Brain Dominance and Language Learning Strategy Usage of Turkish EFL Learners

Abstract

Efforts of maximizing the effectiveness of foreign language instruction have lately begun to draw upon neurolinguistic research. Basically, knowledge of brain functions of learners can help teachers and curriculum designers utilize more effective teaching procedures. For this purpose, identification of learner strategies as they relate to neurolinguistic phenomena becomes paramount. This study replicated previous studies for 172 Turkish EFL learners using Oxford’s (1990) scale “Strategy Inventory for Language Learning”. The results indicated that the strategy used most frequently by the sample population is Metacognitive Strategies, followed by Cognitive Strategies while the least used strategy was found Affective Strategies. Based on the calculated scores, 41.3 % of the sample were found to be right-brain dominant while 37.8 % were left-brain dominant and 20.9 % were bilateral dominant. The results suggested a significant correlation between right brain dominance and memory strategies and cognitive strategies, and a correlation between whole brain dominance and social strategies.