Iranian EFL Learners' Pattern of Language Learning Strategy Use

This article reports the results of an investigation into Iranian EFL learners' perceived use of language learning strategies (LLSs) overall, the six strategy categories (memory, cognitive, compensation, metacognitive, affective, and social) as well as the 50 individual strategies appearing in Oxford's (1990) Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL). Participants were 220 female and male English major university students who filled out the SILL. Results of the study showed that Iranian EFL learners were "medium" strategy users overall while with regard to strategy categories they used metacognitive strategies with a high frequency; cognitive, compensation, and affective strategies with a medium frequency, and memory and social strategies with a low frequency. With respect to individual strategies, two strategies-items 38 (metacognitive) and 42 (affective)-were used with the highest frequency and significantly different from a large number of other strategies; whereas items 6 (memory), 14 (cognitive), 19 (cognitive), 43 (affective), and 48 (social) were the least frequently used strategies and significantly different from a large number of other strategies.