LATAM Revista Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales y Humanidades, Asunción, Paraguay.
ISSN en línea: 2789-3855, junio, 2023, Volumen IV, Número 2 p 1543.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.56712/latam.v4i2.703

Adult language learners’ perception of the usefulness of
learning strategies

La percepción de estudiantes adultos sobre a las estrategias de
aprendizaje

Nahum Samperio Sánchez

nahum@uabc.edu.mx
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2408-1899

Universidad Autónoma de Baja California
Tijuana, B.C. – México

Artículo recibido: 29 de mayo de 2023. Aceptado para publicación: 03 de junio de 2023.

Conflictos de Interés: Ninguno que declarar.

Abstract
This qualitative study investigated the perception that adult English learners in a non-formal
context have about the usefulness of learning strategies. Data were collected through field notes
and qualitative surveys. The results indicated that participants perceived the strategies not only
as very useful but also as dynamic, entertaining, and interesting. Likewise, the results showed
that the inclusion of strategies contributes to the development of language skills and helped the
participants to gain confidence in the use of the learned language. The pedagogical implications
suggest that the inclusion of strategies, as a support tool outside the classroom, can have a
positive effect on the perception, adoption of new strategies, and on the increase of time
invested outside the classroom.

Keywords: learning strategies, perception, usefulness of strategies, adults, informal
context

Resumen
Este estudio cualitativo investigó la percepción que tienen los estudiantes adultos de inglés en
un contexto no formal sobre la utilidad de las estrategias de aprendizaje. Los datos fueron
recolectados a través de notas de campo y encuestas cualitativas. Los resultados indicaron que
los participantes percibieron las estrategias no solo como muy útiles sino también como
dinámicas, entretenidas e interesantes. Asimismo, los resultados mostraron que la inclusión de
estrategias contribuye al desarrollo de las habilidades lingüísticas y ayudó a los participantes a
ganar confianza en el uso de la lengua aprendida. Las implicaciones pedagógicas sugieren que
la inclusión de estrategias, como herramienta de apoyo fuera del aula, puede tener un efecto
positivo en la percepción, adopción de nuevas estrategias y en el aumento del tiempo invertido
fuera del aula.

Palabras clave: estrategias de aprendizaje, percepción, utilidad de estrategias, adultos,
contexto no formal

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ISSN en línea: 2789-3855, junio, 2023, Volumen IV, Número 2 p 1544.

Todo el contenido de LATAM Revista Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales y Humanidades,
publicados en este sitio está disponibles bajo Licencia Creative Commons .

Como citar: Samperio Sánchez, N. (2023). Adult language learners’ perception of the usefulness
of learning strategies. LATAM Revista Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales y Humanidades 4(2),
1543–1559. https://doi.org/10.56712/latam.v4i2.703

LATAM Revista Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales y Humanidades, Asunción, Paraguay.
ISSN en línea: 2789-3855, junio, 2023, Volumen IV, Número 2 p 1545.

INTRODUCTION

Despite the teaching of English in middle and high schools, there is a high degree of failure in
English proficiency not only in Mexico but also worldwide (Dörnyei & Ryan, 2015, p. 100). Krashen
(1983) suggested that learning in formal contexts, such as the classroom, does not give students
the necessary ability to communicate spontaneously in the language being studied. This is why
some companies train their employees to reach the level of proficiency required for the
development of their work activities. To do this, they offer English courses or classes to
employees at their own facilities. This represents an educational context different from classes
in universities or language centers that require attention because there is not much research
about student’s learning methods of students in this context or similar contexts such as individual
or private classes or in language centers. Research on learning English has focused, to a large
extent, on children, adolescents, and young adults, generally in school environments and with
groups that are homogeneous in age and knowledge of the language; however, this research aims
to identify the perception that adult students, who are in informal educational environments, have
about learning strategies with the purpose to contribute to their learning.

Learning English can be a difficult process for adult learners, especially when time has passed
since they were in a school where they took English classes. During this time, study habits are
lost, and other activities and obligations are prioritized. For some students, it is difficult to recall
their own study and learning methods, which represents a challenge. Tam (2014) argued that
adults, unlike youth, have unique needs, motivations, and interests. For many, learning may
remain inconclusive because they give up studying and drop out of classes because of a lack of
methods or strategies that show them the way forward to learn or develop language skills.

