Investigating Language Learning Strategies Used by Year 6 Malaysian Urban Primary School Students

Language learning encompasses a variety of strategies tailored to individual preferences, reflecting cognitive styles, learning preferences, and cultural backgrounds. Understanding these preferences helps to illuminate how learners engage with tasks, interpret language input, and pursue proficiency. This study aims to identify the most and least commonly used language learning strategies employed by Malaysian primary school students in learning English as a second language. The study involved 30 Year 6 students, with an equal number of male and female participants, conducted during the 2024/2025 academic year at a primary school in an urban area of Johor. Using the Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL) version 7.0 by Oxford, researchers quantitatively measured students' use of English learning strategies. The results revealed that Social Strategies were the most frequently used, while Compensation Strategies were the least utilized. Exploring various language learning strategies enables educators and learners to select the most effective approaches for achieving optimal outcomes in language acquisition.