An Analysis Of The Correlation Between Tolerance Of Ambiguity And Reading Strategy Of Non-english Majors

In the process of foreign language learning, EFL learners frequently encounterhuge amounts of uncertainty. With regard to Chinese EFL learners, languagelearning is a matter of matching novel information to Chinese correspondence.Besides, reading is a complex yet fundamental cognitive process, and the ability toread is regarded as an essential skill today. Yet few studies have arrived atinvestigating the connections between this affective factor and reading. Therefore,the present study is concerned with tolerance of ambiguity and reading strategies inEFL reading of Chinese non-English majors.In particular, five research questions are put forward:1. Does there exist correlation between ambiguity tolerance and readingstrategies among non-English majors?2. Is there any difference in reading strategies use between high-tolerant andlow-tolerant learners? If there is, what is the distinction?3. Does there exist correlation between ambiguity tolerance and readingproficiency among non-English majors?4. Is there any difference in reading strategies use between high-proficient andlow-proficient learners? If there is, what is the distinction?5. Does reading strategy training contribute to improvement of readingproficiency and optimization of ambiguity tolerance?The present study adopts a quantitative-qualitative combined approach toanswer the questions: scale-based, product-oriented experiments in quantitative partand protocol-based, process oriented experiments in qualitative part. After a pilot study being executed,81undergraduates from two parallel English classesparticipated in pre-and post-test. They were asked to fill in questionnaires whichelicit scores of ambiguity tolerance and reading strategy, and they took part inreading tests. The data were collected and processed through SPSS18.0; based onquantitative data analysis, a think-aloud protocol was carried out with four subjects(from those81participants) representing high and low tolerant learners, as well ashigh and low proficient ones. Furthermore, reading strategy training was conductedwith experimental group to testify its effect on EFL learners’ ambiguity toleranceand reading proficiency.Results of significance are yielded. Initial question is answered, indicatingclose relationship exists between ambiguity tolerance and reading strategies. Thefindings also suggest that employment of different reading strategies betweenhigh-tolerant and low-tolerant learners diverge. In particular, high ambiguitytolerant students use overall reading strategies and global reading strategies moreeffectively and flexibly than low ambiguity tolerant students; yet almost all subjectspossess awareness of using problem-solving and support strategies in readingprocess. Similarly, close correlation between ambiguity tolerance and readingproficiency is found; differences in reading strategies use between high-proficientand low-proficient learners echo with distinctions between high and low tolerantlearners. Finally, short period of strategy training has been proved beneficial forlearners’ awareness of their own ambiguity tolerance; yet data show no significantimprovement in learners’ reading proficiency.The findings yield pedagogical implications and pave the way for strategytraining for EFL learners to perform better in reading comprehension. If teacherscould familiarize students with ambiguity tolerance, students would graduallyaccept ambiguous situation and acquire the ability to make wise use of differentreading strategies to achieve efficient comprehension. Yet further investigation inhow to conduct strategy training effectively to enhance students’ readingproficiency are called for.