Research On Listening Strategy Training Of Non-English Majors In Self-access Centers

With the prevailing of the student-centered teaching and learning concept, the fostering of learner's autonomy in learning is drawing increasing attention from researchers and practioners. Self-access learning which ensures students to take full advantage of the available learning resources and technology has gradually been accepted by teachers and learners. After the implementation of the College English Curriculum Requirements (Trial Version 2004), a number of universities in China built up their own self-access centers and imported advanced teaching and learning software to practice self-access learning among learners, which changed the traditional learning environment and way of accessing learning materials, but about how to improve learning efficiency in self-access learning still need further exploration.Studies has demonstrated that specially-designed learning strategy training can promote the development of learners'autonomy in class-room learning. This thesis mainly studies the impact of listening strategy training on learners' listening proficiency and self-access listening process in self-access centers. The research environment is defined as self-access learning in self-access learning centers which differs from the traditional classroom learning or laboratory environment.The first chapter introduces the background, aims and significance of the current study and the layout of the thesis. Research findings in the field of listening comprehension, learning strategies, listening strategies and strategy training are reviewed under the theoretical framework of information processing theory in cognitive linguistics, which serves to explain the cognitive process of listening comprehension, the way listening strategies exert influence on listening comprehension process and the learnability of listening strategies as a kind of cognitive skill. Based on the learning strategy theory of O'Malley and Chamot (1990), with the guidance of the eight-step training model of Oxford (1990) and the Cognitive Academic Language Learning Approach (CALLA), a training program is designed and conducted to 140 Non-English Majors of Zhengzhou University during 11 weeks. The subjects are divided into two groups—experimental group and control group. They practice listening in the same self-access center for 45 minutes every week. Only the experimental group receives listening strategy training. Students of both groups are asked to take a listening comprehension test and complete a questionnaire on listening strategy use in self-access learning before the experiment, the results of which helps the author devise and implement the strategy training program on the experimental group. Group work, thinking-aloud and brainstorming are adopted and the subjects are required to complete strategy checklists and keep learning journals. Another listening comprehension test is conducted at the end of the program.Analysis of the scores of the two listening comprehension tests, the strategy checklist and the learning journal reveals that the strategy training program can raise learners'awareness of using strategies and improve their listening proficiency. Self-access learning assisted with listening strategy training can greatly increase learners'autonomy in self-access listening learning.This study verifies and expands the previous studies, points out the current problems in self-access listening and offers empirical supports to college English self-access listening.