Cultivating Adult Learners' SALL Ability In English In Distance And Open Education

Beginning with the expatiation on the theory of SALL (Self-access Language Learning) in distance and open education, this thesis sums up the attributes of the distance and open education and the characteristics of SALL of the learners in distance and open education. It explores the adult learners' motivations and obstacles in English learning by questionnaire and interview, analyzes their learning styles which disagree with the nature of language learning. The thesis discusses the possibility of adult learners' SALL under the condition of the distance and open education from four perspectives: 1. SALL agrees with the nature of language learning; 2. SALL can bring the advantage of task-based activity in the teaching material into play; 3. The distance and open education supplies the SALL channel for adult learners; 4. The distance and open education can settle the contradictions between the learners' work and study. Combined with the practice of English teaching aid, the teaching support service for the adult learners' SALL is introduced from three aspects: 1. Guidance in advance for learners' easy access; 2. Good design for enriching the resources on network; 3. Practicing interactive and co-operative learning. The thesis sets up the teaching mode marked by "Interaction among the primary, the secondary and the three dimensions" for the open teaching and the construction of eco-environment for SALL. At the end the paper sums up the adult learners' SALL abilities in English under distance and open education: 1. Ability to determine the learning goals and objectives; 2. Ability to decide the learning content; 3. Ability to select appropriate learning strategies; 4. Ability to monitor the time, place and pace of learning; 5. Ability to evaluate the learning achievement. It emphasizes that the key to cultivating the adult learners' SALL ability in English in distance and open education is to help them have mastery of learning strategies.