An Empirical Study On Language Self-efficacy And Learning Strategies Of Non-English Majors In EFL Context

In the past few decades, the study of language learners has received much attention in the field of second/foreign language acquisition. The inquiry into language learners falls into two lines: the study on the learning procedures and the study on the individual differences (Su Dingfang, Zhuang Zhixiang 1996). In the area of learning procedures, the investigation of language learning strategies has advanced our understanding of the processes learners use to develop their skills in a second or foreign language. Although language learning strategies have been extensively studied in China, most studies were done on the interrelationship between learning strategies and academic achievements, changes in strategy beliefs and strategy use, and the specific strategies learners choose to improve language abilities. The research on the influence of affective factors on language learning strategies is not enough (Wen Qiufang 2004). As Ellis (1985) pointed out that SLA is a complex process, involving many interrelated factors, it is necessary for us to combine different factors pertaining to the learners in our study to get a better understanding of second/foreign language acquisition. Therefore, we tried to integrate individual factors such as affective factors into the research of language learningstrategies. Self-efficacy is an important affective factor which influences the achievements of a person through cognitive, motivational, affective and selection processes. Self-efficacy is the belief in one's capabilities to learn or perform behaviors at designated levels (Bandura 1986). It exercises great influence on the academic achievements of a person. (Bandura 1986, 1997). By combining self-efficacy with language learning strategies, we hope that this research can expand our present understanding of language learners under Chinese culture and language background.Bearing this background in mind, the present study tries to investigate the relationship between language learning strategies and self-efficacy by administering two questionnaires to 910 third-year non-English majors from five universities and colleges in Chongqing. The self-efficacy questionnaire was employed to determine the differences in students' language self-efficacy levels based on gender, specialty and academic achievements. The language learning strategies questionnaire is used to find out how students use language learning strategies and their differences in strategy use in terms of gender, specialty and academic achievements. The relationship between language learning strategies and self-efficacy is determined by analyzing data collected from the two questionnaires. SPSS was adopted as data analysis device.The whole dissertation consists of six parts:Chapter One is an introduction, which briefly introduces the general background of the study and emphasizes the significance and necessity to do this research. The layout of the whole dissertation is also introduced in this part.Chapter Two reviews related research on self-efficacy and language learning strategies. This chapter is divided into three parts. In the first part, the concept of self-efficacy is explained and clarified. Then, we go on to define" language self- efficacy". A survey of studies that relate self-efficacy to gender and academic achievements is also provided. In the second part, the definitions of different researchers on language learning strategies and different classification systems are introduced. Then we review studies on language learning strategies based on gender and academic achievements. The research on the interrelationship between self-efficacy and learning strategies is covered in the third part.Chapter Three presents the methodology. The objectives, instruments, subjects, data collecting procedures, and data analysis device of the present study are introduced.Chapter Four deals with data analysis and reports the findings in light of the five research questions. The statistical results show that (1) students' language self-efficacy levels vary according to their academic a...