Preferred Learning Media and Learning Strategies of High-Achieving English Learners

Abstract

This study investigated the learning media preferences and cognitive learning strategies used by high-achieving English learners in informal English learning outside the classroom. Employing a qualitative case study design, the study involved three participants from the English Education Study Program, batch 2022, at Universitas Tanjungpura, selected through purposive sampling based on a grade point average of at least 3.70, a TOEFL score of at least 520, and verified English-related achievements. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and documentation, then analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings reveal three themes. First, participants preferred video-, audio-, and text-based media, with video being the most dominant due to its multimodal nature. Second, participants applied four cognitive strategies, namely inferencing, translation, resourcing, and note-taking, flexibly based on content difficulty and individual habits. Third, learning media and cognitive strategies were interconnected, with media providing language input and strategies enabling meaningful processing of that input. These findings suggest that informal English learning among high-achieving learners is an active, self-directed, and cognitively engaged process that also contributes to their academic development.