Achieving English proficiency : a qualitative study of Chinese students’ language learning strategies while studying in Aotearoa New Zealand : a research report in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Business Studies, School of Humanities, Media, and Creative Communication, Massey University, New Zealand

Abstract

Chinese students invest considerable effort in English learning to achieve the required English test scores to enroll in New Zealand universities. However, many of them still struggle to use English effectively in real-life communication. These challenges include language, academic study, social integration and emotional factors. The reasons for students’ uneven English skills are complex and involve cultural, contextual, and affective influences. Existing studies have not sufficiently explored how students select and interact with language-learning strategies in real communication contexts, from both students' and teachers’ perspectives. This study employs a qualitative approach to explore the effective language-learning strategies that Chinese students use to address various challenges in real-life contexts. It examines students’ perceptions of English proficiency, the challenges they encounter, and the strategies they take and the reasons for those actions. Teachers’ perspectives are also included to identify any issues that may be overlooked by students and to provide professional interpretation of the challenges. The analysis is informed by Oxford’s S2R model to interpret how students address these challenges in their lives. Findings show that cognitive strategies are mainly used to deal with language and academic tasks, social interaction is valuable for improving English proficiency through communication with people in the host environment, and affective strategies are used throughout the process to reduce stress and maintain motivation. Overall, effective language learning requires learners to be flexible, select and combine cognitive, social interaction, and affective strategies to meet individual needs and learning context.