Learning strategies have been shown to be a contributing factor to learning English (Oxford, 2011;
Griffiths, 2013). García-Ros, Pérez-González, Martínez, and Alfonso (1998, p.259) indicate that
“the main differences between more and less successful students reside both in the breadth of
their strategic repertoire and in the self-regulation of their application”. The teaching or instruction
of strategies (Chamot, 2004) has shown that teaching low-performing students how to use
strategies influences their language achievement. These strategies are chosen and used with
learning objectives and require effort, will, and investment in the study time of users. Samperio
and Toledo (2022) suggested that investment of time through the implementation of strategies
outside the classroom is necessary to learn the language.

Every individual has a repertoire of learning strategies that they have stored through their own
study experiences and the different educational contexts where they have received classes.
Chamot (1998) indicated that all students have cognitive control over how they learn, and thus,
they can describe their thought processes. Therefore, they can choose methods that best suit
their learning style or preferences for learning. This leads to more meaningful learning; however,
it does not work in the same manner in all cases. Hartshorne, Tanenbaum, and Pinker (2018, p.2)
suggest that adults “deploy conscious strategies and transfer what they know from their first
language”, but sometimes these learning strategies or methods are not suitable for learning
English. In this way, for an adult who is far from an educational environment, such as school, it
can be difficult to find or remember the learning methods that will lead them to achieve their
objectives.

This research addresses the situation of adult learners learning English in a group of diverse ages,
prior knowledge, prior educational experience, and occupations. Although this study is not the
first to explore the process of teaching and learning strategies, there has not been much
investigation exploring students' perception, adoption, and use of learning strategies in English

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ISSN en línea: 2789-3855, junio, 2023, Volumen IV, Número 2 p 1546.

classes in non-formal settings; that is, where learning English does not represent a school
requirement.

This work attempts to identify experiences in the teaching of English that are useful for adult
students with the purpose of contributing ideas that can be applied and adapted to other learning
contexts. The findings derived from this research can contribute to the development of
methodologies used for groups of adult English learners in non-formal contexts such as language
centers, private classes, and business classes, among others.

Literature review

Several factors contribute to learning and mastery of a second language. Samperio and Toledo
(2022) suggested that there is an interconnectivity of factors that assist learning such as
motivation, adequate investment in study time, and learning strategies. For the most part, studies
on learning strategies have focused on formal educational settings with young adult students at
universities, where learning English is a credit-earning or completion requirement (e.g., Oxford,
1990; Griffiths, 2013). Studies have also been conducted with older adults (e.g., Osle, 2020;
Ramírez, 2016b) in language centers where the main characteristics of the students are the
motivation that leads them to undertake learning, their age range, or their language level.
However, no studies have been found that have been conducted with adults in non-formal
settings such as private, individual, or group classes in their workplace. The European
Commission, Education and Training (2010c) establishes that learning at an adult age includes
all adults who have dropped out of school; that is, they are not in a formal context.

Learning strategies

Strategies have been recognized as a factor that contributes to learning a second language
(Rubín, 1975; Oxford, 1990; Chamot, 2004; Griffiths, 2018). Every student uses strategies stored
in their repertoire over time when necessary. Their repertoire may be more or less extensive, and
it is improved through trial and error; however, not all strategies contribute equally.

Strategies have been defined in various ways by many authors. For example, Rubin (1987)
identified them as techniques, operations, or routines that help students acquire knowledge, and
they choose to learn, retrieve, store, and have it available for later use. Oxford (1990) explained
that strategies constitute actions, behaviors, steps, and techniques that students consciously
take to improve understanding in learning and make it faster and easier. Other authors such as
Griffiths (2013, p.36) established that strategies are "activities consciously chosen by students
in order to regulate their language learning". Derived from the range of definitions provided by
research (e.g., Griffiths, 2018; Oxford, 1990), Samperio (2018) adds that strategies are actions or
behaviors that students employ to learn, retain, or understand new information or to retrieve,
remember, practice or use old information. Thus, it is possible to understand that everything that
students do for the benefit of their learning in a conscious way and with a learning purpose can
be considered a learning strategy. Consequently, adopting a behavior (for example, being
responsible for your learning) or carrying out an activity (for example, writing notes) constitute
strategies, which vary according to the objectives, individuality, or study conditions of each
student.

