What factors influence the choices of Language Learning Strategies of Chinese and Taiwanese undergraduate students studying English together in a Taiwanese university?

This study centres on the choices of Language Learning Strategies (LLSs) employed by Chinese and Taiwanese students learning English in a Taiwanese faith-based university in the Republic of China (ROC). LLSs have been extensively researched in the fields of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) mainly in the Global North. Although the definition of LLSs has been controversial for the last three decades, the concept has been widely used in the field of language learning. During my four and a half years of teaching in higher education institutions in China, I observed that my Chinese students in a Chinese university were often reluctant to volunteer answers to teacher-posed questions, participate in oral activities or challenge my thoughts and propositions. The focus on completing grammar-based tasks for exam preparation, and the lack of oral practice, resulted in students struggling to maintain a conversation where clear communication was achieved. Motivated to help my students in their language learning journey, I sought to better understand the strategies they adopted when learning English. My unforeseen relocation to Taiwan, and the augmentation in the Cross-Straitization of Higher Education, opened the way to research both Chinese and Taiwanese university students studying together in a Taiwanese university. Chinese and Taiwanese students are perceived to emanate from a Confucian Heritage Culture (CHC), however, their educational experiences prior to entering higher education, are different. This Mixed Methods study explores the LLS choices of both Chinese and Taiwanese students, together with the views of their teachers, through a cultural lens. The findings appear to show a lack of understanding by teachers and students regarding the utility of LLSs in the teaching and learning of English. Where Chinese students appear to employ LLSs, they utilise a limited range, acquired through repetition, in preparation for examinations in high school. Taiwanese students, under similar academic circumstances, appear more confident in their approach to language learning, having reported to experience more diverse curricula and opportunities to engage with speakers of English. Both cohorts participate in activities which appear to contribute to their development of English proficiency, but they do not recognise them as LLSs. Prior educational experiences play a role in students’ selections of working partners and consequently has implications for student working groups. The supportive nature of this faith-based campus environment influences the language learning experiences of students. However, this influence does not appear to be recognised or proactively utilised