A Survery Of Learning Strategies In Middle School

Modern linguistics are usually divided into three periods: the structures period (in the 1940s-60s); the Chomskyan period (In the 1960s), which attends in the opposite position of Bloomfield with the "Innate"Theory (or called Nativist Theory), which insists that children acquire their native language by the language acquisition devices (LAD). In the 1980s, comes out an eclectic theory, but it comes out not simply for reconciling the S-R theory and the "Innate"theory. It is based on the modern cognitive science and cognitive psychology. It emphasizes both the influences of the environment and the innate abilities of human beings in language acquisition. Language learning strategies have long been the hot point in the study of SLA, both in China and abroad. With about 100 middle school students as the samples, who are chosen randomly from four different types of schools, this study is in attempt of finding out what kinds of learning strategies they prefer to use in English-learning. After analyzing the data of the questionnaire, some conclusions are drawn out: 1) Our junior high middle school students use less metacognitive strategies in English learning, such as: relayed production, and directed attention, while the senior high middle school students use these strategies more consciously. 2) In using cognitive strategies, there are some distinct differences between the senior and the junior, and also between the males and females among the juniors. 3) There are some identifiable differences between the Senior Group and the Junior Group in using the socioaffective strategies. So to be a pioneer in the mainstream of the current educational innovation and a good language teacher, we should be qualified with the knowledge of the language being taught, and the knowledge of management of classroom.. To improve both the results of the learning and teaching, we should pay great attention to the training of the learning strategies of our students: cognitive strategies, metacognitive strategies and affective strategies.