This study is This study aims to examine the correlations between Chinese language learning strategies of Korean learners and their general characteristics, including gender, HSK level, number of Chinese characters they know, duration of Chinese language study, weekly study hours of Chinese language, and level of interest in Chinese language courses. Additionally, it explores the correlations between the learners’ Chinese language learning strategies and academic achievement. For purposes of this study, a questionnaire of 44 items on Chinese language learning strategies was designed based on the “Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL)” (Oxford, 1990) and preceding studies. The survey was conducted to 200 undergraduate students in Korea, and the collected data were analyzed. Statistical analysis methods employed in this study include ANOVA/Kruskal-Wallis test, Bonferroni correction, K-means clustering analysis.
Based on Oxford’s six learning strategies, K-means clustering analysis was used to classify learners into three groups: high, intermediate, and low. The characteristics of learners in the high-usage group for each learning strategy were analyzed, and it was employed to examine both direct and indirect effects of Korean students’ learning strategies on their academic achievement in Chinese language learning.
The study results revealed that learning strategies had a statistically significant correlation with learners’ general characteristics, including HSK level, duration of Chinese language study, average weekly study hours of Chinese language, and level of interest in Chinese language courses. All six learning strategies showed a statistically significant correlation with academic achievement, with reward strategies identified as a direct influencing factor on the academic achievement of Korean learners. The characteristics of learners in the high-usage group varied across different strategies, and the high-usage group for social strategies exhibited the highest academic achievement.
In the current Chinese language education in Korea, there are few studies that have explored the intrinsic issues of learners, who are the most important participants in education. The learning strategies used by Korean learners in the process of studying Chinese are directly and indirectly correlated with academic achievement and interest in Chinese language courses. It is crucial and should be prioritized to identify which learning strategies serve as positive factors for the academic achievement of Korean learners at different learning stages and proficiency levels and to guide or develop strategies tailored to different periods, proficiency levels, or learner characteristics in Chinese language education. The findings of this study can help Korean learners enhance their academic achievement and successfully acquire Chinese by actively and effectively utilizing the relationship between Chinese language learning strategies and academic achievement.