The effects of using translation and memorization as learning strategies on English abilities of junior high EFL students

• Main Authors: Yi-jung Tsai, 蔡伊容
• Other Authors: Ling-zu Yang
• Format: Others
• Language: en_US
• Published: 2006
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/12813911549636618714

碩士 === 國立高雄師範大學 === 英語學系 === 94 === This study aimed to find out the effects of using either translation or memorization as a learning strategy on listening and written performances of junior high EFL students. In addition, the correlation between the translation as well as memorization tests and the monthly exams was investigated. Then, according to the subjects’ self-reported learning conditions, the factors which influenced the subjects’ performances in monthly exams were found out. Last, the subjects’ attitudes towards and opinions of translation and memorization tests were discussed and analyzed. Two classes of Grade Seven, 36 subjects in each, in Gang-Shan Junior High School in Kaohsiung County were recruited for this study. These two classes were randomly assigned to be the translation group (TG) and the memorization group (MG) separately. The TG subjects took six Chinese-to-English translation tests, and the MG ones took six memorization tests without any Chinese or English cues provided. After every three translation or memorization tests, one monthly exam was held. Each monthly exam in English was divided into listening and written parts. One of the two questionnaires was distributed to the TG and the MG subjects respectively after all tests and monthly exams were done. In brief, the data in this study were collected from the six translation or memorization tests, the two monthly exams, and the two questionnaires. The major findings of this study were summarized as follows: 1. Neither the TG nor the MG outperformed the other on the listening and written abilities in the two monthly exams. The non-significant difference was attributed to the fact that most of the TG subjects (86.1%) also utilized memorization along with translation techniques while preparing for their translation tests. 2. Even though some subjects (TG: 86.1%; MG: 22.2%) adopted both translation and memorization learning strategies, they did not outscore the others who did not (TG: 13.9%; MG: 77.8%) in their own group. 3. There was a high-level correlation between the subjects’ performances in the six translation or memorization tests and those in the two monthly exams. Therefore, if the subjects performed well on translation or memorization tests, they tended to score high in monthly exams as well. 4. The use of grammatical concepts and the degree of familiarity with the test materials influenced the subjects’ academic performances. However, the amount of time spent preparing for a test did not make a difference in the subjects’ performances in the six tests or the two monthly exams. 5. The TG subjects held more positive attitudes towards translation tests than the MG ones towards memorization tests. Most subjects in this study preferred various types of sentence tests, such as Chinese-to-English translation, fill-in-the-blank, and sentence completion. 6. Even though many subjects in both groups utilized memorization technique to prepare for their translation or memorization tests, neither the TG subjects nor the MG ones favored memorization as a test type. To sum up, no significant differences existed between the TG and the MG in the listening and written performances. The reason was due to the fact that Chinese learners had a tendency to adopt memorization as their learning strategy.