Methods

strategies require mental processing of the language”. Memory strategies entail the mental processes for storing new information in the memory and for retrieving them when needed. These strategies consist of four sets that include creating mental linkages; applying images and sounds; reviewing well; and employing action. Cognitive strategies entail conscious ways of handling the target language and fall into four sets which include practicing; receiving and sending messages; analyzing and reasoning; and creating structure for input and output. Compensation strategies enable learners to use the language either in speaking or writing despite knowledge gaps. These strategies are divided into two sets: guessing intelligently and overcoming limitations in speaking and writing. According to Oxford's (1990), compensation strategies are employed by learners when facing a temporary breakdown in speaking or writing.

Indirect strategies include metacognitive, affective and social strategies. Indirect strategies provide indirect support for language learning by employing different strategies such as focusing, arranging, evaluating, seeking opportunities, and lowering anxiety Oxford's (1990). Metacognitive strategies enable learners to control their own cognition.

They are strategies which entail overviewing and linking with material already known, paying attention, delaying speech production, organizing, setting goals and objectives, planning for a language task, looking for practice opportunities, self-monitoring and self- evaluating. Affective strategies assist students to manage their emotions, motivation, and attitudes associated with learning. They can be achieved through lowering anxiety, encouraging oneself, and taking emotional temperature. Social strategies facilitate language learning through interactions with others. Language is a form of social behavior and learning it involves other people, and it is extremely important that learners employ appropriate social strategies in this process Oxford's (1990). These strategies are divided into three sets, namely as asking questions, cooperating, and empathizing with others.

Sixty- two strategies have been illustrated which include every strategy that is referred to in previous studies conducted in language learning strategies. In fact, this effort provided a basis for an instrument, The Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL), designed to obtain information concerning strategy use of language learners in learning a second language as well as a foreign language (SILL version 7.0).

Even though Oxford’s classification system is defined plainly, but she highlights that the present understanding of learning strategies is still in its primary stages, and “it is only a proposal to be tested through practical classroom use and through research”

(Oxford, 1990, p. 16).

(1) How do multiple intelligences, learning styles and motivation affect the successful and unsuccessful English learner?

(2) What learning strategies do the learners employ in their English learning?

3.2. Data collection instruments

In this study, the data were collected through questionnaires for multiple intelligences, learning strategies and language learning strategies; interview for motivation and learning conditions.

The multiple intelligences model based on Gardner’ theory was adapted from the website www.mypersonality.info (retrieved on 10^th May 2021). The participants were asked to answer 80 questions by ticking rarely (less than 40% of time), sometimes (40-70% of time), usually (more than 70% of time).

The author employed the questionnaire of Dr. Richard Felder (2005) from the website http://www.engr.ncsu.edu/learningstyles/ilsweb.html (retrieved on 10^th May 2021). The participants were asked to answer 40 questions. To answer question, participants need to tick (a) or (b).

The Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL) by Oxford (1990) was used to assess the frequency use of language learning strategies. In the SILL, language learning strategies were grouped into six categories for assessment: compensation strategy (9 items), cognitive strategy (14 items), compensation strategy (6 items), metacognitive strategy (8 items), affective strategy (6 items) and social strategy (6 items). The response options used a five-point Likert Scale ranging from “strongly disagree” to “strongly agree”. In other words, participants were asked to indicate whether they “strongly disagree”, “disagree”, “neutral”, “agree” or “strongly agree”. Each response was given a score from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree).

“Questionnaire for Interviews with L2 Learners” (Naiman et al., 1978) was adapted as interview questions to find out the motivation and learning conditions of the successful and the unsuccessful foreign language learner. The interview with Van had done via skype because the participant lives oversea. For Huyen, the face-to-face interview had done.

3.3. Participants’ background

The participants of the study are two Vietnamese learners in learning English as a foreign language, one learner has achieved very high level of proficiency in English and one is reverse, unsuccessful. Both of them are female, belong to the age of 25. They allow me to use their real name in my paper. As discussed in Introduction, their names are Ho Thi Van, who is considered to be the successful learner, and Pham Thi Thanh Huyen, considered as the less successful one.

Van is the only child, was born and lives in Hai Duong city with her parents. Her father is a lecturer at Thanh Dong University and her mother is an English teacher at a high school in Hai Duong city. She started learning English when she was at grade 3. Because of her

mother being an English teacher, she was familiar with English environment when she was small. There were many pictures with English words put on the wall in her house by her mother. Moreover, from the candle, she wallowed in English songs. When she was a high school student in grade 11, she got 6.5 IELTS. After gaining bachelor of Business Administration at Thanh Dong University, she took part in IELTS examination organized by IDP Education again and got 7.5. She worked as a lecturer at Thanh Dong University in 2 years and then she obtained scholarship in Australia. At present, she is studying MA course in Australia.

Pham Thi Thanh Huyen (unsuccessful learner) comes from Hoa Binh province. Her parents are cultivators. She started learning English when she was at grade 6 at a local school in her hometown but she did not pay much attention to this subject. Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry are her favorite subjects and she just concentrated on them when she was a high school student. She and Van were classmates at Thanh Dong University. At Thanh Dong University, students must get 450-score TOEIC to graduate. Although she tried her best, she failed 3 times in getting this score. Thus, she tried her best to gain 450-score TOEIC in fourth time to graduate.

4. Findings

4.1. Research question 1 4.1.1. Multiple Intelligences

In order to check multiple intelligences of Van and Huyen, the author employed the questionnaire from the website www.mypersonality.info. This questionnaire is a free version based on closely on Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence Theory. The result of Van shows that her intelligences are intrapersonal, verbal/linguistic and interpersonal with 85%, 83% and 82% respectively. It means that Van has the ability to understand herself, knows thoroughly her strengths, weaknesses, desires to make up suitable plan to develop her strong points and improve her weak points. In addition, she owns the ability to use words effectively both oral and written language. She is also good at interact with other people

The result of Huyen indicates that she has naturalistic intelligence with 65%. It means that she is more in tune with nature and is interested in nurturing, exploring the environment and learning about other species. The result also shows that her verbal/

linguistic and interpersonal intelligence is quite low with 25% and 23% respectively.

After analyzing the results, it can be said that with high verbal/linguistic, intrapersonal and interpersonal intelligences, Van has more opportunities to become successful foreign language learner than Huyen who owns naturalistic one.

4.1.2. Learning styles

Table 1: The results of learning styles of Van ACT X REF