摘要
大量的研究己证实,运用恰当的学习策略可以保证学习效果和获得最佳的学习成绩(罗宾1975,夏莫特与库普尔1989,奥克斯福德1990,艾黎思1994 ,文秋芳1998),所以在我国的英语新课程标准中,鼓励英语教师提高学生运用英语学习策略的能力。在今天的我国英语课堂上,依然由教师决定着学习者学习的内容以及教学方法,但是这些方法与英语学习者所采用的学习方法通常并不一致(Ellis 1985)。许多英语学习者迫切寻找着能够提高他们外语能力的途径以适应这急剧变化的世界。于是语言教学领域发生了从以教师为中心向以学生为中心的转变。
在相关研究领域,虽然我国已有了一些关于英语学习策略的研究,但是针对高中生英语学习策略使用状况及差异的研究很少。所以本研究以呼市地区289名来自三类学校的高中学生为研究对象,调查高中生英语学习策略使用情况和水平,同时探究年龄、性别以及其他因素对英语学习策略使用的影响,以便为我区的英语教师提供有关学生使用英语学习策略情况的信息,因而我区的英语教师可以帮助学生培养学习策略的意识,掌握有效的学习策略,改善英语学习效果。
本研究采用的研究工具是著名的学习策略研究专家Oxford(1990)的SILL调查问卷。文章的数据分析通过SPSS软件进行。通过对原始数据的处理分析所得出的结果回答了针对本研究所提出的四个主要问题。研究结果表明:
(1)内蒙古地区高中生英语学习策略的运用水平不高,仅达到中等水平(M=2.90),低于北京市高中生的策略使用水平(M=3.10)。
(2)英语学习策略运用水平与学生的年级与学校类型相关。来自高水平学校的高一年级学生策略运用水平最高,来自低水平学校的高二年级的学生学习策略运用水平最差,来自中等水平学校的高三年级学生学习策略运用水平居中。这表明学习策略的运用与学生的年级之间不存在线性相关的关系,而学生(学校)的类型与学习策略的运用之间却存在着明显的线性相关关系。这一点在随后的学生分组与策略运用研究中得到证实。成功的语言学习者比不成功的学习者能更好地运用学习策略,并且语言水平更高。
(3)总体而言女生的英语学习策略的使用水平高于男生且应用的策略种类多。女生尤其更多地运用记忆策略与情感策略,男生则比女生较多地运用认知策略。
(4)在英语学习策略运用与学生分组之间存在着明显的线性相关关系。高分组的学生学习策略运用频率高于中分组,而中分组则高于低分组。配对样本T检验的结果表明,在P=.000的显著水平上,各组之间差别明显。
A great number of researches identified that the appropriate language learning strategies ensured effective learning and the best learning achievement. (Rubin 1975; Chamot & Kupper 1989; Oxford 1990; Ellis 1994;Wen Qiufang 1998;). Therefore, the New English Curriculum Standard for high schools in China advocates that language teachers develop the students' ability of using language learning strategies.
In today's English classroom in China, some teachers still decide what learners will learn and what teaching methods they will use. The methodology the teachers choose, however, usually fails to conform to the way in which learners learn the language (Elks, 1985). Many Chinese learners are urgently seeking ways to improve their English competence to keep up with the development of the changing world. As a result, there is a transition from a teacher-centered classroom to learner-centered classroom in the field of language teaching.
In the research area, although some studies have been conducted on language learning strategies in China, little research has been done among senior high school students. Therefore, this study was aimed at investigating how frequently language learning strategies were used by senior high school students in Huhhot of Inner Mongolia as well as to examine how English language learning strategies varied with age, gender and other factors in the context of Inner Mongolia. This study was also aimed at providing English teachers in our region with useful information on language learning strategies used by students, so that the Chinese English teachers could help their students develop an awareness of language learning strategies and master the effective learning strategies to improve their language learning.
In this study, 289 subjects were selected from three levels of students in Huhhot of Inner Mongolia .The instrument of collecting data on strategy use was Oxford's Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (1990).
The major findings of this study are as follows:
1.This study indicates that proficiency of using English learning strategies by senior high school students in Inner Mongolia is not high( m=2.90), only at the medium level according to Oxford’s scale, and lower than that of students in Beijing(m=3.10).
2.Proficiency of English learning strategy use varies with grades of students, and types of schools. The students from high-level schools, though they are the first graders, use English learning strategies most frequently; the students from the low-level school, though they are the second graders, use English strategies least frequently; the students from medium-level school, though they are the third graders, use the strategies less frequently than even the first graders, but a bit more frequently than the second graders. This indicates that there is no linear correlation between the use of language learning strategies and grade, but a clear linear correlation between the use of them and types of students (schools), which is also confirmed by the findings in groups of students. Successful language learners use language learning strategies better than unsuccessful language learners, and thus successful language learners tend to achieve higher language proficiency.
3.The study shows that female students use language learning strategies more often and with better results than male students. Female students particularly use more memory strategies and affective strategies than male students. Male students use a bit more cognitive strategies than female students.
4.There is a linear correlation between the different groups of students and the use of English learning strategies. The high achievers use the strategies more frequently than the medium achievers and medium achievers use them more frequently than the low achievers. Paired t-test shows that the differences are statistically significant at the level of .000.
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