A Study On English Autonomous Learning Ability Of Grade 1 Students In Junior Middle School

Since the 80s of the 20th century, more and more language educators and researchers pay attention to the subjective initiative of the language learners. The Ministry of Education’s latest version of English Syllabus for Senior High Schools in 2004 demanded that the senior high students’ learner autonomy in their learning of English language should be enhanced.This study aims to explain the current status of English autonomous learning ability of Grade 1 students in junior middle school and how to help them to cultivate their autonomous learning ability. Eight dimensions are used in this study to answer the following three questions. The first one is what’s the general status of English autonomous learning in Grade 1 in junior middle school? The second one is how’s the current situation of English autonomous learning ability in Grade 1 in junior middle school? The third one is how to cultivate learners’ English autonomous learning ability in junior middle school? The subjects of the quantitative study are 110 Grade 1 students in National Middle school and Third Middle school in Yizhou, and 15 students and 4 teachers are interviewed. This research presents the following major findings. First, although Grade 1 students have the ability to learn autonomously, the current status is not optimistic. Second, they don’t have a clear understanding about the English learning objectives and their learning motivation is weak. Third, most of the students do not understand the English language learning strategies and can not use them freely. Fourth, most students are not good self-controllers and seldom do self-evaluation and self-regulation. Fifth, most of the students don’t know how to make full use of extracurricular resources. The author also gives some advices for students and teachers aiming at theses problems. For instance, students should enhance their autonomous learning awareness and collaboration consciousness, and try to use effective learning strategies and form good learning habits. Moreover, teachers should change their roles and help students to master the learning strategies and monitor their learning process.The present study has presented some implications, and the author hopes that the study can help the students improve their English learning autonomy ability and learn better in their future English learning. Moreover, whether the study result would be suitable for the whole students in junior middle school remains to be seen.