A Research On Non-English-Major Students' English Learning Habits In Higher Vocational Colleges

It is impossible to learn English well overnight. English learning is a long-term process. There are great significance and functions of learning habits for English learners, which are beneficial for consolidating and improving their English. With the development of the society and the update of knowledge, the competition of science and technology becomes more and more intense, so does the competition for talents. In such an era of knowledge explosion, it is difficult to meet the needs of social development if teachers blindly impart knowledge into students. At present, many countries in the world are taking "let students learn to learn" as the most important direction of teaching reformation. In Bacon's opinion about habits, he thought that, habits are strong power and can dominate one's life. The famous educationist Mr. Ye Shengtao pointed out that, the purpose of education is to cultivate good habits. When a person has good habits, he can not only achieve academic progress but also adapt to social development and the demands of the times, which lays a solid foundation for one's life-long learning. According to exploring the situation of non-English-major students" English learning habits in vocational college, the present study aims to cultivate students'English learning habits through offering some practical suggestions.In this study, the research is mainly based on the means of questionnaire, interview and classroom observation.318 students and 4 English teachers are selected randomly in Vocational College of Guilin University of Electronic Technology to answer the questionnaire and some of them have been interviewed and observed. According to students'knowing about habits and learning habits, the study analyzes and investigates their English learning habits from 4 categories, which are before-class learning habits, in-class learning habits, after-class learning habits and reflecting learning habits.73 students were selected randomly to complete the questionnaire in trail test on October 25, 2014, and it was found out that its reliability was low. After the questionnaire was modified, it was handed out to 330 students on October 29,2014 again. With relative teachers'help, it was collected on the same day and 318 copies were found validly. The reliability of the questionnaire is 0.956. The validity of it is also available, and the percentage of accumulation of all items is more than 45% except Item E1. The study attempts to answer the following questions:(1) How is the overall situation of students'English learning habits?(2) What are the similarities and differences of students'English learning habits between female students and male students?(3) Is there any difference between science students and liberal arts students in their English learning habits?(4) What is the correlation between students'habits and their English scores in the National College Entrance Examination?(5) What are the solutions to the problems in their English learning habits?The main findings of investigation and analysis are as follows:(1) The students are lack of knowing about habits and learning habits correctly, and they do not realize the influence of learning habits on their English learning fully. In addition, it also shows that the students overestimate their English learning habits. Generally speaking, their English learning habits are not good. Even though the mean of before-class learning habits (Mean=2.58) is the highest in the 4 categories which are before-class learning habits, in-class learning habits, after-class learning habits and reflecting learning habits, the students are still lack of learning strategies. For example, they always focus on reciting new words and phrases mechanically. As a result, non-English-major students'English learning habits should be strengthened urgently.(2) As for students'knowing about habits and learning habits, the mean of boys is higher than that of girls, and there is no significant difference between them. For before-class learning habits, the mean of boys is lower than that of girls, but there is no significant difference between them. For in-class learning habits, the mean of boys is higher than that of girls and the difference between them is significant. As for after-class learning habits, the mean of boys is higher than that of girls, but there is no significant difference between them. For reflecting learning habits, the mean of boys is higher than that of girls and the difference between them is significant.(3) The mean of liberal arts students is higher than that of science students in these 4 categories, while there is only significant difference in their in-class learning habits.(4) Combined with questionnaire results analysis, class observation as well as interviews to teachers and students, it finds out that there is significant correlation between students' learning habits and their English scores in the National College Entrance Examination. The better the students" learning habits are, the higher their scores are.(5) Based on these findings, some suggestions are provided for teachers, students and editing teaching materials. For the teachers, they should help students know about habits and learning habits fully, innovate teaching modes, create learning situations, enrich teaching methods, set a good example to students as well as strengthen and supervise students'behaviors. For students, they should strengthen subject consciousness, overcome inner inferiority, have positive attitudes, improve learning interests, have strong willpower as well as make and carry out learning schedules. For editing teaching materials, it should stand out professional characteristics, optimize teaching objectives and adjust to teaching contents so as to meet students'needs.The research will help us know non-English majors students'English learning habits in vocational college further and promote us to cultivate students' English learning habits through taking appropriate measures, while the conclusion of the research is only based on limited number of students and can not represent the situation of non-English-major students in English learning in all vocational colleges. We should combine more methods in the research such as case research. The subjects should be enlarged. More participants from different vocational colleges should be involved in the research so that the result is more representative.