Associations between Chinese EFL graduate students' beliefs and language learning strategies

This study, using Horwitz's Beliefs about Language Learning Inventory and Oxford's Strategy Inventory for Language Learning, investigated learners' beliefs about language learning and their choice of strategy categories among 546 graduate students in China. The correlation between learners' beliefs and their strategy categories use was examined. Findings indicated that (1) statistically significant differences existed in different gender and language proficiency level regarding learners' beliefs; (2) statistically significant difference appeared in different gender, major, age range plus proficiency level concerning the use of strategy categories; (3) except for the difficulty of language learning, learners' beliefs about language learning were significantly correlated with the use of the six strategy categories. The overall findings of the study provide suggestions to help foreign language instructors and researchers better understand graduate students' perceived beliefs and strategy use, so that classroom instruction can be as effective and productive as possible.