Strategies for Third-Language Learning Employed by Tertiary Thai Learners in an International Program (English-Medium Instruction) Studying Mandarin Chinese or French
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Abstract
Language learning strategies should strengthen multilingualism. This study addresses this gap by examining the common language learning approaches adopted by Thai university students enrolled in an international program (taught in English) while also studying Mandarin Chinese and French as third languages (L3). It compares the strategies for learning Mandarin Chinese (an L3 of the Sino-Tibetan language family) and French (an L3 of the Roman: Indo-European language family). The study surveyed 101 university students taking a Mandarin Chinese or French program in southern Thailand. Researchers gathered quantitative data using a questionnaire based on the Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (Oxford, 1990), and collected qualitative insights through semi-structured interviews. Researchers used descriptive statistics and an independent sample t-test to analyze the questionnaire responses, and applied thematic analysis to the interview data. The findings revealed that social strategies were commonly employed by students from both programs, as indicated by the questionnaire data. However, the interview data suggested a preference for cognitive strategies. Despite the linguistic differences between Mandarin Chinese and French, Thai university students in both programs shared similar learning strategies. The study discusses these results and offers implications for language educators.
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