Izumi Shinichi

Based on a previous study on differences between Japanese university students with and without overseas educational experience regarding their beliefs, learning strategies, and confidence in their English learning, this study investigates differences in the same constructs between Japanese university students with higher and lower levels of English language proficiency. Questionnaire responses from 78 students with high second-language (L2) proficiency and 104 more "average" Japanese university students provided findings that: higher-level students hold stronger beliefs in experiential learning approaches, while those of lower ability believe more strongly in analytic approaches; higher-level students use experiential strategies more than lower-level students do; and both groups, but particularly those at the lower level, show low confidence levels in their L2 abilities. Weak correlations were found between beliefs and strategies, and weak to moderate correlations were observed between strategies and confidence. The use of experiential strategies are found to be more widely and more Strongly related with increase in learners' confidence in using L2. Overall, the study findings highlight the importance of beliefs in and use of experiential learning while recognizing the value of analytic learning for EFL learners.