A Study Of Learning Characteristics Of Good Language Learners In Senior High Schools

In the field of English language research, the study on learner?s factors receives more and more attention. One of the important aspects in the research field is the study on the Good Language Learners. In fact much research on good language learners has been initiated since 1970 s abroad. The findings suggest that successful language learners do share some characteristics, such as they shared similar learning Researchers, such as also listed some of the most features born by those “good language learners” based on their interviews, observations and questionnaires from the subjects involved.From the 1980s, studies on successful English learners have been carried out in succession in China. Gui Shichun(1985) investigated Chinese college students and listed the characteristics of good language learners in the Chinese situation. Wen Qiufang(1995) made a comparison between one successful and another less successful college English major in the choice of language learning strategies. Fu Zheng(2001) provided a model on the essential factors of successful language learners. These researchers listed the characteristics of good language learners in the Chinese situation(Gui 1985), such as interest, motivation, learning strategies, learning habits, learning environment and learning autonomy and so on.From the research mentioned above, home and abroad, we can find that these researches are on good language learners among college students or adult learners. Compared with those adult learners, learners in high school are different in the specific psychology, learning purposes, learning motivations, learning condition and environment and social surroundings, so the good language learners in senior high schools must have their own specific characters. But researches on these senior high schools learners are very rare. Therefore, this thesis is to investigate into these high schools learners to find out the differences in motivation in foreign language learning, learner autonomy, strategy choice among “successful” learners in senior high schools and try to reveal the implication by these findings.The investigation was completed by the means of questionnaires, which was designed based on a previous study results and assigned to 248 students who all participated in the "national English level test for basic education"(SEAS PROFICIENCY TEST, referred to as “SEAS exam") and got excellent scores. And then interviews were conducted among 10 randomly selected students and 2 teachers. After data collection and analysis, the author got the final result, that is, the shared characteristics of good language learners of senior high school students in the English learning process. Firstly, they all have great interest and a strong motivation in learning English. Secondly, they feel content and joyful in English learning. Thirdly, they are actively involved in the process of English learning. Fourthly, they have mastered the learning skills and strategies so they are learning in high efficiency and they usually have a solid foundation to continue their learning. Fifthly, they are willing to study and they are of high learning autonomy. Finally, they tend to read and listen in large amount and they also pay much attention to their speaking and writing, and so on.The author summarized the main characteristics of good English learners in senior high school and then offered advice on how to motivate students in their learning, how to develop students? learning strategies and how to cultivate learning autonomy in those young learners. This thesis will be useful to English teaching and learning in senior high schools.