The Correlation Between Self-Concept And English Learning Achievement: An Empirical Study On Chinese College Non-English Majors

The term'self-concept'has been taken from psychology, however, it has become more and more a vital concern in the context of foreign language teaching because of the reciprocal relationship between self-concept and academic performance, and the crucial role that academic self-concept plays in foreign language learning.This thesis analyzes the correlation between English learning self-concept and English study, based on a comparison between the students' English learning self-concept and their CET Band 4 achievement. A survey was conducted on 113 non-English major sophomores randomly selected from Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT). The data collected were subjected to correlational, t-test and ANOVA analysis by using SPSS 14.0 software.Results show that English achievement correlates significantly with English learning self-concept. Compared with students with negative English self-concept, those with positive English self-concept are more confident and active in their English language learning, and naturally get better achievement in English. That is to say, positive English self-concept has its mediating and motivating power to facilitate EFL (English as a foreign language) learning, and English self-concept can be considered as one of predictors and influencing factors for students'English achievement.According to the findings of the present study, several recommendations which can be translated into practical application in the classroom are provided for college English teachers in order to enhance students'English learning self-concept and to improve their English achievement simultaneously.