Investigation Into Junior Students Autonomous Learning Of English As A Foreign Language

Over the past two decades, learner autonomy has become a hot topic in the field of foreign language learning and teaching. The concept of focusing on learner has been paid more attention to. Domestic researchers play emphasis upon how to foster and promote learner autonomy of university students.This study investigated the general situation of learner autonomy of middle school. It aims to explore the current situation of learner autonomy of middle school; to check whether how the middle school students perform in each dimension; to see whether there is positive correlation between the education background of their parents and learner autonomy of middle school students. To address these questions, the ninety students were invited to provide their personal information, their scores, and finish the questionnaire. Some teachers and students were interviewed. The questionnaire covers nine dimensions. Such as: students'attitudes towards learner autonomy, students'motivation and learner autonomy, identify hat has been taught, selecting and implementing appropriate learning strategies, monitoring the use of learning strategies, monitoring and evaluating learning process, choices of learning environment.The findings are as follows: (1) the overall degree of LA among the students in their English language learning stays on a relatively low level. In addition, the majority of them have fully aware of their responsibilities take charge of their own English learning. However, they behave blindly and impulsively which are monitored by parents and teachers. Most of them have no idea of learning strategies, so they are urgent need of teachers'guidance. (2) There is positive correlation between achievement and learner autonomy. (3) There is no correlation between their parents'education background.Some implications were drawn from the study. Firstly, the shift of the role of teachers is from that of being exclusively the controller to that of being a facilitator of learning. Secondly, teachers should provide learning strategies training tailored for middle school students. Thirdly, students should be encouraged to monitor and evaluate their own learning and to join in cooperative learning.