A Study Of English Majors’ Performance On Ambiguity Tolerance And Its Correlation With Different Skills In English Learning

In the process of language learning, it is inevitable to encounter uncertainties and ambiguities. Learners’psychological tendency to be willing to withstand unfamiliarity or to be anxious could make difference when acquiring a language (Kirton 1981:410; Mclain 1993:184). Ambiguity Tolerance (AT) refers to an individual’s cognitive willingness to tolerate the thoughts and propositions conflicting with his own belief and language structure, and its functions in language learning are widely reported by researchers in the second language acquisition domain. The present study is designed to detect learners’current levels of ambiguity tolerance and the correlations between ambiguity tolerance and different skills in English learning.This study aims at four questions:1) What is the current situation of English majors’ overall level of ambiguity tolerance? 2) What is the current situation of English majors’ ambiguity tolerance in different aspects of English learning? 3) Is there any gender difference in levels of ambiguity tolerance? 4) What is the correlation between English majors’ ambiguity tolerance and their performance of different skills in English learning?The subjects in the present study were 46 senior English majors and 1 English teacher in the same university. Research instruments included modified version of SLATS (Second Language Tolerance of Ambiguity Scale) designed by Ely in 1995, two model tests, one TEM-8 test and a semi-structured interview. The data collected were analyzed by SPSS 19.0. Descriptive analysis, frequency analysis, K-means cluster analysis and analysis of variance were adopted to detect the current situation of English majors’ overall level of AT as well as AT in different skills. A comparison among average scores of AT in different skills was used to locate skills students could tolerate most and least. At last, Pearson correlation analysis was employed to identify the correlation of each skill and AT. Moreover, a semi-structured interview was added in order to find out learners and instructor’s attitudes towards the function of ambiguity tolerance in language learning.According to the research result, the answers to the research questions are:1) A majority of students concentrate on the moderate level of AT in general performances; 2) Most learners have moderate level of ambiguity tolerance in writing, speaking and vocabulary, lower moderate level in reading and grammar, low level in listening. Through comparing average score of AT in each skill, it could be concluded that ambiguity tolerance performance in input items are higher than that in output items in general; 3) No obvious difference between males and females is detected; 4) Correlations between ambiguity tolerance and general performance, reading, listening and writing are significant and positive; while correlation with translation is weak and positive and no obvious correlation with cultural background knowledge is identified. The interview results show that both the learners and instructor hold a positive view towards the function of ambiguity tolerance.As for pedagogical implications, firstly, to raise learners’ degree of AT, teachers might get learners acquainted with the concept and know how it works; secondly, developing a moderate or high level of ambiguity tolerance is a gradual process and patience is in great need; lastly, with the help of ambiguity tolerance, learners could become problem-solver in language learning under teachers’ proper guidance.