Cultivating Learner Autonomy Through Meta-cognitive Strategy Training For English Majors In Independent Colleges

The development of society has been encouraging life-long learning and it has beeninfluencing the way of language teaching and learning. Since the1970s, research inEnglish as a foreign language has changed from teaching to learning. It is widelyaccepted that learner autonomy is emphasized in English teaching. Fostering learnerautonomy has become an important goal of English teaching. On one hand, there aremany researches in fostering learner autonomy through meta-cognitive strategy whichhave produced positive effects. On the other hand, only a few studies are on cultivatingindependent college students’ autonomy through meta-cognitive strategy training.The research first unveils the current situation about English majors’autonomouslearning in independent college through questionnaires. The author also analyzesfactors that restrain learner autonomy. Based on these research findings,especially onmeta-cognitive strategy, the author formulates a new model centering onmeta-cognitive strategy guidance for English teaching. The new model arouses theawareness of applying meta-cognitive strategy in students and instructs them to usemeta-cognitive strategies so as to enhance students’autonomous learning.In order to verify its validity, the author presents a training program of cultivatinglearner autonomy through meta-cognitive strategies and eighty-two students fromChongqing Normal University Foreign Trade and Business College were underresearch. Forty-two students have received meta-cognitive strategy training. First stepis to arouse students’ meta-cognitive awareness. Second step is to foster their learnerautonomy through the concrete strategies of meta-cognitive strategy which includesetting learning plans, goals and monitoring their learning result. Students make theirlearning plans under the help of teachers and monitor learning process. Then the laststep of the training is to reinforce the strategies to make students become realautonomous learners. It is a novel trial to integrate meta-cognitive strategy training for English majors inindependent colleges. After one-term training, the author collects the relevant data andanalyses the results through classroom observation, interviews and dairies. Thefindings are as follow: English majors in independent colleges are generally weak atautonomous learning. There is a close relationship between meta-cognitive strategytraining and students’ learner autonomy. Meta-cognitive strategy training does help toimprove students’ learner autonomy. Based on the findings of the research, the authorputs forward some pedagogical suggestions for teachers in independent colleges. First,meta-cognitive strategy training should be based on fully understanding the subjects.Furthermore, students need a preparation before the training, that is to say, teachersshould arouse their meta-cognitive awareness. Finally, cooperation study andclassroom environment are important for students in the training.