A Research On The Correlation Between Field Cognitive Style And English Learning Attribution Of Non-English Majors

The outline of the national medium-and long-term education reform and development plan(2010-2020)and the ministry of education(2017)college English teaching guide,clearly required that college English teaching should fully reflect individualization,considering students at different level,making sure students' stable progress in learning English during the whole college career,at the same time do good to students' individual learning,thus to satisfy their different professional and characteristics learning needs.Both cognitive style and learning attribution are important variables to reflect individual differences.The present study focuses on investigating the general situation of the field cognitive style of non-English majors,the general situation of English learning attribution,and analyzing the correlation between field cognitive style and English learning attribution,so as to follow the college English Teaching Guide,better implement individualized teaching,and eventually realize the improvement and development of students with different cognitive styles.On the basis of Witkin's field cognitive style theory and Weiner's multidimensional-multiattributional theory,this study adopts the research method of questionnaires,and investigates totally 132 participants who are freshmen and sophomores of non-English majors from Guangxi Normal University.The twoquestionnaires used in this study were field cognitive style questionnaire and English learning attribution questionnaire.The field cognitive style questionnaire is the adjustment of that originally designed by Moore,Goodenough and Cox(Reid 2002).This questionnaire consisting of 30 items is divided into two parts: 15 items of field dependent style characteristics and other 15 items of field independent style characteristics.And each part contains five dimensions: reference,interpersonal ability,learning motivation,independent learning ability,analytic ability.The English learning attribution questionnaire was designed with reference to Li Xiaohua's English attribution scale(2011),made up of 24 items.It contains three dimensions(locus,controllability,stability)and twelve factors(ability,effort,interest,mood,learning strategy,learning foundation,task difficulty,luck,learning environment,others' help,teachers' teaching,and paper measurement).This study mainly focuses on the following three questions:(1)What is the general situation of field cognitive style of non-English majors?(2)What is the general situation of English learning attribution of non-English majors?(3)Are there any correlations between field cognitive style and English learning attribution? If so,what are they? The results show:(1)On general,non-English majors have a tendency for field independent styles.Specifically,52 students belong to field dependent style,accounting for 39.4%;66 students belong to field independent style,taking up 50%;and 14 students are field-mixed style which covers 10.6% of the total.(2)Generally,the situation of non-English majors' English learning attribution is internal,controllable and stable attribution.(3)Field dependent style has insignificant negative relationship with English learning attribution;field independent style has significant positive medium relationship with English learning attribution.Based on the analysis of the investigation results,in order to better implement the individualized college English teaching,and finally contribute to promoting students' individual development,some feasible suggestions are put forward for college English teachers and students.For college English teachers,they are supposed to teach according to students' cognitive styles;guide students to choose suitable learning strategies;build harmonious relationship with students;strengthen students' intrinsic learning motivation;guide students to make proper attribution.As for students,they should transform learning styles in different learning context;develop positive self-concept;participate more in cooperative learning.