STUDENTS’ ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING STRATEGIES OF ISLAMIC JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL IN GRESIK

Language learning strategies or LLS have been a hot topic of research for the past three decades in education. It is defined as particular steps, behaviors, actions or techniques used by learners to elevate their learning, conciously or unconciously. Even though numerous studies studied about LLS, but research about LLS in middle level of education is rarely found. Moreover, number of studies related to language learning strategies towards Islamic schools are also nearly blank. This research is aimed to know the English language learning strategy used by the students of Islamic junior high schools in Gresik. The subjects of this study are students of Islamic junior high schools in Gresik. The data were collected using questionnaire and interview. There were 32 respondents of the questionnaire and 5 interviewees selected from the respondents. They were come from two Islamic junior high schools in Gresik, SMPIT Al Ibrah and SMP Yimi, Gresik. The questionnaire was using Strategy Inventory of Language Learning (SILL) version 7.0.The analyzing method is mix method that include quantitatively and qualitatively. There are two topics of finding from the research. The students of Islamic junior high schools in Gresik tend to do all of the language learning strategies based on the classification from Oxford (2003). It is shown with the result of the questionnaire using the questionnaire. From the interview results, the students have implicitly shown that they do cognitive strategies more often than the other language learning strategies. Moreover, the students just do affective strategies slightly. They are found to be less in managing their emotions and attitude when learning English, because they still feel shy when talking in English, afraid of making mistake in speaking, etc. This must be improved by the help of the students’ environtment, such as from parents, teachers, and friends and so on. Deep analyse on the interview has also drawn a process of how the students do their most-used strategies. It starts from getting interested in English, and then they must be motivated and the last is the students will choose the most suitable strategies for them, in this case is mostly cognitive strategies