In an increasingly globalized world, English is no longer just a beneficial skill to have but a crucial tool for professionals in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Researchers, engineers, and scientists alike must be able to communicate internationally, access the latest research findings, and publish their work in English. It is thus, vital to understand the various language learning strategies (LLSs) that people use to learn English as a second language.
Despite the widely recognized importance of LLSs, educators have struggled to accurately and objectively analyze them in specific learning environments. The Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL)—the most prominent tool, has been used internationally for decades. However, its effectiveness has been questioned due to issues with its statistical validity, as well as a lack of cultural relevance in certain regions. In Japanese English as a foreign language setting, including among university students in STEM, SILL has proven unreliable, as it fails to capture these learners' unique behaviors and its wording does not align with their educational and cultural realities.
Against this backdrop, Associate Professor Akihiro Saito from the Institute of Arts and Sciences at Tokyo University of Science, Japan, has developed a new, context-specific instrument. In his paper, published in Volume 12, Issue 1 of the journal Cogent Education on August 19, 2025, Dr. Saito tackled issues of validity and cultural compatibility by adapting the SILL to better suit the specific needs and learning environment of Japanese university students.
The study involved a total of 599 tertiary students specializing in various STEM fields across two private universities in Japan. Dr. Saito, alongside a panel of experts, including experienced English teachers at the elementary, middle, and high school as well as university levels, and a Japanese language expert, translated and modified the original 50-item SILL to better reflect the English learning context in Japan. Through a statistical process involving exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis on the responses of students, the team successfully reduced the instrument to a concise and robust 22-item version. This new version, named the SILL–JP/STEM, measures six categories of learning strategies: memory strategies for storing information; cognitive strategies for comprehension and production; compensation strategies for overcoming knowledge gaps; metacognitive strategies for planning and monitoring; affective strategies for managing emotions and motivation; and social strategies for interaction.
By analyzing the students' responses using the new instrument, Dr. Saito's study reveals insights into their learning behaviors. Interestingly, students in this population tended to rely heavily on certain strategies while underutilizing others. "A notable finding was that 'compensatory strategies,' like guessing or rephrasing unknown words, were frequently used, while affective strategies, such as motivation and emotional management, were less common," explains Dr. Saito.
The validation of the SILL–JP/STEM instrument has significant implications for research and teaching. From a pedagogical perspective, this new tool provides educators with a reliable way to assess students' strategies, enabling them to design more effective interventions. For example, identifying students' limited use of affective strategies could prompt teachers to incorporate activities focused on building confidence and managing learning-related stress. Dr. Saito adds, "But this could also suggest an unwelcome possibility: that the underuse of affective strategies may stem from the heavier cognitive and emotional load they involve, compared with the relatively effortless use of compensatory strategies." The tool is also relevant for STEM students themselves, as Dr. Saito explains, "This study will provide clues to help learners understand their own learning methods and improve their self-management of motivation." By making students aware of their own learning tendencies, the SILL–JP/STEM instrument can help them identify methods they have not yet fully tried, which can lead to better outcomes.
While the validation tests were conducted on STEM students, the Japanese version of SILL (SILL–JP) can also be applied to other groups, such as humanities students and working adults. It could help diagnose the learning strategies they use and assist in developing English learning plans and teaching materials.
Overall, Dr. Saito's work provides a crucial blueprint for tailoring language education to the specific needs of STEM students, offering a model that can enhance evidence-based English teaching in technical fields worldwide.
