Research On The Correlation Between English Learning Motivation And Learner Autonomy Of Non-English Major Freshmen

Learner autonomy has been a topic of widespread discussion in the field of language acquisition.It is linked to students' sustainable development,and has proved to be an effective way to enhance students' independence and help them become lifelong learners.In the field of Second Language Acquisition,it is widely believed that there is correlation between learners' autonomy and motivation.And some researchers have conducted investigations concerning how to stimulate learners' Motivation and cultivate their Learner Autonomy.Though there are many studies on learners' autonomy and motivation,there still exists much room for research on the correlation between the two,especially in terms of the correlation between Non-English Major Freshmen's(NEMF's) Learner Autonomy and Motivation.This research tries to probe into the correlation between NEMF's different types of motivation and Learner Autonomy by studying their features of Learner Autonomy and characteristics of motivation.In the research,Learner Autonomy and Motivation are studied focusing on the following research questions:1) what are the features of NEMF's Learner Autonomy?2) What are the characteristics of their Motivation?3) Is there any correlation between NEMF's English learning motivation and their Learner Autonomy?4) If yes,to what degree are different types of Motivation correlated with Learner Autonomy?Both qualitative and quantitative analyses are employed to interpret and modify the data collected from the questionnaires and the interview.The research findings are concluded as follows:1) NEMF's Learner Autonomy is at a moderate level.Most of them are adept at monitoring their performance outcomes,but are not very skillful at using learning strategies and choosing materials;2) Individual Development Motivation,Social Responsibility Motivation,and Immediate Achievement Motivation are the most commonly equipped for the NEMF to learn English.Going Abroad Motivation and Information Medium Motivation rank at the last two places; 3) There is significant correlation between NEMF's English learning Motivation and their Learner Autonomy;4) Different types of motivation are correlated with NEMF's Learner Autonomy to different degrees:Individual Development Motivation is the most highly correlated with Learner Autonomy;Immediate Achievement Motivation, Intrinsic Interest Motivation,and Social Responsibility Motivation have moderate correlation with their Learner Autonomy;Information Medium Motivation is the least correlated with Learner Autonomy;there is low correlation between NEMF's Going Abroad Motivation and their Learner Autonomy;there is negative correlation between Learning Situation Motivation and their Learner Autonomy.Based the findings mentioned above,some suggestions are elaborated on how to cultivate NEMF's Learner Autonomy by stimulating their motivation:1) fortifying students' Individual Development Motivation to foster their Learner Autonomy;2) undermining students' Leaning Situation Motivation to improve their Learner Autonomy.3) stimulating students' Information Medium Motivation to cultivate their Learner Autonomy.