LANGUAGE LEARNING STRATEGY USED BY SUCCESSFUL STUDENTS IN LEARNING ENGLISH (A Mixed-method Study at Second Year Students of SMAN 1 Rejang Lebong)

ABSTRACT The aims of this research were to find out language learning strategy used by the successful students of SMAN 1 Rejang Lebong, investigate the way they implement the most dominant learning strategy, and discover the reason they apply the most dominant learning strategy. This research employed a mixedmethod. The instrument used are questionnaire which is adopted from Oxford’s SILL ver. 7.0. and interview. The population of this research were 195 students. The sample were 40 which were selected purposively by considering the students last semester examination score and from teacher’s checklist. The research showed that successful students has preference of activities in using the learning strategy. The students highly preferred to use compensation strategy which has 3.58 mean score (often). The other strategies mean score are metacognitive strategy 3.46 (often); social strategy 3.23 (sometimes); cognitive strategy 3.08 (sometimes); memory strategy 3.07 (sometimes); and affective strategy 2.78 (sometimes). Based on the research result, the students use guessing and switching/rearranging strategy in implementing the compensation strategy. The main reason they use the dominant strategy is that the strategy save more time and could practice their language skills at the same time. In conclusion, the finding indicates that the successful students preferred certain aspects from each learning strategy. Further finding showed that the most dominant strategy is compensation strategy that the strategy is effective in actual situation. Further, this research provide information for language learner and language practitioner as considerations to develop the process of teaching and learning. As for further researchers, this research will provide more information and gaps about learning strategy to be further investigated. Key words: Learning Strategy; Successful Students