The relationship between approach to learning and English lan guage ability of students in a tertiary institution in Hong Kong was examined. The Study Process Questionnaire (SPQ) developed by Biggs was used to measure students' approach to learning, with the 42 questionnaire items presented in both English and Chinese. English language ability was assessed by a scale comprising three self-rating items and two self-reported examination results. Multiple linear regression was used to relate the six sub-scales of the SPQ with the English language scale and other student background variables. Sub jects with lower ability in English language were found to be more likely to adopt a surface strategy in their learning. On the other hand, deep motivation was positively related to English language ability. Qualitative data were also collected from interviews in an ef fort to explain the mechanisms behind these observations. It is sug gested that students who are weaker in English concentrate initially on deciphering the rhetorical aspects of text so are less likely to visua lise the underlying meaning of what they are reading.
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