The Relationship Between Chinese EFL Learners’ Thinking Styles And Language Learning Strategy Use

This study explored the characteristics of Chinese EFL learners’thinking styles, the characteristics of their learning strategy use, and the relationship between the two variables with a combination of quantitative and qualitative methodology.291 students at a Chinese university participated in the study and responded to two self-report inventories:the TSI of Sternberg and the SILL of Oxford. The quantitative data was processed with Excel and SPSS statistics software, and post hoc interviews were conducted with 12 students randomly chosen from the participants.The results revealed that, in terms of thinking styles, Chinese EFL learners preferred executive styles most and conservative style least; males scored significantly higher than females in legislative, judicial, global and liberal styles; humanity students scored significantly higher than science students in executive style; students of higher grades scored significantly higher than freshmen in oligarchic and conservative styles. In regard of learning strategy, they used compensation strategies most and functional practice strategies least; humanity students used significantly more auditory-oral strategies than science students; there was no significant difference in terms of sex and grade.Chinese EFL learners’ thinking styles were broadly correlated to their use of learning strategies. In general, Type I thinking styles (except global style) were significantly correlated to most learning strategies; Type II thinking styles (except local style) were significantly correlated to less learning strategies. Besides, local and external thinking styles were significantly correlated to most learning strategies; oligarchic, global and internal thinking styles were significantly correlated to less learning strategies. From the perspective of learning strategies, those significantly correlated to most thinking styles were indirect strategies; while direct strategies were significantly correlated to less thinking styles.At last, pedagogical implications were proposed based on the results of the study.