Research On Learner Autonomy With Strategies-based Instruction In A Vocational College

As the concept of learner-centeredness is prevailing, it becomes the ultimate goal of foreign language education to develop learner autonomy for students. Only after acquiring appropriate learner strategies and learning how to learn, can English learners involve in an active, autonomous and effective learning and realize life-long learning. Currently, vocational college students are weak in their English foundations. Lacking of cognition about learner strategies and autonomous learning, they learn English in an ineffective approach. According to theories on learner autonomy and learner strategy, learners'capacity to learn autonomously can be developed under proper condition through suitable guidance and training, and the purpose of strategy training is to develop learner autonomy. Basing on such theories, we conduct an empirical research of permeating strategy training into English classroom teaching to improve vocational college students'learner autonomy and English learning effectiveness.The research is undertaken in two natural and parallel classes of Telecommunications Major in Guangxi Agricultural Vocational and Technical College, one class as experimental group and the other as comparison group. Before the experiment, through questionnaire, test and interview, we have investigated subjects'current beliefs and attitudes toward English learning and learner autonomy, their present English proficiency, and their current abilities to learn autonomously and use appropriate strategies. And we prepare the experimental teaching according to learners'need analysis. During the process of experiment, learner profiles are established for students in both groups to observe their changes in learner autonomy. In the experimental group, strategies-based instruction (SBI) is implemented on the basis of combining strategy training with normal curriculum, in which management strategies are emphasized while language learning strategies to listening, speaking, reading, writing, etc. also get practiced, and learners are encouraged to learn autonomously in and out of class through managing their own learning; while traditional teaching model is adopted in the comparison group. After the experiment, we carry out another questionnaire, test and interview, and then experimental data are again collected and analyzed in a quantitative and qualitative way.As results show, significant difference exists between the experimental group and the comparison group after the experiment with SBI. Students in the experimental group have maintained more positive attitudes to English learning, improved their abilities to manage their own learning, developed a habit to learn autonomously, and raised their target language proficiency. Therefore, we can make a conclusion that SBI is an effective teaching model for improving vocational college students'learner autonomy. However, it is a long-term project of effective development for learner autonomy, which is affected by various internal and external factors. Further research should be conducted from different perspective and taken other influential variables into consideration so that more reasonable and effective teaching model can be constructed.