The Study On The Correlation Between Pronunciation Learning Strategies And Pronunciation Proficiency Among English Majors

Pronunciation is one of the basic skills in the process of language learning, which plays a significant role in the second language acquisition. Language learners, more or less, may rely on some methods or techniques while learning. These methods are called language learning strategies. In Oxford’s(1990) strategy classification scheme, learning strategies can be divided into direct strategies and indirect strategies, which are composed of memory strategies, cognitive strategies, compensation strategies, metacognitive strategies, affective strategies and social strategies. In the learning process of pronunciation, language learners may also use these strategies. Research findings concerning this area have produced great accomplishments abroad and at home. But there are few studies in pronunciation learning strategies in domestic research field, among which the most parts are questionnaire survey. In order to get a better understanding of current situation about English major’s pronunciation learning strategies use and their pronunciation proficiency; the author takes qualitative and quantitative methods to find out the answer. The author hopes to make a little contribution to the research of English pronunciation, students’ learning pronunciation in acquisition process and teachers’ effective instruction and guidance to pronunciation of English majors.The present study adopts Oxford’s strategy classification scheme as the theoretical framework. 96 English majors of a University in Lanzhou are invited to take part in the experiment. By using the questionnaire and pronunciation test, the present study aims to investigate English major’s use of English pronunciation learning strategies and whether there is correlation between strategies use and pronunciation achievement, as well as whether there exists significant differences in using pronunciation strategies between high level learners and low level learners. By using the instrument of SPSS 16.0, the collected data are processed and analyzed. The results are shown in the following.1) The current English majors use pronunciation learning strategies at a medium frequency. Generally speaking, most of them use pronunciation learning strategies sometimes but not frequently. Compensation strategies(Mean=3.5234) are used by them in high frequency and memory strategies(Mean=2.9192) in a low frequency. The use of all these six groups of strategies can be shown in the descending order as compensation strategies(Mean=3.5234) > social strategies(Mean=3.4521) > affective strategies(Mean=3.4454) >cognitive strategies(Mean=3.3097) > metacognitive strategies(Mean=3.1099) > memory strategies(Mean=2.9192).2) Based on the results of coefficient of Pearson Correlation, the study reveals that there exists a significant correlation between English pronunciation proficiency and pronunciation learning strategies(r=0.388, p<0.01). Specifically, the correlation coefficient betweenpronunciation proficiency and cognitive strategies is r = 0.443, p < 0.01; compensation strategies is r = 0.420, p < 0.01; memory strategies is r=0.359, p < 0.01; metacognitive strategies is r=0.322, p < 0.01; affective strategies is r=0.315, p < 0.01 and social strategies is r=0.268, p < 0.01.3) There really exist some differences between high achievers and low achievers when they use pronunciation learning strategies. Among all those six learning strategies, except memory strategies, other five strategies are used more frequently by high achievers than low level subjects, especially some significant differences being existed between cognitive strategies(Mean difference=0.864) and metacognitive strategies(Mean difference=0.610).By using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis and independent samples T- test with SPSS 16.0, the author gets the results of the study. Based on the major findings of the present study, the following implications can be got: 1) If language learners want to achieve effective communication, more effort should be devoted to their pronunciation learning; 2) English majors seldom use memory strategies, so it is necessary to correctly guide and standardize the students using memory strategies; 3) Teachers should do some strategy training to students appropriately during the teaching process to cultivate students’ strategy awareness, which is not only good for students’ language learning, but also beneficial for their lifelong learning.The results of the present study also uncover another problem: current English majors’ learning autonomy ability is very weak. They often rely on using compensation strategies to solve pronunciation problem. In fact, they should use metacognitive strategies more often instead of compensation strategies.