A Study Of English Learning Strategies For Non-English Majors In Higher Vocational Colleges Based On Dynamic Systems Theory

In recent years,with the research of second language acquisition(SLA)shifting from focusing on language teaching to focusing on learners themselves,language learning strategies(LLS)as an important factor affecting SLA have been paid more and more attention by linguists all over the world.The use of LLS is one of the essential aspects of language teaching and research,and the research of LLS has important practical significance for the second language teaching and learning.Through the linguistic literature review and research,we can find that researchers both at home and abroad tend to study learning strategies from a static perspective,very few from the dynamic perspective.We also find that Dynamic Systems Theory(DST),as early as in 1997,was introduced into SLA research by American linguist Larsen-Freeman.Following Larsen-Freeman,many other linguists have begun to study SLA from the DST perspective and achieved fruitful results.But there is only little literature on the research of LLS from the DST perspective.Therefore,this study,based on the theory that learning strategies are beneficial both to teachers' language teaching and students' language learning,chooses some non-English major freshmen from Shandong Urban Construction Vocational College as its research subjects,and then investigates and analyzes their choice and use of English learning strategies from a dynamic perspective.The main research contents include: the overall use of English learning strategies by the subjects,the development of English learning strategy use in different periods,the relationship between English learning strategies and English achievements,and the dynamic relationship between learning strategies and their affecting factors.This study adopts a method combining quantitative and qualitative research.The quantitative investigation,with SILL(Strategy Inventory for Language Learning)(Oxford,1990)Chinese version as its survey tool,selects 102 non-English major freshmen from Shandong Urban Construction Vocational College as its research subjects to examine their strategy use across their first school year,and then the research results are typed into the computer to be analyzed with SPSS(Statistical Package for the Social Science)19.0.The qualitative study,involving 26 volunteer students from the 102 participants,is conducted through both interview and diary study,making a comprehensive understanding of participants' individual activities,psychological state and learning context across their first school year.Through the analysis of the quantitative and qualitative survey results in this study,we have made the following findings:(1)non-English major students from the college generally show relatively low frequency of English learning strategy use;(2)studentsgradually improve their learning strategy level from the time they enter the college through their first school year;(3)higher English proficiency students commonly use learning strategies more frequently and effectively than lower English proficiency students;(4)students' use of English learning strategies is not static,but changing and developing constantly.This thesis makes a preliminary discussion on the study of LLS from the DST perspective.It has certain significance to the future research of LLS from the DST perspective,helping to enrich the research methods in the linguistic field.It also has certain referential and enlightening meaning for college teachers to offer reasonable guidance to students' language learning and for students to make use of learning strategies appropriately and effectively.