Impact Of Cognitive Style On English Learning Strategy

English learning strategy is one of the latest buzz research fields in educational psychology. Too much focus has been on teacher in the field of traditional English teaching, and the other side of it, learner has been neglected. The teacher should not only be an imparter of knowledge but also be a trainer of learners' learning strategy. The research on English learning strategy is an important way to reach the goal of promotion of lifelong autonomy on center of the students. So it is both significant and necessary.In 1960s, western researchers began the study of learning strategies focusing on the following aspects: (1) strategies used by good language learners; (2) the differences between good language learners and poor language learners in strategy use; (3) the relationship between the use of strategies and second language proficiency; (4) factors affecting the use of strategies; (5) ways of strategy training and their effect. Research in this field in China has been gradually conducted since 1980s and a certain development has been made. They have probed the relationship between language learning strategies and vocabulary learning, reading comprehension, listening comprehension and writing skills, and the relationship between strategies and learners' beliefs about language learning as well. However, some aspects on the micro-level need to be further explored, such as factors influencing strategy choice.The purpose of the present study is to explore the impact of cognitive style on English learning strategy choice, which, to some extent, may enrich the empirical evidence in the area of learning strategies and provide implications for college English teaching and learning in Chinese context. Data is collected from two major sources: literature and questionnaires. The instrument is questionnaires and SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Science) is used to analyze the data.The major findings of the study can be summed up as:There is a close relationship between cognitive style and learning strategy choice; cognitive style has a great impact on English learning strategy choice. On one hand, metacognitive strategy, compensatory strategy, and affective strategy are more frequently used by FI participants than by FD participants; on the other hand, memory strategy, cognitive strategy and social strategy are more frequently used by FD participants than by FI participants.Based on the above findings, the thesis provides some implications. On one hand, the thesis suggests that the teachers establish cooperative learning class and enhance strategy training; on the other hand, some suggestions are also given to the English learners, such as developing learner autonomy when learning, exchanging learning experience and practicing learning strategies and so on.