Teaching learning strategies

Strategy instruction is one of the lines of research related to second language learning strategies.
Since Rubin's (1975) work on good language learners appeared, it has been believed that these
methods, behaviors, actions, or techniques that good, effective, or successful language students
could be taught to less effective or weaker students to help them learn more, better, and faster.

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ISSN en línea: 2789-3855, junio, 2023, Volumen IV, Número 2 p 1547.

The main objective of teaching strategies is to raise students’ awareness of their own strategies
and develop new ones. In addition, training students in their use should help them understand the
strategies, recognize them, and use them to create a broader repertoire to choose when
necessary to enhance their learning. Chamot (1998) suggests that when students begin to
understand their learning processes and can exert control over them, they become responsible
for their own learning. The purpose of teaching strategies is to make the student aware that
strategies exist, and that they serve to improve their learning more effectively and faster.
Therefore, Chamot and O'Malley (1994) suggested that the learning strategies used by good
language learners can be taught to less competent students.

Hassan, Macaro, Mason, Nye, Smith, and Vanderplank (2005) found that there are many studies
in the literature that have shown that strategy instruction has positive effects on students and
their learning. However, they also state that there may be several constraints that restrict
universality in teaching strategies. They state that “it is not clear whether relatively simple
awareness-raising programs are more or less effective than longer, more expensive and more
complex interventions” (2005, p. 6). Furthermore, Li (2022, p.76) indicates that "Although the
instruction of learning strategies can be beneficial for language learners, in practice, it would
create great challenges for the teacher in some traditional education contexts." Thus, the
teaching capacity of learning strategies is not universally accepted (Griffiths, 2018). On this basis,
it is necessary to consider, in addition to the conditions for its implementation, the individuality
of the students who, because they are unique, have needs, deficiencies, beliefs, and different
learning conditions, which can prevent the acquisition or acceptance of new learning methods.
In this regard, Rees-Miller (1993) mentioned factors that can impact the effectiveness of strategic
instruction, such as the age of the students, educational background, life experience, cognitive
styles, and the mismatch between teaching and learning styles.

A discrepancy in the teaching of learning strategies in the classroom is the way in which they
should be taught. Chamot (2004, p. 19) suggests that “teachers should certainly opt for explicit
instruction and should probably integrate instruction into their regular coursework, rather than
provide a separate learning strategies course”. However, not all teachers know about strategies,
and certainly, not all have the capacity to teach them explicitly in the classroom. In contrast,
teaching strategies implicitly, that is, integrating them into daily classroom practice while
providing students with opportunities to use the strategy, requires knowledge on the part of the
planner in the first place. Second is the knowledge of the strategies of the teacher who teaches
the class. Rees-Miller (1993, p. 679) stated that many individual and contextual variables are
related to the success of learning strategies, not just to the instruction of integrated or explicit
strategies. It is precisely the student’s individual differences and all the variables that revolve
around them that can make the teaching and learning of strategies more or less effective for each
student.

Perception of English learning strategies

Lindsay and Norman (1977) defined perception as the process of interpreting and organizing
sensations to produce meaningful experiences. Alternatively, Wolfe, Kluender, and Dennis (2009)
consider that perception arises from a person’s prior knowledge, idea, or internal sense; that is,
the interpretation of the information received by the senses based on the experience of what is
known. Along the same lines, Neisser (1976) and Oviedo (2004) cited in González, Ladino, and
Escobar (2020) estimate that "perception is a process of collecting information that locates and
determines a stimulus whose result is a significance between the experience and the knowledge
that finally gives rise to judgments, opinions, etc.” Consequently, judgments and opinions or

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impressions and interpretations influence motivation, decision-making, and student interest,
among others.

