Relationship Between The Language LearnIng Strategy Use And The PrOficiency Of Esl Learners In Their Classrooms

Since the beginning of language teaching, teachers attempt to maximize their teaching methods. In today’s classrooms, teachers try to provide a good education to their students, while dealing with different types of learners. Recently, many instructors investigated on language learning strategies (LLS) use and their students’ proficiency. Consequently, they attempt to incorporate the teaching oflanguage learning strategies into their methodology. Teachers need to make sure that LLS use is effective on their students’ ESL proficiency. Throughout time, many researchers have analysed the effects of using LLS on ESL learners and they argued that using LLS improves learners’L2 proficiency.
Several studies have been written regarding the relationship between the use of LLS and theproficiency of ESL learners in their classrooms, but they have produced different results. Does the use of LLS have a relationship with the students’ proficiency in English as a second language? What effects does using LLS have on the ESL learners’ proficiency? The purpose of the study is to determine whether LLS use in second language (L2) classrooms improves the learners’ proficiency. Some studies haveshown that cognitive strategies are more effective than metacognitive strategies in ESL learning proficiency and others have shown the opposite. Therefore, opinions are divided so one cannot be certain. Which one of the above results would apply to the use of LLS and the students’ proficiency in their ESL classrooms of grade six students in Montmagny. Since the results of previous studies arecontroversial regarding the relationship of LLS use and the proficiency of the learners in their ESL classrooms. However, there have been very few studies having Quebecers as participants. Furthermore, there have been no studies in this specific school with these specific students. The study will be valuable for ESL teachers in their efforts to find way to enhance their instructional effectiveness.Narrowing down the general question?
First of all, it is important to understand what language learning strategies are; according to Oxford (1993), language learning strategies (LLS) are “specific actions, behaviours, steps, or techniques that students (often intentionally) use to improve their progress in developing L2 skills”. Oxford portrays LLS as problem solving and useful in order to makeprogress. Some examples of language learning strategies can be as simple as taking notes, practising, using keywords or any other way that could help the learner to improve their proficiency. In other words, LLS are “learning tools” (Dieckmann, 2004). LLS are classified in three major categories; the first category is memory strategies which includes grouping, association, using imagery, usingkeywords, using physical response, and so on. The second category is cognitive strategies which includes practicing, analyzing and reasoning, creating structure for input and output and so on. The last category is compensation strategies which includes guessing intelligently and overcoming limitations in speaking and writing (Oxford, 1990). In the questionnaire used to collect data for this empiricalstudy, the strategies concerned are divided in two different categories; the first one is metacognitive strategies which includes strategies of evaluation, attention, management, control and organization. The second category is cognitive strategies which is similar to Oxford definition. Finally, the term proficiency can be defined as “general knowledge, competence or ability in the use of a language,irrespective of how, where, or under what conditions it has been acquired” (Brachman, 1990, in Bremner, 1998).

Literature Review
This research will investigate on the relationship between language learning strategy (LLS) use and the proficiency of ESL learners in their classrooms. Learners’ level of proficiency is an important variable that was investigated in several studies, and many of...