Cultivating Autonomous English Learning Of Senior High School Students In Coastal Areas

Autonomous learning is of great significance in the students' lifelong development. As for the theoretical research of it, though great achievements have been made and it is employed in the domestic teaching practice, it is not widely carried out and it especially remains blank in the field of English practice in high schools. So far, the study objects are not middle school students but mainly college students.Modern educational theory thinks that teachers and students are the two basic elements in teaching activities. The students are those who are educated. But they don't accept the education passively. They have the subjectivity. Only through making use of the students' positivity can the effects of all kinds of education get expected results. Therefore, all the teaching activities must aim at promoting the students' go-aheadism and enthusiasm, making the students fully motivated, studying actively and good at studying.This thesis focuses on how to cultivate students' autonomous English learning competence in senior high schools in coastal areas. The author firstly expatiates on the necessity and feasibility of cultivating autonomous English learning among senior high school students in coastal areas. Secondly, the author analyzes the theories related to autonomous learning after presenting its core definition, puts forward its characteristics and explores the factors affecting autonomous learning. Based on the theoretical inspection of autonomous learning, the paper presents a survey into the current English teaching and learning among some students of a senior high school of Guangzhou in Guangdong through questionnaires, interviews and pre and post tests. The results show that there is significant difference between senior and junior students, male and female students as well as excellent and ordinary students regarding their autonomous English learning. The data analysis of them shows that autonomous learning has a great impact on students' learning performance and language learning achievement. It is of importance to correctly guide the senior high school students to utilize the superiority of resources and region to foster their autonomous English learning.In this thesis suggestions are made on how to cultivate and promote the competence of learners' autonomous English learning. Due emphasis is put on enhancing students' and teachers' autonomous awareness, training students' metacognitive strategies and making full use of the resources to make better the current English teaching and learning in senior high schools in coastal areas.