先前的文獻指出，使用語言學習策略可以增進學生語言能力及自信。至今，此類研究大多以問卷方式探索學習者的策略偏好，鮮少透過個別面談的搜證方式，以對照或驗證問卷的結果。本研究旨在探討科系與性別差異對台灣大學生英語學習策略使用之影響，並以754位(男生：327，女生：427)來自語言、商業及理工學群的大學生為研究對象，施以「英語學習策略量表」(Oxford, 1990)，再從中隨機挑選86位學生(男生：40，女生：46)進行訪談，藉此深入了解其英語學習經驗、學習困難及英語學習策略的運用。研究結果發現：(1)台灣大學生使用英語學習策略的頻率並不高；(2)「補償」(compensation)與「認知」(cognitive)策略使用頻率最高，而「社會」(social)與「情意」(affective)策略使用頻率最低；(3)相較於「間接策略」(indirect strategies)，大學生偏愛使用「直接策略」(direct strategies)；(4)科系與性別各自在整體或每一類型策略使用上，皆達到顯著差異；然而，此兩者並無顯著的交互作用；(5)語言學群學生在整體或每一類型策略的使用頻率皆明顯高於商業及理工學生；(6)商業和理工學生在策略使用上無顯著差異，而且，此兩學群的學生最常使用「補償」(compensation)策略；然而，語言學群學生則偏好使用「認知」(cognitive)和「後設認知」(metacognitive)策略；(7)女學生在整體或每一類型策略的使用頻率皆明顯高於男學生，尤其是對「社會」(social)策略的使用，男女差異最大；(8)大學生在英語學習過程中，最注重字彙的學習；(9)大學生最常藉由反覆的口語背誦或反覆的拼字書寫方式來記單字，卻很少使用特殊的記憶術(mnemonics)或運用肢體動作來背誦單字；(10)英語學習態度與策略的使用多寡有密切關係；(11)半數以上的大學生自覺英語程度不佳，口說能力尤甚。深究其原因，「擔心發音不標準」是造成學生不敢開口說英語的主因。最後，根據本研究結果提出教學與未來研究導向建議，以茲參考。

Past literature has indicated learning strategies help boost learners’ language competence and self-confidence. Most strategy studies have ascertained learners’ strategy preferences with survey questionnaires, very few have added individual interviews on strategy use to triangulate the data. The aim of this study was to explore the effects of major and gender on Taiwanese college students’ strategic behaviors of learning English. Seven hundred and fifty-four college students (M = 327, F = 427) majoring in language, business, or engineering were asked to complete the Learning Strategy Questionnaire (Oxford, 1990). Individual interviews were later conducted on 86 surveyed students (M = 40, F = 46) to probe their experiences and difficulties of learning English and to elicit more flexible responses on their strategy choices. The important findings include: (a) college students had a moderate degree on strategy use; (b) compensation and cognitive strategies were most frequently employed, while social and affective strategies were least frequently used; (c) college students preferred using direct rather than indirect strategies; (d) significant major and gender main effects were found, and there was no significant major by gender interaction effect; (e) significant major effect was found in overall and each type of strategy use; particularly, language majors were more proficient strategy users than their business or engineering counterparts; (f) the business students and the engineering students were found to be equivalent strategy users and utilize more compensation strategies than any other type; in contrast, the language majors reported use of more cognitive and metacognitive strategies; (g) significant gender effect was found in overall and each type of strategy use; particularly, female learners had much greater use of social strategies than their male counterparts; (h) vocabulary strategies played a critical and essential part in the English learning process; (i) to retain a new English word, EFL adults preferred verbal or written repetition over mnemonics or physically acting out the word; (j) there was a significant link between language learning attitude and the number of strategy being used for learning that language; (k) more than half of the college interviewees perceived their English proficiency level as low, especially for their speaking ability, and poor English pronunciation was reported mainly responsible for the deficient oral skill. Pedagogical implications and suggestions for future research were provided to conclude this study.

Abstract (Chinese)............................................................................................... i
Abstract (English)................................................................................................ iii
Acknowledgements.............................................................................................. v
Table of Contents................................................................................................. vi
Tables................................................................................................................... ix
Figures.................................................................................................................. xi
CHAPTER 1......................................................................................................... 1
Introduction.......................................................................................................... 1
Problem Statement................................................................................................ 4
Purpose of the Study............................................................................................. 6
Significance of the Study...................................................................................... 7
Research Questions.............................................................................................. 8
Definitions of Terms............................................................................................ 9
CHAPTER 2........................................................................................................ 11
Review of the Literature...................................................................................... 11
Language Learning Strategies............................................................................. 11
Effects of Major and/or Gender on Strategy Use................................................. 20
Post-survey Interviews on Strategy Use.............................................................. 33
Summary............................................................................................................ 35
CHAPTER 3....................................................................................................... 36
Methodology...................................................................................................... 36
Subjects.............................................................................................................. 36
Instruments......................................................................................................... 39
Learning Strategy Questionnaire......................................................................... 39
Interview Questions of English Learning Strategies............................................ 42
Procedures.......................................................................................................... 43
Data Analyses..................................................................................................... 45
CHAPTER 4....................................................................................................... 46
Results................................................................................................................ 46
Validity and Reliability of the English Learning Strategies................................. 46
Results for the Interested Questions.................................................................... 46
Summary............................................................................................................. 67
CHAPTER 5........................................................................................................ 69
Conclusions......................................................................................................... 69
Discussion on Important Findings........................................................................ 69
General Strategy Use............................................................................................ 69
Direct/Indirect Strategy Use.................................................................................. 73
Effects of Major on Strategy Use.......................................................................... 73
Effects of Gender on Strategy Use........................................................................ 75
Interview Results on Strategy Use......................................................................... 76
Pedagogical Implications...................................................................................... 77
Suggestions for Future Studies.............................................................................. 79
References............................................................................................................ 81
Appendix A: English Learning Strategies (English Version)................................. 94
Appendix B: English Learning Strategies (Chinese Version)................................ 99
Appendix C: Interview Questions (English Version)............................................ 103
Appendix D: Interview Questions (Chinese Version)........................................... 104

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