A Study Of University English Majors' Metacognitive Strategy Use

In the past few decades learning strategy has become one of the hottest topics in the field of language learning and teaching. While early studies on learning strategies were more exploratory in nature, later research became more theory-based and more scientific. Most recently, researchers have noticed that one group of learning strategies, i.e. metacognitive learning strategies are of specific importance. Research on metacognitive strategies has been on the rise. Compared with the research on other learning strategies, however, the research on metacognitive strategies is still an embryonic stage. Though Chinese researchers also paid attention to learning strategies, most studies were done on direct cognitive strategies, such as vocabulary strategies and listening comprehension strategies. As previous studies have proved that mere knowing "what to do" is far from enough for learners to learn a language well, learners should know "how to do". Bearing this background in mind, the current study investigated metacognitive strategies used by Chinese EFL learners from Foreign Languages School of Linyi Normal University and the relationship between metacognitive strategy preferences and various variables, including gender, high achievers and low achievers, English proficiency and learning motivation level. Oxford's (1990) Strategy Inventory for Language Learning and the inventory for learning motivation level produced by Gao Yi-hong (2003) was used to measure metacognitive strategy preferences and motivation level, while the results of Test for English majors (TEM 4) were adopted as a measurement of English proficiency. Descriptive analysis is employed to determine the frequency of metacognitive strategy preferences; and T-test is employed to determine the frequency of metacognitive strategy preferences. Again T-test is conducted to examine the differences in the use of metacognitive strategies between males and females, and between high achievers and low achievers. Finally, Pearson correlation is performed to examine the relationship between metacognitive strategy preferences and English proficiency; between metacognitive strategy preferences and motivation level. Results of the analysis reveal the findings as the following: (1) the mean frequency of metacognitive strategy preferences by EFL learners from Linyi Normal University is 3.09, which is in the range of medium level of learning strategy use (2.5-3.4), but the mean is relatively low in this scope, (2) there is no significant difference in the use of metacognitive strategies in terms of gender, (3) there is no significant difference in the use of metacognitive strategies between high achievers and low achievers, (4) the findings do not indicate there is direct correlation between English proficiency and metacognitive strategy preferences, (5) but there is significant correlation between metacognitive strategy preferences and motivation level. Results of the current study suggest that there is a need to carry out further research on metacognitive strategies and further research to identify other factors that may account for the variation in English proficiency.This thesis consists of five chapters. Chapter one introduces the present situation of the current research field and the theoretical background. Purposes of the research and significance of the study are discussed in chapter one as well. Chapter two reviews the relevant literature on language learning strategies and metacognitive strategies in recent years, with special emphasis on metaeognition, the definition and classification of metacognitive strategies and studies on metacognitive strategies. Chapter three is concerned with the methodology of the current research study. Chapter four presents the results and discussion based on data analysis, and collected date is analyzed by descriptive analysis, T-test, and Pearson correlation analysis. At last, chapter five comes up with some pedagogical implications and conclusions.