Knowing the perceptions of students about the processes of learning English is especially
important since it is ultimately the student who experiences the implementation of processes
both in the classroom and outside of it. In this way, both the teacher and the institution can benefit
from knowing the perception that students have in relation to their teaching processes; therefore,
they are able to make decisions for their benefit. Finally, it is necessary to mention that perception
can contribute to adult students’ acceptance and adoption of new ways of learning, which can
contribute to meaningful language achievement; especially when their learning methods are fixed
without necessarily being beneficial.

The perception that students have about learning strategies has been investigated, and findings
indicate that students perceive the teaching of strategies as positive (Eliwarti & Maarof, 2017;
Daouk, Bahous, & Bacha, 2016) or important (Griffiths, 2007) in the teaching-learning process.
Eliwarty and Maarof (2017) studied the perceptions of 30 students in relation to the strategies
used in teaching writing, with a focus on the learning process rather than the product. They
collected data through surveys and interviews, and their findings indicated that all participants
perceived the use of strategies as positive or highly positive in the writing process. The study
participants reported that their writing skills improved. On the other hand, Daouk, Bahous, and
Bacha (2016) examined not only students’, but also teachers’ perceptions regarding the
effectiveness of implementing learning strategies in higher education courses. The study was
conducted in Lebanon, with 37 students. They found positive perceptions of the effectiveness of
teaching strategies by both students and teachers. They suggested that this perception may have
an impact on student performance and learning.

Di Carlo (2018) investigated the perception of 665 adult participants regarding the usefulness of
cognitive strategies considering the gender variables of the participants. They found significant
differences in 26 of the 80 strategies in the perception of utility in certain types of strategies
between women and men. This suggests that, for men, some strategies are more useful than for
women.

METHODOLOGY

This study used a quantitative-exploratory and experimental methodology. Qualitative data were
collected using surveys and field notes. Similarly, learning strategies were designed and provided
to students with the steps and objectives to follow through with activities to be performed outside
the classroom.

Participants

The participants were 10 students in an English group at a factory in Northwest Mexico that
provided English classes as training to its employees. For the company, it is important that course
participants reach a level of competence that can help communication between the different
company branches. By the time this study was conducted, the students had taken three-hour
classes every Saturday for a period of six months (60 hours), which is equivalent to level A1 of
the Common European Framework of Reference for languages. The level of knowledge acquired
during these months varied among students due to individual differences. It is worth mentioning
that attendance at classes was irregular for different reasons, internal and external to the
participants themselves. In the group, there were a variety of professions and occupations within
the same company; likewise, the age of the participants was not homogeneous. The formal
education of the participants also differed, as described in more detail in the results section.

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Instruments

The strategies

The main purpose of the strategies provided to the students was to develop different skills and
aspects of language that were observed as language deficits through observation and field notes.
The purpose was to correct the deficiencies or shortcomings that the students demonstrated in
the classroom. In addition, it was intended to encourage students to invest additional time in
addition to class time. The strategies were assigned weekly as homework for 7 weeks (7
strategies). However, students were informed that, although it was assigned at the end of each
class, it was their decision to do the strategy. Each strategy included a series of steps that
students should follow to practice the target skill. Likewise, strategies were named before they
were simulated in class through activities.

The process for teaching these strategies was conducted in stages: to raise awareness of the
strategy, model it, explain its benefits, practice it, and evaluate it. First, activities similar to the
strategy were included in class; then, it was explained how it helped their learning, then its benefit
was evaluated, and the strategy was assigned. It was emphasized to them that work at home was
not compulsory; however, they were invited to develop it to improve their learning. The purpose
in this step was to analyze the motivation, availability, or possibility of conducting the strategy.

The strategy included internet sites with possible material to use as a suggestion to reduce the
search time and increase the practice time of the material to develop the strategies. However,
the participants were free to search for other websites or other materials.

Strategies sought to develop one language skill (listening, speaking, reading, or writing) in each
of them, as well as different aspects of language, such as pronunciation, vocabulary, and
grammar. To provide the participant with a specific purpose for doing the strategies, in each one
of them, it was explained how conducting the strategy would help them in learning.

