The Influence Of Cognitive Style And Learning Strategy On Web-based Self-access Listening Learning

In response to Education Ministry's Requirements on College English's reform in 2004, more than 180 web-based self-access foreign language-learning centers have been established in Chinese universities. Although researches are re-booming on self-directed learning-related field in recent two years, little empirical research was conducted on the individual difference in self-access language learning environment. Cognitive styles and learning strategy are among the most important variables influencing performance in foreign language learning. The present research was conducted in self-access environment to identify the self-directed strategies of English learners of different cognitive style, to be specific, field independent and field dependent. It explores the interactive relationship between the three variables: cognitive style of learners, use of self-directed listening learning strategies and their listening performance.The study was conducted among more than 90 students of China University of Geosciences after one-year involvement in web-based self-access learning. Results show that the correlations between cognitive style and self- monitoring, self-planning and cognitive strategy is statistically significant, while not for the self-evaluation strategy and socioaffective strategy. One-way ANOVA shows that field independent group's use of total learning strategies and self-monitoring strategies is significantly higher than field dependent group. However, no significant difference is found in FI and FD students 's use of socioaffective strategy. Partial correlation and regression analysis shows that Cognitive style directly influence self-access listening performance while exert an indirect effect on it through its influence on students' use of monitoring strategy.The findings have both theoretical and pedagogical implications. It contributes to the informative data of different types of learner variables: cognitive style and learning strategies and their impact on web-based self-access learning and would be helpful to self-access learners' effective language learning. Pedagogically, it clarifies teacher's role in self-access center and their different strategy instruction with different individual learners and provides valuable guidelines to design, deliver, and evaluate self-access learning courseware that satisfies self-access learners' diverse cognitive styles.