A Tentative Study On Learning Strategies Of English Learners In China

The importance of learning strategy in foreign language learning is drawing increasing attention at the present time. The early study of learning strategy is mainly based on the good learner study, and it is commonly recognized that good language learners appear to use Learning strategies more frequently and in qualitatively different ways than learners who are less successful. Later some studies on less efficient language learners are made and some learning strategies training are conducted, and it is well acknowledged that using learning strategies appropriately and sufficiently may enable learners to become more efficient in learning a foreign language. These findings in the studies made by foreign scholars have been tested on some college students in China, and the similar result has been found out. Most students who have been involved in those studies specialize in English. However, the majority of English learners in colleges universities are non-English majors, therefore, a call for more attention paid to their learning strategy use is made. This thesis is a tentative study of learning strategies of English learners in China. It sets out to examine two hypotheses raised by the writer, one is that successful English learners in college use learning strategies more efficiently than those who are less successful, and the other is that some learners factors may affect learners?choice of learning strategies. The data and information are collected through questionnaire and written interview in four colleges in Wuhan area, and one hundred and sixty students are involved in this investigation. It is found that learning strategy use is to some degree significant to language learning and some learner factors, such as interest, motivation, and personality may contribute to some strategy use differences. It is suggested that the better trainers understand the factors that may affect learners?use of learning strategy, the better instructions they can offer them to accomplish their learning tasks. And it is also suggested that learning strategy training can be an effective way to help students become more aware of their individual learning needs and become more autonomous in their learning, which in turn will benefit them for their life-time education. This paper consists of five chapters. The first chapter makes an exposition of the basic theory of learning strategies, including their definitions, classification, features, and method for investigating learning strategies. The second chapter is the theoretical basis of the thesis. It gives a detailed description of six major learning strategies employed by learners. The third chapter is the most important part of the whole thesis. An empirical study on learning strategy use of non-English majors is conducted here, which is the novel point of the thesis for the previous study is concerned mainly with the learning strategies used by English majors. The fourth chapter follows the analysis of the previous part to discuss the necessity for learning strategies training. The fifth chapter examines some potential problems that may add to the practical significance of strategy training and concludes the whole paper. The study of learning strategies holds considerable promise, both for language pedagogy and for explaining individual differences in foreign language learning. It is probably true to say, however, that it is still in its infancy in China. For this reason, perhaps,...