A Investigation Of Learning Strategies In Reading Comprehension Employed By Chinese EFL Learners

Since the last few decades an emphasis on teachers and teaching methodologies hasbeen shifted to leamers themselves. Second language leamer strategies (SLLS) thenbecome one of the most eye-catching areas in the field of SLA. SLLS are regarded astecboques or steps second or foreign language leamers take to facilitate their languageledring or language use. They encompass language learning strategies and Ianguageuse strategies. In China research into this area dates back to the early 1980s. The presentthesis attempts to investigate leaming strategies in reading comprehension employed byChinese EFL learners and to provide a pragmatic step-by-step routine of strategytraining in reading classrooms for teachers. This thesis is composed of six chapters including an introduction and a conclusion.Firstly, the thesis gives a general description of the theories on SLLS in ChapterTwo and Chapter Three. Chapter Two begins by working out a feasible termino1ogywith" second language learner strategies". With the term denominated, the definition isproposed by inducing the characteristics of strategies. Next, Rubin's (1987), Oxford's(l990), and O'Malley and Chamot's (1994) taxonomies of SLLS are handled. Twoproblematic issues--the distinction between leamer strategy and leaming style andthe role of consciousness are also elucidated. Finally literature history of SLLS researchabroad and home is reviewed. Chapter Three further analyzes both internal and extemalfactors affecting strategy choice of fOreign language learners.Secondly, Chapter Four reports a descriptive study conducted by the writer by usingquestionnaires to survey Chinese EFL learners' beliefs about reading and their readingstrategies. to explore the relationship between their beliefs and reading strategies, and tocompare the differences between successful leamers and nonsuccessful leamers. Thefindings reveal that there is a relationship between learners' beliefS about reading andtheir reading strategies and that successful readers adopt more management strategiesthan nonsuccessful readers.Thirdly, under the premise that a repertoire of effective SLLS can be taught to thosenonproficient leamers, Chapter Five introduces the subject of strategy training. It dealswith the goals of strategy training and lists three effective and practical models ofstrategy training classes. On the ground of the theories in Chapter Three and the resultsof the study in Chapter Fouf, the writer devises in the last portion of this chaPter astep-by-step aPproach for the teachers who intend to immerse strategy training intoclass instruction.