The survey

Qualitative surveys were used to collect data that indicated the perceptions of the participants.
They were administered weekly after the completion of the first strategy. Each survey included
13 open questions to collect exploratory data such as opinions, points of view, and impressions
of the participants. The survey sought to determine if all the activities were performed, the time
that they invested in the activities, the possible problems when carrying them out, the possible
prior use, and the opinions about their usefulness for learning or developing the language skills
of the student. Finally, the survey asked about their likes in performing the activities in strategies.
For each strategy, a survey was administered in the immediate class. Information was collected
from each participant through seven surveys. It is worth mentioning that the number of surveys
varied because of the attendance of the participants in the class.

Field notes

In order to gather information that the surveys did not reveal, field notes were collected to help
describe the performance of the students in class. Because the researcher and the teacher were
the same person, the field notes were brief. Words, names, situations, etc., which could later help
explain more in detail when passing the notes to text, were written down. Field notes were
organized in a Word format that included the time, observation, and possible observer comments.
Derived from what was observed in class, the field notes helped determine the type of strategy
that should be developed, which could help students improve their performance in that area.

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Process

The strategies were designed weekly to contribute to the development of the language, as well
as to correct gaps or deficiencies in the students based on what was observed in class on a
weekly basis. In the first instance, vocabulary was identified as a deficiency in the students.
Second, oral and written comprehension and oral production, including pronunciation and fluency,
were identified. The learning strategies were elaborated weekly based on these observations and
provided to the participants on Saturdays to develop during the week.

RESULTS

Participants

In the period of eight weeks, seven strategies were administered and seven surveys were
conducted to collect data. Table 1 lists the pseudonyms of the participants, age, sex, highest
degree, and position in the company.

Table 1

Demographic data of the participants

PSEUDONYM AGE SEX DEGREE POSITION IN THE COMPANY
Cris 38 Male University Accountant
Glad 35 Female Middle school Line leader
Jess 28 Female High school Operator
Sar 28 Female High school Operator
Fer 51 Male High school Technitian
Rica 45 Male High school Technitian
Say 25 Female High school Administrative assistant
Dru 35 Female High school Operator
Irm 53 Female Middle school Line learder
Ed 28 Male Middle school Operator

Field notes

The field notes were used to make specific observations and were collected immediately in class.
They were made as descriptive as possible in the classroom in order to identify areas for
improvement to design strategies for the students. Thoughts and complete sentences of what
was observed in the class were written. In addition, the time at which the situation occurred was
recorded (Samperi, Fernández, Baptista, 2014). The collection of data through field notes allowed
the identification of areas for improvement to design the strategies. In this way, different
recurring problems were identified during the lessons. Table 2 shows the areas of improvement
identified in the field notes.

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Table 2

Problems identified in class through field notes

AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT IDENTIFIED IN CLASS
1. Lack of vocabulary
2. Vocabulary application
3. Pronunciation even with known and used words
4. Lack of fluency
5. Oral production of students
6. Incorrect pronunciation
7. Transmission of the message
8. Failures in listening comprehension
9. Failures in reading comprehension

Derived from the main problem observed in class through field notes, strategies were developed
and administered by email. Each strategy sought to help students develop language skills or
aspects derived from observations and information gathered. Table 3 lists the areas to be
reinforced in language learning for students.

Table 3

Purpose of the strategies included in the study

STRATEGY AREAS TO IMPROVE IN THE STRATEGY
1 Listening comprehension, vocabulary, and fluency
2 Pronunciation and vocabulary
3 Listening comprehension, vocabulary
4 Reading comprehension, vocabulary, pronunciation and fluency
5 Pronunciation, intonation, rhythm, and fluency
6 Oral production and fluency
7 Oral production and reading comprehension

The surveys

Data from 36 exploratory surveys were collected to determine the students’ perceptions
concerning the usefulness of the learning strategies, as well as the usefulness for the
development of specific skills such as fluency, pronunciation, vocabulary learning, and self-
confidence when developing them. This allowed us to obtain information of interest from the
reality of the studied population. The follow-up surveys were in agreement with the strategies
assigned to the students.

In terms of the perception of the usefulness of the strategies, 100% of the students reported that
the strategies were useful for learning vocabulary, pronunciation, listening comprehension,
reading comprehension, or gaining speaking fluency. In addition, 100% of the participants
reported that the development of strategies provided self-confidence when reading, listening, and
speaking in English.

