The Study On The Relationships Among Field-cognitive Style, Learning Strategies And Learner Autonomy

In recent years, the researches on learners’individual differences and learning strategies has received more and more attentions from scholars and teachers in second language learning and teaching. A lot of studies show that learners’cognitive styles influence on the use of learning strategies which are related to the learner autonomy to a large extent. As for Chinese college students, their autonomous learning ability is not so satisfying because of the influence of exam-oriented education. Therefore, the research into the relationships among field-independent/dependent cognitive style, learning strategies and learner autonomy is of great significance to both second language learning and teaching in China.The present study, involving100freshmen with non-English major in two classes in independent college, aim at investigating the general situations of FI/FD cognitive style, learning strategies and learner autonomy as well as the relationships among the three variables. Meanwhile, the instructional intervention of learning strategies is carried out in Experimental Class to testify the effectiveness of the instructional intervention in the improvement of learning strategies and learner autonomy. The findings show as followings:1) The subjects vary in the field-cognitive style, but most of them are between the two extremes of field-cognitive continuum. Their use of total learning strategies is medium, indicating that the students sometimes use these learning strategies, not frequently. Their level of learner autonomy is also moderate, not too strong nor too weak.2) Before the instructional intervention, the learners in Experimental Class and in Control Class are not significantly different on field-cognitive style, learning strategies and learner autonomy.3) There are no significant differences in the total learning strategies and the total learner autonomy between field-independent and field-dependent learners.4) FI/FD has no relations with total learning strategies and total learner autonomy, but has correlations with meta-cognitive strategy and affective strategy. In addition, the learning strategies have significantly positive correlations with learner autonomy.5) The instructional intervention of learning strategies could effectively improve the use of learning strategies and the level of learner autonomy for independent college students. In summary, it is hoped that the results of this study will provide some implications for second language learning and teaching. On one hand, it is prior for freshmen to be aware of the importance of learning strategies and learner autonomy in college English learning. On the other hand, it is necessary for teachers to make clear idea of the key role of learning strategies played in the development of learner autonomy and thus can carry out instructional intervention of learning strategies. Subsequently, students can employ different learning strategies according to different learning tasks and contexts so as to the improvement of learner autonomy.