A Study On University English Major Students’ Beliefs About Autonomous Learning In Xinjiang

Autonomous learning, a term of applied linguistics, is also known as independent learning or self-adjustment learning. It generally refers to the way of learners who consciously setting learning objectives, meticulously making learning plans, appropriately choosing learning methods, effectively monitoring learning process and scientifically assessing learning efficiency(Pang, 2004). In studying how to develop the awareness of autonomous learning, scholars such as Wenden(1998), White(1995) and Victori & Lockhart(1995) find out that the prerequisite of fostering autonomic learning is right attitudes of the learners on the learning. Flavell(1987) points out that, in the process of learning a foreign language, the beliefs and attitudes held by language learners are two key factors to influence the improvement of autonomous learning ability. Learning beliefs language learners hold have direct or indirect impact on setting learning plans, monitoring learning process and assessing learning process. Generally speaking, the correct beliefs about language learning may prompt the effect of learning, and vice versa.Nowadays one of the major tasks of higher education is to guide learners to set up certain beliefs about autonomous learning, and cultivate their autonomous learning ability. According to the relevant results, autonomous learning can not only improve the foreign language learning but also help them to acquire the skills of lifelong learning. However, there are still many problems in promoting the learners’ awareness of autonomous learning; and among the problems, the most obvious one is how to guide learners to set up appropriate learners’ beliefs about autonomous learning in learning English. In this sense, understanding the English-major students’ beliefs about autonomous learning plays a vital role in improving English teaching.The study involved 175 English major students from three universities(Xinjiang University, Xinjiang Normal University and Xinjiang University of Finance and Economics) as research subjects. The study adopted qualitative and quantitative research methods as well as literature, interview and comparative research methods to design the questionnaire in four aspects, which includes understanding about autonomous learning, learners’ motivation towards autonomous learning, understanding of teachers’ roles and learner factors affecting autonomous learning. The process of data analysis employed descriptive analysis and independent T-test with Spss19.0 software. After investigating the general beliefs about autonomous learning held by English major students, the thesis is intended to put forward some implications for language teachers and learners to improve the quality of English teaching by researching and analyzing the differences between various variables, such as Han and ethnic minority students, male and female students, high-proficiency and low-proficiency students and freshmen and juniors.Results from the research show that: 1) a small part of students are skeptical of autonomous learning while most of them believe that it is quite helpful to improve both language teaching and learning. They hope they will be of teachers’ help to set up certain beliefs about autonomous learning and cultivate their autonomous learning ability. 2) Both Han students and ethnic minority students feel perplexed and confused about their future careers. Unlike Han students, based on years of prior knowledge and learning experience of second language acquisition, ethnic minority students hold much more positive attitudes towards the importance of learning environment. They insist that learning environment will directly influence their learning results. 3) On the whole, females are much more active than males in the language learning. They are more objective to evaluating themselves and make more sustained efforts to learning. In contrast, males are more independent to deal with various problems by themselves. 4) As a result, high-proficiency students hold stronger learning consciousness, motivation and confidence than low-proficiency students, and they also hold a belief that successful language learners are independent learners. Lower-proficiency students tend to believe that it is not easy to learn a language. 5) Freshmen keep more optimistic attitudes towards language learning; and juniors are more independent than freshmen and they are willing to spend much time and energy on language learning.According to the above research findings, the thesis offers some pedagogical implications on learners’ beliefs about autonomous learning for both language teachers and language learners. Language teachers should fully understand the learners’ language learning beliefs and learn how learners master the language properly. And not only that, they should help learners to realize the negative factors affecting language efficiency, and guide them to set up certain beliefs about autonomous learning, as well as effectively cultivate their autonomous learning ability. Learners themselves should play an active role and take more responsibility in language learning. They should find out their shortcomings and inadequacy and make correct adjustments. With strengthening the consciousness of learners’ autonomous learning and making use of appropriate learning strategies, language learners may improve their overall language ability.