Investigating the relationship between Iranian EFL learners' use of language learning strategies and foreign language skills achievement

This mixed methods study aimed at examining the relationship between EFL learners' use of language learning strategies and the extent to which they achieved foreign language skills, namely writing, reading, listening, and speaking. The study also sought to identify possible differences between high and low achieving language learners regarding the frequency and type of their language learning strategies. To this end, the Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL) (Oxford, 1990) was administered to 120 Iranian EFL learners. Likewise, a series of semi-structured interviews was conducted to explore their perceptions of the relationship between their use of language learning strategies and the achievement of the four language skills. The results of the qualitative analysis verified those of the quantitative data, and indicated that a substantial majority of EFL learners perceived the use of language learning strategies as advantageous. However, minor discrepancies were observed not only in the frequency of strategies employed by high and low achievers in the learning of writing, reading, listening, and speaking, but also in the type of learning strategies they utilized while learning the four language skills. Furthermore, our results demonstrated that high achievers mostly employed compensation, affective, and cognitive strategies, whereas low achievers drew on social, metacognitive, and memory strategies more frequently than other strategies. This study holds significant implications for EFL teachers to integrate strategy training into their instruction in the classroom. Informed of the repertoire of strategies used by high language achievers, EFL teachers can encourage language learners to use these strategies to enhance their language learning skills.