The qualitative data were categorized according to the purpose already established in the survey
and follow-up of the assigned strategies. For example, the survey asked if the strategy had been
useful in developing fluency, and then asked why they considered it useful. The data emerged

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from the analysis showed that students perceived that strategies were useful to improve in five
areas described in Table 4.

Table 4

Reasons of participants in relation to the usefulness of the strategies

CATEGORY EXAMPLES OF THE UTILITY PERCEPTION OF THE STUDENTS

Learn unknown
vocabulary and
expressions

1. I got to know new words understanding their meaning
2. understand words for a conversation
3. It is easier to identify errors when listening to words that

you have in the vocabulary
4. I expanded my vocabulary a bit
5. You are learning more vocabulary

Gain or improve
their self-
confidence when
using, practicing or
studying English

6. The fear of expressing yourself is lost
7. It is something you do repeatedly, and you begin to master

it and feel more confident
8. Little by little I am less afraid to pronounce
9. To lose the fear of being wrong

Obtain fluency in
oral production,
expression of ideas

10. Being able to have the opportunity to read repeatedly
generated fluency

11. It makes my tongue not to get stuck so much
12. Improve fluency
13. every time you start practicing, it helps you a lot to be

fluent

Improve reading
comprehension and
oral
comprehension

14. they help to have a better comprehension
15. because in one way or another you clear up your doubts

about hearing and pronunciation
16. more understanding
17. you understand more and more vocabulary
18. every time you have a better understanding

Improve or acquire
pronunciation

19. you perfect your pronunciation
20. say the words properly
21. as you listen to it, you can pronounce it better
22. it is more practical and faster to pronounce words
23. hearing the words in repeated sentences helps to

memorize how to pronounce them

Because the strategies were also intended to encourage the students to spend more time outside
of class on their own study, the survey included a question to determine the approximate amount
of time students spent during the week on which they developed the strategy. Table 5 shows the
average number of hours that students invested in developing and practicing the strategy.

Tabla 5

Time invested to develop the strategy

Strategy 1
N=6

Strategy 2 Strategy 3 Strategy 4 Strategy 5 Strategy 6 Strategy 7

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N=5 N=4 N=4 N=5 N=6 N=6

M=3.8 hrs M=4 hrs M=4.3 hrs M=4 hrs M=3.5 hrs M=2 hrs M=4 hrs

The data displayed in Table 5 agree with the reasons that the students reported as problems
when carrying out the strategies that mostly had to do with the lack of time. For example, Fer
expressed the need when he reported “I need to give myself a little more time” and Ric repeatedly
reported during the surveys that he needed to coordinate his time to dedicate more hours to
study. On the other hand, Cris reported that a problem in fully implementing the strategy was the
“lack of time”. In the same way, Sar reported that a problem in being able to dedicate time to the
development of the strategy was "arriving home late due to transportation." This suggests that
the time she had left after her workday was left to other priorities.

Similarly, problems were also reported for not understanding the strategy due to absences from
class, which led to not receiving an explanation of the strategy. This result supports the idea that
learning strategies should be explicitly taught. In addition, personal problems were reported that
did not allow students to invest time in the development of strategies (Fer) or a space to be able
to concentrate adequately (Ric).

The students were also asked about their feelings or liking to perform the strategies in the way
they were administered. Among the most reported reasons, it was possible to identify the
pleasure of practicing the language, in addition to finding "dynamic and interesting" strategies
(Sar), "they make you leave your comfort zone and what you are used to doing" (Jess). They also
perceive them as a "good method to learn better" (Cris); furthermore, “it is entertaining” (Glad).

DISCUSSION

How students perceive the strategies

Knowing the perception that students have about the processes they experience in the classroom
can lead to have practical learning applications. Perception of what is experienced can be a
prelude to the will to do things. When something is perceived as pleasant, attitude tends to
change, which can lead to acceptance. Thus, perception can become a mental image formed
from experience, and it is vital to start learning. However, teaching new learning methods to adults
who use fixed strategies can be challenging. For this reason, this study sought to understand the
perception of students regarding the usefulness of the learning strategies assigned to ensure an
investment of time in learning beyond class time. The findings of this study agree with those of
Eliwarti and Maarof (2017) and Daouk, Bahous, and Bacha, (2016) who found that students and
teachers perceived strategies as not only useful but also important in the writing process.

