摘 要

随着英语教育的不断改革，口语学习的地位越来越重要，因此，口语学习的策略成为了现阶段英语教育中的热点话题。本文以研究大学生的口语学习策略为依据，回顾上个世纪以来的专家学者对于语言学习策略的定义和分类，以O’Malley and Chamot的学习策略分类为参考,将语言学习的策略分为元认知策略、情感策略、社交策略。本文实证部分，对武汉理工大学500名非英语专业学生进行调查研究，找出非英语专业学生在口语学习中的主要障碍并且了解学生语言学习策略运用情况，结果表明学生虽然有使用学习策略的意识但是对语言学习策略的使用仍然不够。最后，基于研究情况，作者对非英语专业学生的口语学习提出了一些建议，帮助学生找到合适的学习策略，制定口语学习计划，激发练习口语的热情，并且在社交中不断完善自我的口语能力。

关键词：英语口语；学习策略；口语教学

Abstract

The results of previous studies on language learning indicate that language learning strategies play an influential role in the process of language learning. In this regard, this paper tries to do a research results on language learning strategies of Non-English Majors’ learners and highlights the importance of these strategies in language learning and teaching. The paper studies the previous researches, learns the concept of language learning strategy, and concludes various classifications of language learning strategies proposed by researchers. The paper also discusses the factors which influence student’s choice of learning strategies and tries to help students to choose appropriate learning strategies. In addition to the findings, firstly, learning strategies do have effect on the learning of oral English; secondly, the effectiveness of a strategy depends not only on what task it applies to but on personal characteristics.

Key Words: oral English; language learning strategies; oral English teaching

Contents

1 Introduction 1

2 Literature Review 3

2.1 Studies on Language Learning Strategies Abroad 3

2.2 Studies on Language Learning Strategies in China 3

2.3 Definition and Classification of Language Learning Strategies 4

3 Case Study 6

3.1 Research Design 6

3.2 Data Collection and Analysis 7

4 Learning Obstacles and Learning Strategies of Oral English..................................................9

4.1 Student’s Leaning Attitudes towards Oral English 9

4.2 Students’ Learning Difficulties and Obstacles in Oral English Learning 9

4.3 Language Learning Strategies in Oral English 11

4.3.1 Metacognitive Strategies 11

4.3.2 Affective Strategies 13

4.3.3 Social Strategies 13

4.3.4 Summary of the strategies 14

4.4 Factors Influencing the Choice of Learning Strategies  14

5 Conclusion 16

References 15

Appendix 17

Acknowledgements 21

A Research on Non-English Majors’ Language Learning Strategies in Oral English

1 Introduction

With the cultural globalization, people will get more chances to communicate internationally in English. Obviously, spoken English is playing a much more important role in communications. So for college students, especially the non-English majors, oral English proficiency not only has become essential in daily life communication, but also become a competitive skill in their future career.

For the majority of the students, the class is the only way to practice oral English. Due to the limited learning time the input and output English of students is very poor. In some studies, experts think limited training time of English makes it hard for students to improve their oral English and psychologically prepare of expressing their ideas in English (Lee, 2003). In fact, most students have awareness of the importance of spoken English learning, but they feel daunted by the spoken English task ahead. Each student’s wish is to be able to speak fluent English, but when achieving the aspirations, they exhibit the self-confidence. One important reason is that they have never made remarkable achievements in spoken English learning. The confidence of spoken English learning of the students will be completely lost with age, which gradually reduces the initiative and innovation of spoken English learning (Lee, 2003). What’s more, being the lack of English vocabulary, students cannot apply the appropriate words and even forget the learned words in spoken English. Another problem is pronunciation, no matter English majors and non-English majors, their pronunciation and intonation are not quite standard. Therefore, how to help college students express themselves both accurately and fluently in English classroom and how to apply some new strategies in oral English learning become a heated research topic.

This paper aims to find out factors which influence oral English learning of college students by means of a survey and data analysis as well. Under the relevant second language acquisition theories, the paper tries to finds the existing problems of English teaching class at the present stage and the obstacles which affect students’ oral English learning. In addition, this paper also collects the classification of learning strategies in learning process, the relationship between learning strategies and learning results, and illustrates how to adopt effective learning strategies.

This paper contains five chapters. Chapter 1 is an introduction, which starts with a presentation of research background in language learning strategies, and then display the problems of spoken English of Chinese college students. In the end it points out the need and the significance of this research．Chapter 2 is a literature review which consists of two parts：firstly, the concept of language learning strategies; secondly, the study of learning strategies abroad and at home. Chapter 3 is a case study, two instruments were used to gather the data for this study: questionnaire and interview. The case study aims to find out students’ learning difficulties and obstacles in oral English learning and student’s leaning attitudes towards oral English. In Chapter 4, according to the obstacles and main factors found in the case study, the paper gives some advice on oral English learning. Chapter 5 draws a brief conclusion，it elaborates the findings and points out the limitations of the study．

2 Literature Review

2.1 Studies on Language Learning Strategies Abroad

In western countries, researchers have increased their interests in language learning strategies since 1970. In fact, most studies focus on the good learners’ methods in language learning. In 1971, Rubin’s study concerns the strategies of good language learners. In this study she believes that, such strategies could be offered to less successful learners. (Rubin,1971)

In other early researches, such as Stern, he believed that strategy is best reserved for general tendencies or overall characteristics of the approach employed by the language learner. (Stern,1983). According to Rubin’s study (1987), learning strategies are strategies which are beneficial for the development of the language system which the learner constructs and affect learning directly. In 1990s, Oxford defined strategies in general terms as steps taken by learners to enhance their own learning. She thought language learning strategies were behaviors or actions which learners used to learn a new language, which can reflect the tends of learners. She also indicated that context plays an important role in the language learning process. (Oxford，1990) In 1994, Elks found that a strategy consists of activity which is mental and related to all language learning process.