Asian International Journal of Social Sciences, Vol. 16, No. 2, 2016
Copyright © 2016 Asian International Journal of Social Sciences
A Thai university survey of the Test of English for International
Communication (TOEIC) language learning strategies
RESEARCH BRIEF
Thai Santa
Lecturer
Department of Applied Arts, Faculty of Industrial Education
King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Bangkok Thailand
Reference to this paper should be made as follows:
Santa, T. (2016). A Thai university survey of the Test of English for International
Communication (TOEIC) language learning strategies. Asian International Journal of
Social Sciences, 16(2), 22 – 33.
Abstract
The objectives of this research were to study basic knowledge of the Test of English for
International Communication (TOEIC) and use of language learning strategies. The sample was
475 undergraduate students who took any English courses during the second semester of the
academic year 2015 at King Mongkuts Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL). A
questionnaire was used as the tool to collect data and the statistics of frequency and percentage
was used for analyzing data. The questions about Basic knowledge of the Test of English for
International Communication (TOEIC) included the main purpose of the test, the skills for
assessment, official locations for the test, monthly test schedule, the test at King Mongkut;s
Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL), and the test discount at KMITL. The questions
about Use of language learning strategies covered all English language skills: listening, speaking,
reading, and writing. The result shows that the majority thought the TOEIC test was necessary
for their job application (197 students) and knew the purpose of the TOEIC test specifically for
work (267 students). However, the results of the rest in this part are rather low. Moreover, all
students used all language learning strategy to develop their English proficiency. Nevertheless,
six language learning strategies were used moderately while 11 of them were rarely used. The
final section suggests ways to improve learners‟ preparation for the TOEIC test.
Keywords: Test of English for International Communication, TOEIC, basic knowledge, language
learning strategies, English language skills
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BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE
King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL) has recently organized
the project of providing KMITL students with 400 scholarships to the free Test of English for
International Communication (TOEIC) before graduation, to prepare them for their own
upcoming work. To arrange the test in the institute, the Center for Professional Assessment
(Thailand) facilitates the process of testing (Jangwanitlert, 2016). To gain high TOEIC scores is
likely to be involved with how well test takers use language learning strategies for developing
English proficiency.
Language learning strategies are sequences of actions, arrangements, and usual practices
by students to help receiving, keeping, retrieving, and applying information (Wenden and Rubin,
1987; Hismanoglu, 2000). Language learning strategies could be useful for developing language
proficiency. According to this research, the researcher defined the term language learning
strategies of students at King Mongut‟s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang as “learning
activities to improve four English language skills that KMITL students practiced and be
beneficial to their TOEIC test’s preparation”.
There have been a range of studies on language learning strategies of EFL students, but
there is scarce research on basic knowledge of the Test of English for International
Communication (TOEIC) of these students. Moreover, KMITL still have no research on the two
topics of basic knowledge of TOEIC of EFL students and their language learning strategies
which are linked with the TOEIC test’s preparation. In this research, the researcher defined the
term basic knowledge of the Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC) as “basic
information about the TOEIC test that KMITL students should know in order to make
arrangements for setting goals and planning for their TOEIC test‟s preparation”.
RESEARCH PURPOSE
The research purpose is to study the basic knowledge of the Test of English for
International Communication (TOEIC) and use of language learning strategies for learning four
skills of English language including listening, speaking, reading, and writing of students at King
Mongkut‟s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL). The researcher aims that this research
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might help the institute with language learning strategies and improvement on students‟ TOEIC
preparation.
RESEARCH CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
The research conceptual framework of the current study is based on Oxford‟s (1990)
classification of language learning strategies. Oxford has separated language learning strategies
to two groups of direct strategies and indirect strategies, and has divided these two groups into
six sub-groups. Direct strategies consist of cognitive, memory, and compensation strategies
while indirect strategies consist of affective, metacognitive, and social strategies. According to
Oxford (1990), language learners‟ learning is controlled with metacognitive strategies while
essential feelings like being confident are related to affective strategies. Social strategies help
language learners gain more communication with aimed language. Making good ideas and
choices of language learners‟ learning is concerned with cognitive strategies. To keep
informative details is about memory strategies and language learners‟ strategies to deal with
limited awareness to maintain communicating are compensation strategies (Oxford, 1990;
Hismanoglu, 2000).
RESEARCH SCOPE
4.1 Population Group
The population included 19,260 KMITL undergraduate students.
4.2 Sample Group
The sample selected on purposive sampling was 475 KMITL undergraduate students, taking any
English courses on the campus during the 2nd semester, academic year 2015.
