A Study On The Relationship Between Learning Styles And Strategy Use

Learning style is one of the essential factors which influence the use of learners’ learning strategy. A large number of researches and studies have been implemented on the relationship between learning style and learning strategy use, particularly, of English majors. However, it is a frustrating fact that the relationship between learning style and learning strategy use of non-English majors is absent from the studies. Therefore, this dissertation is meant to measure the learning styles of75freshmen of non-English majors from Chongqing Police College and to testify whether or not their learning styles have effects on their use of language learning strategy. Based upon the findings extracted from the investigation, suggestions for college English teaching and learning are to be provided. This research owes thanks to a host of relevant researches and studies, and has its theoretical framework built upon Piaget’s (1970) theory of cognitive development and Oxford’s (1990) classification of learning strategies. The main research questions are as follows:(1) What are the characteristics of learning strategies used by non-English majors?(2) Are FD and FT students distinct from each other in their language learning strategy use, and what are the distinctions if it is so?This study employs Witkin (1977)’s GEFT (Group Embedded Figures Test) and Oxford’s (1990) Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL), which are used to evaluate the participants’learning style and LLS use frequency respectively.75non-English majors in Chongqing Police College participated in this survey. The data obtained from the questionnaires is analyzed by SPSS19.0for descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and independent sample T-test. The principal findings are as follows:Firstly, compensation strategies are most frequently used by the overall subjects, which reflect that non-English majors of this level could make use of compensation strategies spontaneously on the whole. In other words, they could guess the meanings of new words according to the contexts; they could make the most of non-verbal language or the way of explaining difficult words by simple words to compensate for their inadequacy both in spoken and written expression. On the other hand, social strategies are least frequently used by the overall subjects, which illuminate that non-English majors of this level are not skillful enough in cooperating with others to promote their own English learning.Secondly, the subjects’ learning styles affect their learning strategy choice to some extent. Students with FD/FI style are distinct in their strategy use. Students who are field-independent use metacognitive strategies most frequently, which reflect that they could actively arrange, plan, monitor and evaluate their own learning. Social strategies, however, are used least frequently by students with FI style, which show that they are not good at cooperative learning. On the other hand, students who are field-dependent use compensation strategies most frequently, which reflect that they are good at applying guessing skills when listening and reading, and non-verbal language or paraphrasing when speaking and writing. Memory strategies are used least frequently by students with FD style, which show that they are not good at memorizing new words or texts through repeated review. The author expects that teachers should attach great importance to the influence of different learning styles exerting on the use of learning strategy. According to the students’individual differences, the teachers may offer a constructive guidance and effective training to develop their self-learning ability and to improve their learning efficiency.