Karl Uhrig

This study examines the sociocognitive variables that influence the strategy choices of two international students in academic programs in the United States. The term "sociocognitive" refers to the interaction between an individual and his or her sociocultural context, as defined by Bandura (2001). In this definition, an individual cognitively responds to social and cultural elements through strategies that are intended to exert some measure of control over his or her environment. This cognitive response manifests in the setting of goals and the implementation of strategies to reach those goals. In the case of international students studying in the United States, the goal is ultimately to obtain a degree, which itself entails the successful integration of the student into an academic program through the acquisition of an appropriate style of English and a certain level of academic literacy. Despite extensive research, there have been few syntheses of cognitive and sociocul...

Although research has indicated that learning styles influence language learning strategy choices, many studies regard the two in isolation from each other. Additionally, most research in these areas is based on large-scale survey instruments that are removed from the context of language learning and use. This study represents an attempt to resolve these issues through two case studies of international students' learning strategy use on tasks in professional graduate programs in the US. Data gathered from interviews, documents, and task logs were analyzed first for strategy use on specific tasks, then for patterns that may indicate consistency according to learning style. The findings indicate that the participants' learning styles provide more predictability in strategy use on particular tasks than other factors such as discipline.