4.3 Studied Variables
1) Basic knowledge of the Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC): 1) The
main purpose of the test 2) The skills for assessment 3) Official locations for the test 4) Monthly
test schedule 5) The test at King Mongkut‟s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL) and
6) The TOEIC test discount at KMITL.
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2) Use of language learning strategies (Oxford, 1990; Hismanoglu, 2000): 1) Language learning
strategies for English listening skill 2) Language learning strategies for English speaking skill 3)
Language learning strategies for English reading skill and 4) Language learning strategies for
English writing skill.
RESEARCH TOOLS
The questionnaire was used for this research and there were three parts as follows:
Part 1: General information of the sample group, consisting of 10 items. They were used to
collect general information of the sample, as students at KMITL and their own idea on the
TOEIC test.
Part 2: Basic knowledge of the Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC) of the
sample group, consisting of six items asking about basic information on the TOEIC test that
KMITL students should know to make arrangements of setting goals and planning for their
TOEIC test‟s preparation. Making such arrangements was mainly involved with metacognitive
strategies, consisting of arranging, planning, centering and evaluating one‟s learning (Oxford,
1990; Hismanoglu, 2000). Knowing the basic knowledge of the Test of English for International
Communication (TOEIC) could provide learners an opportunity to use of metacognitive
strategies. The first four questions were created from receiving information on the website of the
Center for Professional Assessment (Thailand) (Center for Professional Assessment (Thailand),
2016). The last two questions created from obtaining the details about the TOEIC test at KMITL
(Language Resource Center KMITL, 2016).
Part 3: Use of language learning strategies of four English skills: listening, speaking, reading,
and writing strategies. The questions used five-point Likert Scale and made with the content
about Oxford‟s (1990) classification of language learning strategies (Oxford, 1990; Hismanoglu,
2000) as well as sample questions of the TOEIC test (Center for Professional Assessment
(Thailand), 2016). All of the questions belong directly to memory, cognitive, and compensation
strategies and indirectly to metacognitive, affective, and possibly social strategies.
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DATA ANALYSIS
Data from questionnaires responded by the sample were recorded into a computer
program for statistical analysis, mainly focusing on frequency and percentage.
RESULTS
The responded rate to the totally 475 questionnaires was 84% (399 questionnaires). The demographic
information of KMITL students and the results on their basic knowledge of the test of English for
international communication (TOEIC) and use of language learning strategies are presented. Table 1
shows general information of the sample group consisting of 399 students: 249 females (62.41 %)
and 150 males (37.59 %).
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The majority were 125 students from the Faculty of Science (31.33 %) and 116 students from the
Faculty of Architecture (29.07 %). The second year students were the largest group of the sample
group who responded to the questionnaire, totally 217 students (54.39 %). In addition, there were 168
students (42.11 %) who will graduate from KMITL by the year 2017 while 152 students (38.10%)
thought that they will graduate by the year 2018. About levels of necessity of TOEIC test for job
application, it is obvious that the majority of 197 students (49.37 %) thought that the test is
necessary. Furthermore, the „Very Necessary‟ and „Moderate‟ responses have very close figures: 92
students (23.06 %) and 93 students (23.31 %) respectively. Table 2 shows basic knowledge of the
Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC) of the sample group.
The majority of the students (267 students) knew the testing purpose of TOEIC for work. Less than
half of the group (183 students) knew that they could take the TOEIC test at their institute, KMITL.
Less than a quarter (92 students) knew that the TOEIC test assesses all four English skills and taking
the test at KMITL costs cheaper. Not many students (53) knew that the TOEIC test is operated once a
month and only 44 students knew that the official offices for providing the TOEIC test are in
Bangkok and Chiang Mai. Table 3 shows Mean (), Standard Deviation (S.D.) and Level of use of
language learning strategies for English listening skill of the sample group.
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The students moderately used the following language learning strategies for practicing English
listening skill: listening to short English conversations (3.00), listening to short English narration
(2.709), and listening to English and visualized simultaneously (2.789). Nevertheless, both listening
to English and summarizing main points was rarely practiced (2.484). All of these learning strategies
for developing English listening skill belong directly to memory, cognitive, and compensation
strategies and indirectly to metacognitive, affective, and possibly social strategies. Table 4 shows
Mean (), Standard Deviation (S.D.) and Level of use of language learning strategies for speaking
skill in the sample group.
