A Comparative Study Of English Learning Strategies Between Mongolian And Han Students In Vocational Colleges

Language learning strategies are one of the decisive factors for language learners in successful language learning.Since the advent of the 1960 s,scholars at home and abroad have carried out related research on English learning strategies and achieved fruitful research results.However,the research on the comparative study of English learning strategies between Mongolian and Han students in higher vocational colleges remains to be improved.The purpose of this thesis is to discuss the current situation of Mongolian and Han vocational students using English learning strategies in their English learning process.Through the comparative analysis of their use of English learning strategies,the thesis explores the similarities and differences in the use of English learning strategies between Mongolian and Han students,the existing problems and the reasons which cause the similarities and differences.Therefore,basing on research findings,inspirational suggestions have been put forward to educators engaged in English teaching to minority students.This study takes the Mongolian and Han students from Hulunbuir Higher Vocational College as the research object,and uses questionnaires,interviews,and comparative research methods to investigate the current situation of English learning strategies of 692 vocational college students in the Hulunbuir Higher Vocational College.The conclusion is based on the analysis of the statistics software SPSS17.0 to the collected data and the interview to five Han students,five Mongolian students and three teachers.The research draws the following conclusions: 1.The average of the four dimensions of English learning strategies of both Mongolian and Han vocational students in the Hulunbuir area is generally low,which indicates that vocational students are not good at using learning strategies in English learning;2.to Han vocational students,the average value of the communication strategy is the lowest,and the average value of the emotion strategy is the highest.However,to the Mongolian high vocational student,the average value of meta-cognitive strategies is the lowest,and the average value of the emotional strategies is the highest.3.The emotional strategies and cognitive strategies of Mongolian and Han students are both relatively high,indicating that Mongolian and Han students have better ability in cultivating,adjusting and controlling their emotions,as well as strategies for identifying,understanding,maintaining,and extracting information during the learning process;4.The mean values of cognitive strategies,affective strategies,and meta-cognitive strategies of Mongolian students are lower than those of Han vocational students,but the average value of their communication strategies is higher than that of Han students.This is related to the“tri-lingual”background of Mongolian vocational students.Many students have to start to learn English though they don't grasp the Chinese language well,which in turn leads to a low mean value in using the above three learning strategies.The reason why students in vocational colleges in Hulunbuir are not good at using English learning strategies is their anxiety of English learning comes from their previous learning habits and attitudes,thus the effectiveness of learning strategies is low and so on.The following suggestions have been made for teachers engaged in minority English teaching: 1.Formulate higher vocational teaching models with characteristics of ethnic minority areas;2.Integrate learning strategy training in English teaching;3.Establish a diversified evaluation system;4.Compile English textbooks suitable for cognitive characteristics of vocational students in minority areas;5.Reinforce English learning strategy training to teachers.In the end,the effectiveness of English learning for ethnic minority students in remote areas need to be improved through various means in order to cultivate new types of qualified,applied talents who will master learning strategies,highly qualified,and serve the society well.