探究性別於語言學習策略使用之效應：一個後設分析之研究
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2015
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Abstract
語言學習策略在第二外語習得領域中，自1970年代開始即被廣泛地討論，進而促成學者們致力於語言學習策略的分類。SILL (Strategy Inventory for Language Learning) 是根據學者Oxford的六項語言學習策略分類所編製而成之語言學習策略調查工具。緣採用SILL來調查語言學習策略使用之相關研究已有相當長時間的累積，且當中又有不少研究是關於性別對語言學習策略使用的響影；因此，後設分析研究方法能進一步統整此領域中不同的研究結果，提供目前性別對語言學習策略影響的宏觀樣貌。
此後設分析的研究結果發現，整體而言女性使用語言學習策略的頻率比男性高，但兩者之間的差異並不大。然而，此性別差異在某些情況之下會減弱甚至消弭；譬如針對較成熟的、選擇英語為主修的學習者，或是學習者的母語與所學的語言來自相同的語系。雖然男女先天的生理差異可能造成不同的學習策略使用頻率，後天環境暨文化因素與生理差異對個體陶冶的結果，也可能讓先天生理差異的影響趨緩。身為語言教學者應視學習者不同的特質與需求，給予適性的語言學習策略；而語言學習者亦需培養選擇不同語言學習策略的能力，進而努力創造適合自我特質的學習環境。
In the field of second language acquisition (SLA), language learning strategies have been widely discussed since 1970s. Considerable efforts have been made to organize language learning strategy categories, resulting in canonical taxonomies that researchers frequently adopt for investigating the phenomena of language learner’s strategy use. The SILL (Strategy Inventory for Language Learning) designed according to Oxford’s six-category taxonomy is a renowned measure of learners’ self-report strategy use. Since research adopting the SILL as the main instrument have been accumulated in relation to individual differences and gender affecting language learning strategy use has often been investigated, it is beneficial to assess the cumulative findings of this mature domain by means of quantitative and secondary analyses. Therefore, meta-analysis is conducted in the present study to explore the frequency of males and females’ language learning strategy use. The major findings of the meta-analysis are that female learners use strategies more frequently than male learners in a general picture, but the gap in strategy use is minor. However, the effects of gender on language learning strategy use can be reduced or even canceled when learners are more mature, learners who major in English, and learners’ first language is a linguistic cognate with the target language. Although the biological gender may influence the use of language learning strategies fundamentally, gender differences in language learning strategy use might be minimized or even closed since the brain, the environment, and the cultural variables keep interacting in a trigonometrical relationship to cultivate an individual learner. As the potential effectiveness of strategies-based instruction has been proved to be beneficial for language learning, language teachers should provide language learning strategies more relating to individual preferences and language learners should be able to create the promising environment for themselves and be aware that they are capable of adopting useful language learning strategies according to their own propensities.
In the field of second language acquisition (SLA), language learning strategies have been widely discussed since 1970s. Considerable efforts have been made to organize language learning strategy categories, resulting in canonical taxonomies that researchers frequently adopt for investigating the phenomena of language learner’s strategy use. The SILL (Strategy Inventory for Language Learning) designed according to Oxford’s six-category taxonomy is a renowned measure of learners’ self-report strategy use. Since research adopting the SILL as the main instrument have been accumulated in relation to individual differences and gender affecting language learning strategy use has often been investigated, it is beneficial to assess the cumulative findings of this mature domain by means of quantitative and secondary analyses. Therefore, meta-analysis is conducted in the present study to explore the frequency of males and females’ language learning strategy use. The major findings of the meta-analysis are that female learners use strategies more frequently than male learners in a general picture, but the gap in strategy use is minor. However, the effects of gender on language learning strategy use can be reduced or even canceled when learners are more mature, learners who major in English, and learners’ first language is a linguistic cognate with the target language. Although the biological gender may influence the use of language learning strategies fundamentally, gender differences in language learning strategy use might be minimized or even closed since the brain, the environment, and the cultural variables keep interacting in a trigonometrical relationship to cultivate an individual learner. As the potential effectiveness of strategies-based instruction has been proved to be beneficial for language learning, language teachers should provide language learning strategies more relating to individual preferences and language learners should be able to create the promising environment for themselves and be aware that they are capable of adopting useful language learning strategies according to their own propensities.
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語言學習策略, 性別差異, 後設分析, language learning strategy use, gender differences, meta-analysis