A Comparative Study Of Language Learning Strategy Use Between English Majors And Non-English Majors In Chinese EFL Context

Modern language teaching has gradually moved from traditional approaches to various communicative methodologies. However, there has been an ever-growing concern that learners have not made as much progress as might have anticipated. Therefore, the research focus of second language acquisition begins to shift from teaching to learning. Parallel to the shift is the increasing interest in learning strategies. From abroad to China, from 1970s to the present, a number of researchers have made contributions on learning strategies in different aspects: strategies used by good language learners, the relationship between strategies and performance, strategy training, different factors affecting strategies. No matter in China or abroad, the research on the relationship between learning strategies and learning outcomes are being paid the increasing attention all the time.Nowadays, with the coming of the knowledge-based economy epoch, life-long learning and autonomous learning have became the trend of the new century. It is urgent for university undergraduates in China to cater for the new-epoch challenge and learn autonomously. In order to be active in language learning, both English major learners and non-English major learners should be aware of learning strategies they use and trained in specific strategies. Besides, with the continuous development of college English curriculum requirements, learning strategy use is regarded as one of the demands of current college English teaching and has attracted more and more attention of scholars in the field of education. Some concerned with English majors, and others concerned with non-English majors. However, until now there are few comparative studies on learning strategy use between English majors and non-English majors. In view of the above situations, the present study investigated the differences and similarities of the use of LLS between English majors and non-English majors, attempting to provide some useful ideas to facilitate English majors and non-English majors to go ahead together in English teaching and learning in Chinese EFL context.In order to make the comprehensive comparison, the current study tried to explore the following three questions:l.What are the differences and similarities of the frequencies in the use of each strategy category between English majors and non-English majors?2.What is the correlation between learning strategy use and TEM-4 (Test for English Majors—Grade Four) scores or CET-4 (College English Test Band 4) scores? What are the differences and similarities between English majors and non-English majors in the aspect?3.How do learning strategies predict learning proficiency? What are the differences and similarities between English majors and non-English majors in theaspect?The survey was conducted mainly through questionnaires and interviews to eventually find out the differences and similarities between English majors and non-English majors in the above three aspects. The subjects in the questionnaire survey were 221 non-English major juniors and 144 English major juniors in Jiangxi Normal University, in which 8 non-English majors and 8 English majors were chosen as interviewees. The written questionnaire and interview syllabus of this study were designed on the basis of Oxford's SILL. With the help of the statistical software SPSS12.0, the descriptive analysis, paired-sample t-tests, the correlative analysis and multiple regression analysis were used to analyze the responses of the questionnaires, while the interview recordings were used to further verify the findings and attain certain explanations.Through the data and interview analysis, the research results indicated the differences in the use of LLS were the following: (1) English majors used almost each strategy category more frequently, but they were inferior to non-English majors in the use of memory strategies. (2) Different kinds of strategies were significantly related with learning proficiency between English majors and non-English majors. The former were COG, MET, MEM, COM and SOC...