The Use of Learning Strategies in an E-tandem English Program

Abstract

This qualitative research aimed at analyzing the use of learning strategies in strong students who participated in an e-tandem English program at Technical University of Cotopaxi. A survey of 33 questions was applied to 25 participants; questions were taken from the Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (Oxford, 1990) and adapted to the context of e-tandem. Data show that these students used a variety of learning strategies when they participated in the program. Most of the participants usually and always used 7 strategies under the category of cognitive, 5 from memory, 1 from compensatory, 2 metacognitive, 2 affective and 2 social strategies. These strategies are: finding speaking opportunities, planning, listening to music and videos in English, finding ways to interact better, use of previous knowledge, memorization of words and pronunciation, use of new words, setting goals, correcting their mistakes, relaxation, motivation, socialization, and listening in context. On the other hand, 3 cognitive, 2 memory, 3 compensatory, 1 metacognitive, 2 affective and 4 social strategies were never or seldom used by the majority of students. These strategies are: meeting native speakers, imitating accents, using mental images, guessing, using synonyms, gestures, reviewing content, learning about culture, and asking for learning tips. These results suggest training students in the effective use of learning strategies during the teaching process so that they can benefit more from the virtual interactions in e-tandem learning.