Non-English Majors' Autonomous Listening: An Empirical Study

Based on the concept and ideas of learner autonomy, combined with the analysis of the characteristics of listening and the teacher's role under autonomous learning environment, the thesis is intended to make an empirical study of non-English majors'autonomous listening to address the present situation of autonomous listening implemented in some universities and colleges.Through questionnaire, the author grasps the present situation about non-English majors'autonomous listening. The survey and the analysis of the data show that most of the non-English majors are still extrinsically motivated mainly by passing exams; their intrinsic motivation needs further stimulation; their learner autonomy is still low; they are poor in arranging their time for study and managing their autonomous learning efficiently; they are not capable of consciously employing learning strategies to enhance their learning efficiency and obtaining autonomous learning materials. Therefore, learner training, guidance and supervision from the teacher will be beneficial for learners'autonomous listening out of class.Through a comparative study of the experiment, new insights into the teacher's role in autonomous learning have been gained and recognized. The author carries out the experimental study, which lasts one term, in Northeast Normal University, taking the two classes of non-English majors in their second year as the subjects, who are taught by the same teacher. A model test of CET 4 is used before the experiment to measure the listening proficiency of the subjects, whose result shows that the listening comprehension proficiencies of both groups of subjects are almost the same. One class is arranged as the experiment group, in which the teacher plays the role as a facilitator to the full extent, including providing learner training and strategy training to the subjects; recommending web resources; supervising their learning through listening diaries; solving their problems and difficulties and providing instant assistance in their learning process though QQ group discussion and emails, while the other class is arranged as the control group, in which the subjects get no additional training or supervision from the teacher. In the end of the term, there is a post-test of the subjects'listening proficiency of both groups. The results are compared through analyzing the mean scores and standard deviations of the two tests of the two groups to see whether there are significant differences between the changes of the scores of the two groups. As the result shows, there is a significant difference between the scores of the subjects from the experiment group and the ones of those from the control group, which proves that autonomous listening is by no means listening alone without a teacher's guidance and assistance. On the contrary, a teacher's guidance and assistance are more helpful in guiding and facilitating learners to conduct their study efficiently and enhancing their listening proficiency. In addition, it can be seen that the subjects in the experiment group also show their improvement in cultivating their autonomous learning habits and in managing their learning schedules autonomously through their diaries, which proves that autonomous listening out of class is also beneficial for the cultivation and development of their learner autonomy.In the end of the thesis are the conclusions drawn from the experiment, the reflections on the problems existing in the present study and the directions of further researches in the future.