A Comparative Analysis Of The Application Of Affective Strategies In English Learning

Some research has proved that the effective use of learning strategies can help learners develop learning autonomy, take more responsibility for their own learning, and become more successful learners. Affective strategies are one kind of learning strategies. Although many researchers have already probed into a wide range of other learning strategies and affective factors in language learning, there are comparatively fewer studies on the use of affective strategies. Affective strategies not only support language learning, but also concern a person's all-round development. Therefore, it is necessary to delve into the use of affective strategies.The present research utilizes the qualitative method to scrutinize the relationship among affect, affective variables, affective strategies, other learning strategies, and language achievement, with humanistic psychology and Krashen's affective filter hypothesis as its theoretical foundation, and with CET-4 result,Oxford's Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL), diary and interview as the instruments. Case study data are usually more accessible than conventional research reports, and the insights yielded by a case study can be put to immediate use for a variety of purposes. The research, therefore, capitalizes on the longitudinal case study to trace how three non-English majors used affective strategies in learning English during four months. After comparing and analyzing the relative data and results, it finds out the effective way to use affective strategies.The research comes to some conclusions. First, affective strategies and other learning strategies supplement and support each other. Second, the use of learning strategies and affective variables are closely related to language achievement. Third, affective strategies are the necessary conditions rather than sufficient conditions to promote language achievement. More significantly, the isolated use of affective strategies does not necessarily determine the improvement in language achievement while the integrated use of affective strategies and other learning strategies produces more fruitful fruits.The significance of the study lies in that it casts some light on two perspectives. In theory, it accounts for the relationship between the use of affective strategies and language achievement, and verifies the more effective way to use learning strategies. In practice, learners can refer to the findings of the research, and find the learning strategies that suit them.