A Study Of The Use Of Meta-Cognitive Strategies In Autonomous English Listening Learning Of Junior High School Students

In English learning,listening as an input-type language skill is a top priority.A large number of relevant research and literature show that due to the limitation of class hours and cognitive level,the level of listening comprehension of junior high school students is generally low.Moreover,learning interest and initiative are not high enough.In order to solve this problem and promote the improvement of learners’ level of listening comprehension,more and more experts and scholars recognize the importance of using meta-cognitive strategies in English listening learning.As a higher level of execution strategy in learning strategies,meta-cognitive strategies,it refers to a kind of learning strategy which involves the conscious planning,monitoring and evaluation in learning process,and which plays an important role in improving learners’ listening ability,especially autonomous ability in listening learning.Therefore,the paper will mainly proceed with looking into the current conditions of the use of meta-cognitive strategies in the autonomous learning of English listening for junior high school students by combining questionnaire survey with interview as research instruments.This study will mainly solve the following three questions:(1)What are the junior high school students’ understanding and attitude towards meta-cognitive strategies?(2)Which meta-cognitive strategies are most frequently used by the junior high school students in their autonomous English listening learning?(3)What problems do the junior high school learners have in using meta-cognitive strategies in their autonomous learning of English listening? In addition,this study’s participants involve 140 students and 3 English teachers,who come from Grade Two in Junior High School of City Z and this study based on these theories covering autonomous learning,meta-cognition and meta-cognitive strategies intends to carry out concrete and in-depth investigation and study in a Middle School of City Z.The results of this study show that most junior high school students lack the understanding and cognition of the concept of meta-cognitive strategy,and take a relatively negative attitude towards the use of meta-cognitive strategies.Among these three meta-cognitive strategies the monitoring strategy is most frequently used by them.However,there are still many problems in their uses of meta-cognitive strategies,for example,during listening they couldn’t distribute the time scientifically,solve the difficulties correctly and after listening they couldn’t reflect on the application of meta-cognitive strategies consciously.Through this study,some pedagogical suggestions are put forward by this paper: teachers need to integrate meta-cognitive strategies into English listening teaching;teachers’ roles should be adjusted from the dominator to the guide and supervisor;listening teaching ideas and methods should be changed in order to help students become active participants in learning activities to some extent.