Autonomous Learning Awareness And Ability Development Of College English Learners

In the context of the curriculum reform, college English teaching has gradually changed from the grasp of the language knowledge to the focus on the cultivation of learners'autonomous learning ability and long learning ability. College English Curriculum Requirements also points out that the objectives of College English are to develop students'ability to use English in an all-round way and to enhance their ability to study independently. This paper focuses on how to cultivate college students'autonomous learning awareness and autonomous learning ability.The author firstly introduces the study background of autonomous learning and expatiates upon the importance and necessity of developing autonomous learning in college English learning. Secondly, the author clarifies the definitions of autonomous learning, autonomous learning awareness and autonomous learning ability, analyzes the theories related to autonomous learning and explores the factors affecting autonomous learning. By means of a review of the relevant documents, questionnaire and analysis, the author then attempts to find out the status quo of college students'autonomous learning awareness and autonomous learning ability in Tianhua College of Shanghai Normal University. Through the analysis of questionnaire results, the author finds that most of the investigated students'autonomous learning awareness and ability need to improve. Great majority of students think that learning tasks are low valued. They lack the awareness and ability of self-regulation and the use of English learning strategies, etc.Later, the author attempts to explore effective ways to develop students'autonomous learning awareness and ability. Based on the investigation of current situation of college students'autonomous learning awareness and ability and the achievements of many other scholars'research on autonomous learning, the author carries out a teaching experiment on 35 subjects, training them to foster their autonomous learning awareness and ability for two months. Through the creation of autonomous learning atmosphere, the training of English learning strategies and learner contracts, the training gets certain effect. The results reveal that the training of autonomous learning helps to improve students'autonomous learning awareness and ability. The remarkable change is that students'awareness of learning responsibility, the awareness and ability of using effective learning strategies and self-regulation rise to a higher level. The training's impact on the students'English language competence achievement is not outstanding.