A study on the language learning strategies employed by university students learning Turkish as a foreign language

This study aims to investigate what strategies are employed by university students in Turkey learning Turkish as a foreign language, and also determine if these strategies differ depending on learner factors such as gender, proficiency level and importance attached to become proficient in Turkish language. The data for the study gathered from the Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL, Version 5.1) and follow-up interviews conducted on 130 university students taking Turkish as a foregin language courses in a non-profit foundation university in Ankara. The results revealed that students use language learning strategies with medium levelof frequency (mean equals to 3.3 out of 5.0). Students preferred to use compensation and social strategies most. Affective strategies such as meditation and keeping a language diary, on the other hand, were the least preferred strategies by students. Moreover, the results showed that language learning strategy use differed depending on gender, proficiency level and importance attached to become proficient in Turkish language. Key words: language learning strategies, Turkish as a foreign language, SILL