A Study On The Application Of Meta-cognitive Strategy In Junior High School Students’ English Listening Learning

It is generally considered that listening is an essential factor among the four basic skills which are listening, speaking, reading and writing in foreign language learning. Listening plays a significant and positive role in improving learners’ foreign language proficiency. However, because of the influence of the traditional English teaching mode, learners gradually become passive recipients rather than active and positive participants in the process of listening. In recent years, with the reform of basic education, the significance of English listening comprehension has become more and more important in English learning. Under such a background, the strategies that could be developed for junior high school students to improve their English listening learning effectively have drawn more and more attention from scholars at home and abroad.Meta-cognitive strategy, as a higher-order executive skill, could plan, monitor and evaluate the learning process. Since 1970 s, lots of linguistic scholars home and abroad have made considerable researches on meta-cognitive theories and the application of meta-cognitive strategies in language teaching and learning. They find new ways to study listening teaching. There are numerable studies on the effects of integrating the application of meta-cognitive strategies into listening learning of university students. However, investigations on junior high school students are relatively few.This study focuses on the research of the application of meta-cognitive strategies in junior high school students’ English listening learning. The author mainly discusses the following questions:Firstly, how do junior high school students use meta-cognitive strategies in English listening learning?Secondly, what are the differences between the two different grades of students in using meta-cognitive strategies?Thirdly, what are the problems remained in English listening learning?In order to answer the research questions mentioned, the author chooses 186 students from Yantai NO.10 Middle School as participants and uses The Meta-cognitive Strategy Questionnaire(TMSQ)to study the application of meta-cognitive strategies. Besides, interview, as another main research instrument, is applied to the study. The author analyses the process from planning, monitoring, and evaluating through pre-listening, while-listening, and post-listening stages. According to the analysis of 180 effective questionnaires and interviews, the author discusses the application of meta-cognitive strategies and analyzes the problems remained in English listening learning. Based on the findings, problems remained in the implementation of English listening learning are concluded. Finally, effective approaches could be found out to improve students’ listening proficiency.The findings of the study are listed as below:(1) The overall meta-cognitive strategies are used frequently in English listening learning. Junior high school students tend to apply planning strategies, monitoring strategies, and evaluating strategies. While monitoring strategies are more frequently used, planning strategies are at a medium frequency level and evaluating strategies are at a lower frequency level.(2) After studying the differences between grade 8 and grade 9 students in using meta-cognitive strategies, the author finds that: students in high grade are more willing to employ planning, monitoring, and evaluating strategies to deal with problems in listening process.(3) Language knowledge, cultural background knowledge, psychological factors make certain impacts on students’ listening learning. Besides, teachers have problems of neglecting the cultivation of students’ listening skills and ignoring the purpose of students’ listening training.In view of the situations above, the author puts forward the following suggestions:1. Students should strengthen their awareness of applying listening strategies, and focus on the training of listening comprehension. If the problems and weakness found, they should make corresponding adjustments for listening strategies.2. Since the application of meta-cognitive strategies has a positive effect on students’ abilities of planning, monitoring, and evaluating effectively in listening learning process, students should employ meta-cognitive strategies to make listening plan, self-monitor listening process, and evaluate effects. With these methods, students’ initiatives could be developed. What’s more, their listening proficiency could be improved and the learning methods could be optimized.