The focus of this study was to identify the perception that students have concerning the
usefulness of the strategies provided to improve their learning and found that students perceived
the strategies as useful for the development of listening comprehension, reading comprehension,
fluency, confidence, pronunciation, and vocabulary learning. It is important to consider that
different factors could have had an impact on the perception that students have about the
usefulness of the strategy they developed, such as the ease of developing it, familiarity with it,
the objective to be achieved, the scope of achievement, the ability that the developed, and even
the taste for doing it, among others. However, it stands out that the students perceived the
strategies as 100% useful. It is necessary to mention that the perception that the students
expressed in this study might have originated from the experience of having used the strategy in

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class, that is, the example provided in class about how to perform the strategy and the
explanation of how the strategy could help them in learning. This finding might contribute to
clarifying the discrepancy between teaching strategies explicitly or implicitly (Chamot, 2004).
Explaining how a strategy helps students in specific areas of learning a language can help them
make informed choices of strategies to improve specific language skills. Consequently, efforts
can be made to achieve accurate learning objectives.

It is also necessary to emphasize that the strategies provided to students include chains of
strategies. Oxford (2011) described them as a series of interlinked strategies that are regularly
presented together. Strategies were not presented in isolation (for example, listening to the radio);
consequently, a series of activities that could be strategies on their own were interlinked to reach
a goal; however, they could also be beneficial on their own (e.g., read-search-pronounce-write-
read-explain orally). Thus, in the series of activities, students could have perceived the strategy
as useful based on one of the activities included in the strategy and not all of them.

Another factor that could have contributed to the positive perception of the usefulness of the
strategies is the element of choice. That is, the strategies suggested a type of material to develop
the strategy; however, a variety of similar materials were included that the student could choose
in terms of their level of knowledge, difficulty, length, related interests, taste, etc. Choosing the
material with which they were going to work could have been an element that allowed the
development of the strategy at their level, consequently, permeating their perception.

We are aware that a favorable perception of the usefulness of strategies is not synonymous with
success in the language acquisition process because learning is individual and inherent to each
subject with different characteristics. In this way, underlying patterns and tendencies are
observed in everyone, where the will and time to carry out the strategies are necessary. However,
knowing what strategies help and how they help students learn becomes important to direct
effort and achieve goals more adequately and quickly.

Problems students present when developing strategies

The perception of the usefulness of the strategies is not separate from the problems to carrying
them out. Time was a relevant external factor considered an impediment to the strategies
provided. The lack of time for adult students, as in the context of this study, is a recurring problem
since language learning is not a priority for them; work and family may be priorities. This is why
time is spent on work, family, or personal situations rather than studying the language. Of course,
these reasons are not debatable; however, for learning to take place, an adequate investment of
time is necessary (Samperio & Toledo, 2022) not only in the classroom but also outside the
classroom. This study showed that providing students with strategies to develop increased
exposure to language outside the classroom through their implementation. On average, the
participants reported an investment of 11.6 extra hours in the 40-hour course to develop
strategies. Although a problem identified in developing the strategies was the lack of time, this
result demonstrates that the assignment of strategies as support outside the classroom brings
with it an exposure of the student to language beyond the classroom. A pedagogical implication
emerges from this problem, which suggests that the inclusion of strategies as a support tool
outside the classroom can have a positive effect both the perception and adoption of new
strategies, such as increasing time outside the classroom.

Strategy instruction contributes to skill development and learning

The data collected from the field notes made it possible to identify aspects such as lack of
vocabulary, pronunciation errors, low oral fluency, and low listening and reading comprehension.

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Additionally, insecurity regarding the use of the learned language was identified. Strategies were
specifically designed to improve these areas. The design of strategies for the development and
improvement of aspects of language and skills that need to be addressed also has pedagogical
implications because the observed problems are not limited to this study group, since the same
type of problems can be commonly observed in classrooms of English as a foreign language.
Therefore, designing strategies for the development or improvement of areas that can commonly
be improved, such as oral production, fluency, and pronunciation can have an impact not only on
these aspects but also on motivation and students’ confidence.

