An Empirical Study On The Effect Of English Reading Strategies Training On Tolerance Of Ambiguity

With the rapid development of foreign language learning and teaching, researchers have paid increasing attention to the important role that cognitive factors play in language learning. Tolerance of ambiguity, a cognitive style and also a reflection of learners' personality, refers to the attitudes that learners hold towards ambiguous, unfamiliar or uncertain situations in learning process, ranging from initiative reception to negative resistance. As English and Chinese are different in pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar and cultural background, Chinese students would come across numerous ambiguous situations caused by those differences in English learning. Ambiguity widely exists in students'listening, speaking, reading and writing, and influences their learning proficiency. It is generally acknowledged that reading proficiency is one of the most important abilities in foreign language learning, and reading proficiency can be effectively promoted by utilizing reading strategies and reading strategies training. Some researchers have studied the relationship between tolerance of ambiguity, reading strategies and reading competence and found that tolerance of ambiguity had correlation with the two and tolerance of ambiguity influenced the selection of reading strategies. However, their focus of attention did not fall on how to raise learners'tolerance of ambiguity. As college students'tolerance of ambiguity is relative low, this thesis attempts to combine tolerance of ambiguity with reading strategies and reading strategies training, studies the influence reading strategies and reading competence have on tolerance of ambiguity and examines whether tolerance of ambiguity could be improved by reading strategies training.In September,2009,96 sophomores of Grade 2008 from Southwest University participated in the study, and 84 of them were valid subjects. Class 2 is control group, and Class 3 is experimental group. The two groups accepted pre-test before strategies training. Second Language Tolerance of Ambiguity Scale, Questionnaire of Reading Strategies and reading comprehension test were selected to assess subjects'degree of tolerance of ambiguity, reading strategies use and reading competence. Then the experimental group accepted a 14-week's reading strategies training. After reading strategies training, post-test was carried out. Statistical analysis was conducted by SPSS. Based on the statistical analysis mentioned above, the following conclusions were obtained:most of the students had relatively low level of tolerance of ambiguity, and the experimental group improved their tolerance of ambiguity after reading strategies training; the frequency of reading strategies in experimental group was significantly increased; subjects'reading competence was also advanced in experimental group after the reading strategies training; reading strategies and reading competence were significant predictors for tolerance of ambiguity in regression analysis, and thus reading strategies training could enhance students' tolerance of ambiguity.The thesis just explores the effect of reading strategies training on tolerance of ambiguity and provides implications for English teaching and learning. On the one hand, teachers must know students'level of tolerance of ambiguity and raise students' consciousness about uncertainty and carry out strategies training to help students deal with the uncertainty and confusion caused by ambiguity. On the other hand, students should learn to use learning strategies consciously and flexibly to improve their learning ability and thus adjust themselves to various ambiguous situations and overcome the adverse negative effects of tolerance of ambiguity.