Improving Students' English Self-regulated Learning In Vocabulary-An Experimental Study On Students In Junior Grade 1 In No.2 Middle School In Jinchang

The Chinese Education Ministry has set the main goal of English teaching and learning as "developing the students' self-regulated English learning" in the new curriculum for the Basic Education Stage. In 1972, a report on education learn to be---today and tomorrow of the education world shows us that future schools will have to change the learners into the masters of educating themselves. Those who are educated will have to become educators to themselves. Self-regulated learning deserves the highest value in any educational system for it means so much to social development, educational reforms and the development of individuals (1979). So the self-regulated learning which is also the basis of one's life-long learning will not only meet the demands of the development of the individuals, but also meet the demands of the development of our society. Moreover the self-regulated learning abilities in vocabulary are the basic of their English learning. Especially for junior middle school students. The present experimental study is aimed at improving students' self-regulated learning abilities in vocabulary by helping the students form effective self-regulated vocabulary learning strategies in junior Grade One.The study is based on the Constructivism Learning Theory and Social Cognitive Theory.According to the Constructivism Learning Theory, knowledge can't be acquired by teaching, but by meaningful construction of the learners under some certain social culture background, with the help of others, making full use of necessary learning materials. Constructivism advocates students-centered learning with the teachers' guidance. Teachers are organizers, guiders, helpers and cooperators.According to the Social Cognitive Theory, it's believed that self-regulated abilities are not naturally born, but develop with the appearance and development of self-consciousness, after a long practice from low to high levels step by step: Observational level, Emulation level, Self-controlled level and Self-regulated level.This experimental study lasted for three months. Before the experiment the author had a questionnaire in the experimental class and a pre-test in both the experimental and the control class. Then in the experimental class the author trained students some effective self-regulated vocabulary learning strategies especially cognitive and metacognitive strategies. After the experiment the same questionnaire was given the students in the EC and a post-test was given to the students in both the EC and the CC.By comparing the means and SD of students' vocabulary tests we can draw to the conclusion that students' vocabulary level of the experimental class improved much more than that of students in the controlled class. By comparing the questionnaire results we can see clearly that after the experiment students in the EC improved a lot in their vocabulary learning motivation, confidence, interest and they can use strategies properly and did much better than they did before the experiment. The results show that Junior middle school students' vocabulary self-regulated learning abilities can be improved by training them cognitive and metacognitive strategies.