A Study Of The Correlation Between Group Dynamics And English Autonomous Learninq Of Senior High School Students

In recent years, "autonomous learning" has become a hot topic in the field of foreign language teaching and more and more attention has been paid to the concept of learner center. In Chinese senior high schools, students’EFL learning usually takes place in the classroom, so the learner group correlates closely with learners’autonomy. There is so much research about learner autonomy in foreign language learning at home and abroad. However, the research concerning the relationship between EFL learners’ autonomous learning and group dynamics remains scant, especially in mainland China.Dornyei and Malderez state that a cohesive learner group with positive group norms can positively influence learners’ foreign language learning, such as learning motivation, efficacy and so on. This study employs group cohesiveness and group norms of group dynamics theory and aims to explore the correlation between group dynamics and senior high students’ English autonomous learning, including the following aspects:1) students’ present situation of group dynamics and autonomous learning; 2) the correlation between group factors and autonomous beliefs or actual autonomous behaviors; 3) from students’ own perspectives, how a learner group influences their English autonomous learning. This research employs a quantitative study, and a qualitative study. The questionnaires were administrated to students from two classes.The findings from the questionnaires show that there is a positive correlation between group dynamics and students’autonomous learning in English. In this research, five students from each class, a total of ten, were asked to give further information during an semi-structured in-depth interview. Most of the students commented that their EFL autonomous learning is indeed influenced by their learner groups.According to the research, the author finds that there is a statistical correlation between group dynamics and students’ English autonomous.learning. A cohesive learner group with positive group norms can positively influence learners’autonomy in English learning, and vice versa. The author hopes that it can provide some implications for English teachers, especially in promoting group cohesiveness and shaping positive group norms which can promote English autonomous learning of students.