Factors and learning strategies of preadolescents in Chinese as a foreign language. Case study in Spain

Abstract

The presence of preadolescent learning Chinese as a foreign language (Chle) at the Confucius Institute at the University of Las Palmas (IC-ULPGC) led us to ask ourselves how they use learning strategies and their possible relationship between their personal and academic factors (L1, sex, monolingual / bilingual schools, score on the final exam-HSK) and their learning strategies. The research was carried out with 81 12-year-old students who attended the IC-ULPGC (Canary Islands, Spain) between 2012-2015, who were questioned about these factors and
also applied the questionnaire on learning strategies of Rebeca Oxford (Strategy Inventory for Language Learning, version 7.0). Statistical analysis of the results show novel quantitative data, because teenagers do not have a high frequency in use of strategies; generally, the most widely used strategy is social, and less, cognitive, although the affective and metacognitive which have significant correlation with academic success.