students both in learning the second/foreign language and in becoming good language learners.
3. Research Method
3.1Subjects
In the present research， the subjects are 25 students from Grade one Class 5 in No.8 senior high school of Guiyang. The students enter this school after they finish their 9-year compulsory education.
3.2Instrument
In order to measure the four types of language learning strategies， the questionnaire material was used in this study， which is adopted by Stern's （1992）classification of language learning strategies.
According to stern （1992：262-266）， apart from affective strategies， strategies are divided into cognitive， self-management， communication and resourcing， which are meet the goal of the newly-issued English Curricuuim Standard on language learning strategy in China.
Cognitive strategies （5items）are steps or operations used in learning or problem solving that require direct analysis， transformation， or synthesis of learning materials.
Self-management strategies （5items）are related with the learner's intention to direct his own learning. A learner can take charge of the development of his own programme when he is helped by a teacher whose role is an adviser and resource person.
Communication strategies（5 items）， such as gesturing， paraphrase， or asking for repetition and explanation are techniques used by learners so as to keep a conversation going.
Resourcing strategies （5 items）are used for facilitating learning by cooperating with others and acquainting with the target culture， etc.
The final version of the questionnaire（see appendix）included 20 items to which the subjects responded on a 5-point scale（1=I never do this； 2=I seldom do this； 3=I sometimes do this； 4=I usually do this； 5=I always do this）.
3.3Data-collection and data-analysis
On October， 20th， 2006， the writer did a survey about English Language learning strategy among students in Grade One class Five of No.8 senior high school in Guiyang. The questionnaires distributed by the research were written in Chinese， which were given out during the students’ regular English classes. 25 questionnaires were sent out and all of them were reclaimed. The effective rate was 100%. Later， I translate the mess phenomena into mean-formed results.
4. Results， discussion and implication
4.1 Results
The table below presents rank ordering of the four types of strategies according to their frequency of usage. The means of the table show that cognitive strategies have the highest mean （3.74）followed by self-management， communication while resourcing strategies ranked the lowest mean （3.6）.
StrategiesMeanRankCognitive3.741Self-management3.712Communication3.653Resourcing3.64Total score3.67 4.2 Discussion
It means that among the four types of strategies， cognitive strategies are most frequently used by students. Resourcing strategies are least frequently used and the others in between. In addition， it shows that the students use learning strategies with medium frequency. The high use of cognitive strategies among the students is similar to that observed among students from Asian countries like Japan and Korea as reported in some of the studies on Asian students （Sheorey， 1998）. The researcher believes that the use of some individual strategies could be attributed to learners who have different learning styles and educational background differences.
4.3Implication
The most important implication of this study is the need to provide students with further opportunities to use language learning strategies more frequently since the overall strategy use by the subjects under study falls in the medium range. The less frequent strategies in this study （communication and resourcing）can form the core of a program of classroom strategy instruction. O’Malley and Chamot introduces the following steps to strategy instruction：
…the teacher first identifies or shows students for their current language strategies， explains the rationale and application for using additional learning strategies， provides opportunities and materials for practice， and evaluate or assist students to evaluate their degree of success with new learning strategies. （1990， PP.157-159）
The teacher's role in strategy training is an important one. Firstly， the teacher should learn about the students， their interest， motivation and learning styles. Secondly， the teacher should also analyze his/her textbook to find out whether the textbook already includes language learning strategies. The teacher should look for other language materials if language learning strategies are not already included within his/her materials. Last but not least， the teacher also needs to study his/her own teaching method and overall classroom style. One way to do so is to take lesson plans into consideration. The teacher can determine whether his/her lesson plans give learners chance to use a variety of learning styles and strategies or not. It should be emphasized that questioning oneself what to plan before each lesson and evaluating lesson plan after the lesson in terms of strategy training， the teacher can become better prepared to focus on language learning strategies training during the process of teaching.
5. Conclusion
This study aimed at examining the four types of language learning strategies of a group student in No.8 senior high school of Guiyang. The results showed that these students were medium users of strategies. Furthermore， Cognitive strategies marked the highest usage which indicated that such strategies could be related to educational background differences and students' learning styles.
In conclusion， it is obvious that language learning strategies facilitate the learning of the target language by the learner. Thus， teachers need to become aware of the strategy instruction and more comprehensive research on a wide range of variables affecting language learning strategies employed by Guiyang high school.Students are also needed in order to pave the way for reaching the goal of the current English teaching.
References：
［1］Bialystok， E.1990.Communication Strategies： A Psychological Analysis of Second Language Use. Oxford： Basil Blackwell.
［2］Cohen， A.1990. Language Learning： Insights for Learners， Teachers and Researchers. New York ： Newbury House.
［3］Graham， S.1997. Effective Language Learning. Clevedon， Avon： Multilingual Matters.
［4］Naiman， N.1996. The Good Language Learner. Clevedon， Avon ：Multilingual Matters.
［5］Nunan， D.1988. The Learner-Centered Curriculum. Cambridge； Cambridge University Press.
［6］O’Malley， J.M. and Chamot， A.1990. Learning Strategies in Second Language Acquisition. Cambridge： Cambridge University Press.
［7］Oxford， R1990. Language Learning Strategies； What Every Teacher Should Know. New York ： Newbury House.
［8］Rubin， J.1975. What the “good language learner” can teach us. TESOL Quarterly.
［9］Rubin， Jand Thompson， I.1994. How to Be a More Successful Language Learner. Boston： Heinle and Heinle.
［10］Richards， J.and John Platt.1992. Longman Dictionary of Language Teaching and Appiled Linguistics. Essex?Longman.
［11］Sheorey， R.1998. The State of English and English Language Teaching in India. TESOL Matters?
［12］Stern， H.H.1992.Issues and Options in Language Teaching. Oxford ： Oxford University Press.
［13］Tutor， I1996. Learner-Centredness as Language Education.
［14］Wenden， Aand Joan Rubin1987. Learner Strategies in Language Learning. New Jersey： Prentice Hall.
［15］Williams， M and Burden， R.1997. Psychology for Language Teachers： A Social Constructivist Approach. Cambridge： CUP.
［16］文秋芳，2003。《英語学习的成功之路》，［M］。上海：上海外语教育出版社。
［17］中华人民共和国教育部。2001。《英语课程标准》［M］.北京：北京师范大学出版社。