Correlational Study On English Learning Anxiety And Learning Strategy Use Of Non-English Major Postgraduates

Since the 1970s,the study of foreign language acquisition has shifted from teachers and teaching to learners and learning.As two important variables among the individual factors,foreign language anxiety and language learning strategy have long been the hot topics for foreign language educators and researchers.Most of the previous literature on the correlation between English learning anxiety and learning strategy use centers on middle school students or college undergraduates,while non-English major postgraduates are less researched.As an individual group,non-English major postgraduates have their own characteristics corresponding to their language learning tasks and learning stage.Due to the above reasons,this thesis plans to carry out a study on the correlation between English learning anxiety and learning strategy use of non-English major postgraduates with the expectation of providing a useful supplement to this research field.The research questions to be addressed in this study are as follows:(1)What are the characteristics of English learning anxiety and learning strategy use of non-English major postgraduates?(2)Are there differences in anxiety levels and learning strategy use based on gender and types of postgraduate programmes?(3)What is the correlation between English learning anxiety and learning strategy use among non-English major postgraduates?(4)Are there differences in the correlation between English learning anxiety and learning strategy use based on gender and types of postgraduate programmes?The research participants are 603 non-English major postgraduates from a leading university that enjoys privileged support from the national "211 Project".The present study adopts both quantitative and qualitative approaches to collect data.In quantitative part,the research instruments are Horwitz et al.'s(1986)Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale(FLCAS)and Oxford's(1990)Strategy Inventory for Language Learning(SILL).The research data are analyzed by running SPSS 19.0.The qualitative part is based on the interviews of 20 non-English major postgraduates from various majors,ten of whom are male students and the other ten female students,and half of the cohort are academic postgraduates and the other half professional postgraduates.The findings of the qualitative part are used to verify and complement the results of the quantitative study.The research findings of the present study indicate that:(1)non-English major postgraduates experienced different levels of English learning anxiety with communication apprehension ranking the highest.They use memory strategy,cognitive strategy,compensation strategy,metacognitive strategy and affective strategy at a medium level and they "generally do not use" social strategy.(2)Gender difference is not significant in the overall English learning anxiety but significant in general anxiety,and significant gender difference can be found in learning strategy use.Concerning types of postgraduate programmes,difference is not significant in the overall English learning anxiety,but significant in communication apprehension and fear of negative evaluation,and difference in learning strategy use is not significant.(3)Significant negative correlation is obtained between English learning anxiety and learning strategy use.(4)The correlation analysis of non-English major postgraduates'English learning anxiety and learning strategy use based on gender and types of postgraduate programmes clearly shows that the correlation between English learning anxiety and the use of cognitive strategy is the strongest.Based on the above findings and analyses,the author proposes the following suggestions:English teachers should be supportive teachers and create a low-anxiety learning environment for non-English major postgraduates.As for non-English major postgraduates,they should face the issue of English learning anxiety objectively and effectively use learning strategies,especially cognitive strategies and social strategies to relieve their English learning anxiety and to enhance their English learning ability.Male postgraduates should objectively face individual differences in English learning,develop interest in English,spend more time on it,make good use of learning strategies and form proper expectations toward their effects.Academic postgraduates should seek more opportunities to practice oral English so as to boost self-confidence in English speaking.