The students moderately used speaking English through reading materials out loud (2.799) while the
rest of language learning strategies were used rarely - speaking English through describing pictures
(2.243), speaking English through telling stories, expressing ideas, proposing solutions without
scripts (Immediate talk) (2.090), and improving speaking speed with use of timer (1.692). All of
these learning strategies for improving English speaking skill belong directly to memory, cognitive,
and compensation strategies and indirectly to metacognitive, affective, and possibly social strategies.
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Table 5 shows Mean (), Standard Deviation (S.D.) and Level of use of language learning strategies
for reading skill in the sample group.
The students moderately practiced their English reading skill by reading several types of English
media such as articles, magazines, letters, and advertisements (3.426) as well as analyzing main ideas
when reading (2.722). However, for the development of their English reading skill, they rarely used
reading strategies of analyzing sentence structure when reading (2.404), summarizing what is read
(2.479), and improving reading speed with use of timer (1.860). All of these learning strategies for
developing English reading skill belong directly to memory, cognitive, and compensation strategies
and indirectly to metacognitive, affective, and possibly social strategies. Table 6 shows Mean (),
Standard Deviation (S.D.) and Level of use of language learning strategies for writing skill in the
sample group.
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The students rarely used all language learning strategies for improving English writing
skill by: writing to describe stories in English (2.083), writing business correspondence in
English (1.709), writing to express ideas in English (2.148), and writing summaries in English
(1.860). All of these learning strategies for improving English writing skill belong directly to
memory, cognitive, and compensation strategies and indirectly to metacognitive, affective, and
possibly social strategies.
DISCUSSION
Metacognitive strategies
The majority thought that the TOEIC test was necessary for their job application (197
students) and knew the purpose of the TOEIC test specifically for work (267 students).
Receiving such information about basic knowledge of the TOEIC test, students have an
opportunity to make their decision on starting arrangements for their own TOEIC test. The
arrangements and plans of language learning belong to metacognitive strategies. To help students
arrange and plan for their TOEIC test effectively, lecturers might advise and instruct them to use
metacognitive strategies more both before and during language learning.
To the contrary, the results of the following issues are rather low: less than half of the
group (183 students) knew about taking the TOEIC test on the campus, less than a quarter (92
students) knew that the test could assess all skills of English language and taking the test at
KMITL costs cheaper, and not many (53 students) knew that the test is operated once a month.
With lecturers‟ advice on more information about the basic knowledge of the TOEIC test and
instructions to more use of metacognitive strategies, students are likely to have good preparations
for their TOEIC test.
Memory, cognitive, compensation, metacognitive, affective, and social strategies
All 399 students used every language learning strategy to practice their English
proficiency. This means that they are likely to be successful and skillful in language learning
with use of many language learning strategies. According to Oxford (1994), it was described that
research mentioned many times about the connection between appropriate use of language
learning
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strategies and language success, and that appropriate use of language learning strategies was
frequently better than the use of only one strategy (Oxford, 1994). For example, metacognitive
and cognitive strategies frequently adopted at the same time helped one another (O‟Malley &
Chamot, 1990; Oxford, 1994).
Nevertheless, only six language learning strategies were used moderately - listening to
short English conversations, listening to short English narration, listening to English and
visualized simultaneously, speaking English through reading out loud, reading several types of
English media, and analyzing main ideas. In addition, more 11 language learning strategies were
rarely used - listening to English and summarizing main points, speaking English through
describing pictures, speaking English without scripts, improving speaking speed with use of
timer, reading strategies of analyzing sentence structure when reading, summarizing what is
read, improving reading speed with use of timer, writing to describe stories in English, writing
business correspondence in English, writing to express ideas in English, and writing summaries
in English. The moderately and rarely use of the language learning strategies described above is
quite low for developing English proficiency and good TOEIC preparation. If they used language
learning strategies more frequently, there might be more development of their language learning.
This agrees with the research of Ya-Ling Wu‟s (2008) on the use of language learning strategies
of students with dissimilar skills and experience, that students with better skills and experience
adopted language learning strategies more frequently than less skillful and experienced students.
SUGGESTIONS
1. For good TOEIC preparation of KMITL students, the findings of the current study suggest that
people who are involved might inform and stimulate students more about basic knowledge of the
Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC).
2. For instruction, EFL instructors should consider training several learning strategies in
classrooms and encourage students to use learning strategies habitually.
3. For the development of education in Thailand, the findings suggest further research to
examine students‟ basic knowledge of TOEIC and use of learning strategies at other institutes or
universities in Thailand.
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