Correlation Research On Personality Traits And English Achievements Of College Students

The influence of personality traits on English achievements has been gradually emphasized by researchers in recent years. However, the researches focused on the correlation between the PEN traits (Psychoticism, Extraversion, and Neuroticism) and English achievements are still few. This paper mainly studies the correlation between the PEN traits and CET-4 achievements.This study combines the quantitative approaches with the qualitative approaches and investigates the correlation between the PEN traits and CET-4 achievements of college students by using a sample of 54 Economics major students from Hubei Radio and TV University. Based on the theoretical foundations of personality and personality traits, the study tries to examine: (1) Does any correlation exist between each dimension of the Three-Factor Model (the PEN Model) and CET-4 achievements? (2) Is there any significant difference in CET-4 achievements among the three levels (high, medial or low achievers) of each dimension of the Three-Factor Model?The general statistical results of the study indicate that: (1) Extraversion dimension of the Three-Factor Model is strongly negatively correlated with the CET-4 achievements; (2) there are significant differences in CET-4 achievements among the three levels of Extraversion. The mean difference is significant when the introvert group and the extravert group are compared. While as to the other two dimensions of the Three-Factor Model, no significant differences are found. Significant differences do exist between the introvert group and the extravert group: the introvert students learn better than the extravert ones on the whole. The results suggest that the Extraversion dimension does play an important role on the relationship between the PEN traits and English achievements.According to the research results, teachers are suggested to adopt proper teaching strategy based on different students'personality traits to achieve better teaching effect. Meanwhile, students are suggested to use effective learning methods to develop their advantages and make up for the disadvantages of their personality traits.