Research On Correlation Between Perceptual Learning Styles Preference And Learner Autonomy

With the focus of researches on foreign language teaching in our country being changed from studying how to teach to how to learn, and the re-orientation of educational objectives issued by our Teaching Requirements of College English Curriculum, autonomous learning which emphasizes the differences among individual learners promotes English teaching in cultivating students' autonomous learning ability. Therefore, the research on learners' difference in style is of a certain realistic significance in promoting teaching efficiency according to students' aptitudes of autonomous learning abilities.This thesis attempts to study the perceptual learning styles preference of non-English major undergraduates and English learning autonomy to explore whether there is any correlation between them in the hope of providing suggestions for promoting college English teaching and learning. The thesis will conduct further study of the following three questions specifically:(1) What are the main perceptual learning styles of non-English major undergraduates?; (2) What is the overall situation of the English autonomous studying of non-English major undergraduates? (3) Is there any correlation between perceptual learning styles of non-English major and English autonomous learning? If there is, how are they correlated?The author has conducted researches of perceptual learning styles preference and learner autonomy abilities by employing the Questionnaire of PLSP designed by Roy Reid (1987) and the questionnaire of Autonomous English Learning Abilities of Non-English Major Undergraduates by Xu Jinfen (2004) as well as relevant interviews which are used as auxiliary studies. The subjects are 165 non-English major undergraduates of grade 2009 in Guangxi Normal University. Then the collected data have been analyzed with SPSS 13.0, whose results show that:firstly, most non-English major undergraduates prefer the tactile learning style while dislike the group one; secondly, the majority of those students have high autonomous learning competences, though some students' sense of autonomous learning has to be enhanced; thirdly, there is strong correlation between PLSP and LA, but the correlation between group learning style and autonomous learning is quite low.Based on the results of the research, the author tries to offer several suggestions for college English teaching and learning of non-English major undergraduates. For teachers:first, changing the traditional teacher-centered teaching while being the guide for students, giving learning initiative to students; second, creating a comfortable, harmonious and friendly classroom atmosphere for learners, nurturing their positive attitude towards English studying and enhancing their interests and enthusiasm in English; third, clarifying and respecting the multi-diversity of students' learning styles while offering various teaching activities and matching different teaching styles with their learning styles; fourth, cultivating their sense of autonomous learning. For students: firstly, changing their traditional concept of passive studying; secondly, fully understanding their own learning style preference and its impact on students'English studies; thirdly, nurturing their own autonomous learning capabilities and improving studying efficiency.