Taiwanese EFL Learners’ Use of Learning Strategies in Developing Job Interview Skills

Abstract

This study investigates Taiwanese English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners’ use of strategies in developing job interview skills in English. The participants were 40 EFL learners majoring in English at a private university in Taiwan. The study was part of a fourweek job interview training program, during which they prepared for a mock interview test. The students learned about the job interview process, expressions, and related language use, and practiced with their peers inside and outside the class. Throughout the training, they submitted weekly diary entries describing how they developed their job interview skills. Thematic analysis of these entries revealed various learning strategies and their applications. These included cognitive strategies, such as practicing and structuring output; metacognitive strategies, which involved arranging extra time to practice, planning the interview task by doing research on the Internet, and monitoring and evaluating their learning process; and social strategies, where students exchanged feedback collaboratively.