Strategies, Attitudes and Motivation of Students in Learning English in a Chinese Independent High School in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the learning strategies, attitude and motivation of Chinese independent high school students in Negeri Sembilan in learning English. All the strategies (memory, cognitive, metacognitive, compensation, affective and social) were evaluated. Students' experiences and perceptions in learning English are also included. Mixed-method was used. Questionnaires were given to 178 students from a Chinese independent high school in Negeri Sembilan. Interviews were conducted for 18 students from the school. Based on the results, the study showed that students have a good attitude towards English language learning. Overall, students were more instrumentally motivated. The mean score of instrumentality motivation (4.13) is higher than the mean score of the integrative motivation (mean score = 3.85). This suggests that the practical benefits (future career and further education) were the main motivators for the students. The most widely used strategy was compensation (guess and paraphrase for vocabulary gap). Cognitive, metacognitive and social strategies were also studied and used by the students. Challenges faced by students included a limited vocabulary, fear of making mistakes, and a lack of practice. However, there are many students with a positive attitude towards learning English because they are interested in English, parents encouraged their children, and the language mastered was helpful for students in many ways. The survey data and interview data show that the need for educational intervention for language anxiety, improved retention of the vocabulary, and more practice. The results also showed that instrumental motivation, family, and friends as important factors in maintaining good attitude and motivation to learn English and improving language skills.