Correlation Between Meta-cognitive Strategies And English Autonomoues Learning Competence Of Non-english Majors

College English Curriculum Requirements (2007) stated that “one of the goals ofteaching model reform is to promote the students’ personal learning method and students’autonomous learning competence. The new instructional model ought to enable students toselect the materials and methods suitable to themselves, and get the instructions of learningstrategies, therefore improving their autonomous learning competence gradually.” Therefore,this thesis intends to study meta-cognitive strategies (MSs), which is one of the psychologicalmechanisms impacting on college English autonomous learning (EAL), so as to analyze itsinfluence on English autonomous learning competence of non-English majors in NorthwestA&F University, to improve learners autonomous learning competence, to lay the foundationfor their lifelong learning, and to achieve the ultimate goal of education. The study intends toexplore the overall application status of MSs and the competence of EAL by questionnaires,so as to explore the correlation and interactive relationship between MSs and EAL. Based onthe research findings, the research intends to explore the necessity and feasibility of languagestrategies training for students in Agricultural and Forestry University to learn Englishautonomously, and to provide reference for the reform of college English network teaching inNorthwest A&F University. In addition, it’s expected to be of great help for learners’ toenhance their EAL competence and English academic achievement (EAA) as well as theirlanguage integrated learning competence, which is exactly the purpose of this study.The research questions include:(1).What are the status of MSs application and EALcompetence originated from non-English majors in Northwest A&F University?(2).What arethe differences of MSs application and EAL competence between CET-4high-achieving andlow-achieving groups?(3).What are the correlations of MSs application and EAL competenceas well as EAA?(4).What are the influences of MSs and EAL on EAA, and how about theirpredictability?This study takes151non-English major undergraduates from grade2009in NorthwestA&F University as subjects, and the study combines quantitative and qualitative to collect andanalyze data. Firstly, it is to probe the overall status of subjects’ application of MSs and EALcompetence by questionnaire. Secondly, it will select15participants randomly to do tracinginvestigation and case study. This qualitative study intends to find the tendency and application frequency of MSs and its influence on EAL competence as well as the internalcorrelation of the two variables. Thirdly, it is to collect all the subjects’ CET-4scores to beEAA. Finally，the reliability analysis of questionnaires and all data of quantitative study wereprocessed and analyzed by SPSS16.0. The descriptive statistics, independent-samples t-test,correlation analysis and multiple linear regression analysis were adopted so as to probe intothe differences and correlations of subjects’ use frequency of MSs, EAL competence andEAA, at the same time to explore the influence of MSs and EAL on EAA, namely the scoresof CET-4, and to validate the effectiveness of meta-cognitive strategies. The findings are asfollows:1. The descriptive statistics indicate that the use frequency of MSs and subjects’ realstatus of EAL competence are all at a medium level. In another word, the subjects’ usefrequency of MSs is relatively low; the awareness of EAL is weak and their competence ofEAL is not high. In which, the lowest frequency is self-managing strategy, while the degree ofdepending on teachers is at a high level, and it turned out that subjects’ EAL awareness andcompetence are relatively weak, too.2. The results of independent-samples t-test show that there is a significant differencebetween CET-4high-achieving and low-achieving groups in use frequency of MSs and EALcompetence. The high-achieving groups exhibit a high frequency in applying MSs, and theirEAL competence is much stronger than that of the low-achieving groups; meanwhile, theirdegree of depending on teachers is slightly lower than that of the low-achieving ones.3. According to the results of correlation analysis, the subjects’ MSs are significantlyand positively correlated with both EAL competence and their EAA. Meanwhile, the degreeof depending on teachers is negatively correlated with the scores of CET-4, this result showsthat the higher CET-4scores the subjects’ get, the lower degree they depend on teachers, andthe higher EAL competence they have.4. The multiple linear regression analysis shows that the use frequency of MSs andEAL competence are two powerful predictors of EAA. In addition, EAL competence is thestrongest predictor of EAA, which indicates that the higher EAL competence contributes a lotto achieving much higher EAA. Hence, improving learners’ awareness and ability of MSs canhelp them promote higher awareness and competence of EAL and achieve greater levels ofEAA.The interviews findings are consistent with the results of quantitative study. Mostinterviewees believed that LSs and MSs are related to EAL, and EAL competence may impacton their EAA.The research results indicate clearly that it is necessary to do some scientific learning strategies training for non-English majors in Northwest A&F University, especially on MSstraining in the future language teaching, so as to help them establish correct and positivelearning beliefs and to promote their learning methods for much better and suitable ones,therefore to improve their EAL competence and EAA effectively.