Testing a hypothesized model of English language learning: Japanese university students' goal orientation, beliefs, and learning strategies

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the relation between goal orientation, beliefs, and learning strategies in Japanese learners of English in a Japanese university, using covariance structural analysis to test a hypothesized model. Japanese university students (N = 316) answered questionnaires regarding their goal orientation, their beliefs about English learning, and their use of strategies. The students who rated high on the learning goal scales, and who had high ratings on measures of their beliefs about their competence, preferred to use metacognitive strategies, pronunciation strategies, and organization strategies. In contrast, the students who rated high on the performance goal scales, and who had high ratings on measures of their beliefs about traditional English learning styles, tended not to use guessing strategies. The results suggest that not only learners' goal orientations, but also their beliefs play a role when students are choosing language learning strategies.