Through fieldwork and observation, progress could be observed in the use and practice of
English. It was less necessary to explain the vocabulary or grammar already seen in the class.
Similarly, an increase in oral fluency was observed during the performance of the students in the
classroom and the final oral examination of the course; however, no data supporting this were
collected beyond the instruments used in the study.

Another finding of this study indicates that students reported gaining confidence in the
development of strategies. An example is Glad, who expressed," I am losing the fear of expressing
myself" due to learning vocabulary and learning ways to use the language orally. Similarly, Sar
reported that little by little, she was less afraid of pronouncing, and Jess reported feeling more
and more confident when practicing it. An increase in self-confidence and security was observed
in students’ performance in the classroom. They were more open to participating not only when
the teacher asked questions but also when they interacted with their classmates.

However, regardless of the perception of usefulness that one may have of something, it is not
possible to generalize the benefits that the strategies brought to all students. The benefits can
be different for each student and according to the will and effort to carry them out. An example
of this is Rica, who presented the greatest problems during the course and previous courses. Rica
reported the greatest number of problems when carrying out the strategies and the least
investment of time on average; consequently, he had the least progress in class both to gain
confidence and in the development of skills. Rica (personal communication) reported a lack of
time due to workload; additionally, he mentioned not having a space at home to be able to
concentrate on studying and spend time developing not only strategies but also homework.
Therefore, it is necessary to have the appropriate conditions for the study, such as the investment
of suitable time, and the use of strategies to have a positive effect on learning.

Insecurity, which is commonly confused with fear, makes students feel that they cannot use the
language even when they have extensive knowledge. This insecurity prevents production.
Krashen (1983) proposed the affective filter hypothesis, in which he suggested that the emotional
state of students and the attitudes they have acted as filters that allow or prevent the passage of
information necessary for its acquisition. However, sometimes it is just a matter of adequate
opportunity to ensure that the filter proposed by Krashen does not impede language acquisition.
Teaching the students strategies as tools that will help them use what they have already learned
can have a great impact on their confidence, and consequently, on their learning.

As Dubovičienė1 and Gulbinskienė (2014) explain, adult students have characteristics that
distinguish them from traditional schools since they come to courses with different experiences,
not only in educational or work backgrounds but also in life experience. An adult student in a non-
traditional context, especially when they choose to learn a language of their own free will, is
expected to have a disposition toward learning, be self-directed, responsible, and adopt a positive
attitude that will help them achieve their goals. Despite this, learning languages for adult students
can be complicated, especially when there are common problems such as a lack of time not only
to attend class but also to do something out of the classroom. Along with motivation, will can

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ISSN en línea: 2789-3855, junio, 2023, Volumen IV, Número 2 p 1556.

lead students to make decisions to learn. In learning English at an adult age, willingness to do
something for the benefit of learning becomes a factor to consider, since this becomes an
essential element when using strategies. However, the perception of learning strategies precedes
the will to perform them autonomously. In this study, students perceived the strategies as not
only useful in their learning, but also as dynamic, entertaining, and interesting activities that serve
to learn better. This may have contributed to the conscious decision to do the strategies
voluntarily and could have an impact on their learning.

CONCLUSION

As a result of this qualitative research, it can be concluded that adult learners of English in a non-
formal context perceive strategies as useful for their learning that will help them learn more and
better. In addition, they consider the strategies dynamic, entertaining, and interesting, and their
use will contribute to reaching their goals. These factors can also contribute to the selection and
use of strategies outside of the classroom. The perception that the participants in the study have
concerning learning strategies provided as study tools outside the classroom is intended for them
to adopt strategies for later use and adapt them to new learning contexts. In this way, positively
perceiving the strategies opens new paths for learning among adult students.

Similarly, it was also possible to verify that the use and practice of the strategies affected the
development of skills, especially fluency in oral production, helping students gain confidence in
making use of what they had learned. Of course, this effect would not have been possible without
the will of the student to decide to carry out the strategy. For adult students, the main tool to
achieve goals is motivation and will, which leads them to find ways to achieve goals.

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