A Case Study Of Four Good English Learners

From the1970s, studies on good language learners began to be carried out. Manyresearchers like Rubin, Stern，Naiman, Frohlich, Tedosco and Ellis separately conducted studieson good language learners and found out the shared characteristics of the good language learners.In China, studies on good language learners started in the1980s. From then on, many Chineseresearchers did many detailed studies on second language learning strategies. However, thestudies on good language learners mostly adopted the method of questionnaires and most of thesubjects of the studies are college students. Studies on middle school students and primarystudents are few.The subjects of this case study are four Junior One students who are recognized as goodEnglish learners and recommended by their English teacher according to their high scores in anEnglish test. This research lasts17weeks. The methods of this study are interviews and theclassroom observation. On the basis of careful analysis of the collected data, salientcharacteristics and use of language learning strategies of the four subjects are separatelypresented. After that, this thesis makes a comparison of the four subjects in the aspects of familybackground, learning experience, learning strategies, motivation and attitude. Besides, the thesisalso lists the shared characteristics of the four subjects: positive English learning attitude, strongautonomous learning ability, high level of ambiguity tolerance, taking good advantage oflearning resources, good English learning habits, undertaking extracurricular learning activities,and flexible use of language learning strategies. The language learning strategies that make thesubjects successful are metacognitive strategies，cognitive strategies，memory strategies andcompensation strategies.The findings of this research can provide some useful advice to less successful Englishlearners and also lay the basis for further studies on good language learners in the future. Thisthesis concludes the main factors leading the subjects to success which include the support of theparents, curricular and extracurricular study, using language learning strategies according to their need, strong motivation and right learning attitude. This thesis discusses the teaching implicationin the aspects of language learning strategy training, the cultivation of autonomous learningability, recommending English books，encourage and guide students’ extracurricular learning,and providing opportunities for students to use English. At the end of the thesis, limitations ofthe study are explained and suggestions for further study are presented.