English learning strategies play an important role in the language proficiency for EFL learners. Both frequency and patterns of English learning strategies use were found to be significantly related to language proficiency. The present investigation aimed to investigate a) an overall strategy use of postgraduate students in southwest China; and b) to examine the relationship as well as patterns of variations in frequency of students' reported strategy use with reference to their gender and field of study. The subjects of this study were 200 postgraduates in the universities of southwest China. A written questionnaire based on the Strategy Inventory for Language Learning(SILL) was adapted and biodata was added for background information. The findings of the research showed that the postgraduates, on the whole, reported medium frequency of use of English learning strategies. The results of the data analysis also demonstrated that frequency of postgraduates' reported use of English learning strategies varied significantly in terms of gender and field of study. The implications, limitations and recommendations for further research were also discussed.
