An Experimental Research On The Autonomous Learning Of The Art Students In Senior High School Under The Instruction Of Krashen's Monitor Theory

Learner autonomy has been a hot topic in foreign language learning in recent years. The overall goals shown in the new English Curriculum Standards of full-time education for regular senior high schools issued in 2003 is to make students clearer about their learning objectives after the stage of English learning in compulsory education, to develop their abilities of independent learning and cooperative learning, to form effective learning strategies, and to cultivate their comprehensive abilities of language proficiency. Under the pressure of college entrance examinations, with the proportion of art students growing larger, they feel it more difficult to gain the acquisition of English. This paper, combining the present conditions of art students'English learning, analyzes the practical problems in English teaching, and illustrates the necessity of cultivating their autonomous learning of English.Second language acquisition theories mainly study the processes and results of second language learning, among which the famous American linguist Krashen's"monitor theory"points out that learners learning a foreign language need comprehensible input to run their internal mechanism of this acquisition. Language input is to be language absorption necessarily through affective filter. Art students are weak in basics and idle in attitude, which determines teachers'monitor and guidance as a prerequisite in their cultivation of autonomous learning. Under teachers'guidance, students in autonomous learning can properly understand their teachers'teaching goals, determine their own learning goals, and regularly self-monitor and self-evaluate consciously to promote their own learning.This thesis discusses the definitions of learning autonomy given by Holec, Littlewood, Benson, etc. and from the perspective of psychology point out its theory basis: Cognitive psychology, Human basic psychology and Constructivism psychology. To develop autonomous learning ability is mainly reflected in the ability of stimulating awareness and motivation for English learning, attitude also being a major factor. To concrete, the impact factors for cultivating art students'autonomous learning are: stimulating learning motivation, formulating learning objectives and plans, selecting and implementing appropriate strategies, evaluating learning process and results.On the basis of previous research, the author carried out an experiment on autonomous learning of art students (N=98) under the instruction of Krashen's monitor theory in No.2 middle school. Class 11 was the controlled class, which adopted traditional teaching methods, while class 12 was the experimental class, which adopted autonomous learning methods. The experimental instruments were questionnaires, interviews, teaching practice and English proficiency tests. The author made investigations into the current learning of art students in a certain senior high school. Besides, all the test results of before and after experiment were collected. Based on the analysis and generalization of the obtained information and data, the paper drew the aspects both beneficial to the autonomous learning and factors preventing art students'autonomous learning. It has been proved that under the instruction of Krashen's monitor theory, art students began to master the ability of autonomous learning and adopting various learning strategies and improved their learning results.In the end, the paper pointed limitations of the experiment and also made some constructive suggestions. To conclude, the ultimate goal of cultivating the art students'autonomous learning can be achieved with the systematic support of the whole society.