對楚雄州初中彝族學(xué)生英語學(xué)習(xí)策略的實(shí)證研究

1、對楚雄州初中彝族學(xué)生英語學(xué)習(xí)策略的實(shí)證研究                Table of ContentsContents                           &

2、#160;          PageTable of contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .iList of tables and figures . .vConventions and abbreviations. . viAcknowledgements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . viiStatement of authorship. . . . . . . . . . . . .ixAbstract ( in Englis

3、h) . . . . . . . . . . . . .  xAbstract ( in Chinese) . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiiiChapter One   Introduction1.1 Introduction to the study 11.2 Statement of the problems 11.2.1 The drawbacks of the present theoretical outcomes 11.2.2 The Yi students special background21.2.3 The prese

4、nt situation of English language teaching for the Yi students in Chuxiong 41.3 Rationale of the study 51.4 Objectives of the study61.5 Significance of the study61.6 Outline of the thesis 7Chapter Two   Literature Review 2.1 Introduction 8i2.2 Definitions of learning strategies 82.3 Categor

5、ies of learning strategies : an overview 92.4 Summary 14Chapter Three   Methodology3.1 Introduction 163.2 Specific research questions 163.3 Participants173.4 Sampling  173.5 Instruments . 183.5.1 Questionnaire . . 183.5.2 Interviews .  183.5.3 English scores of two tests 183.5.4

6、Classroom observations 183.6 Data collection procedures . 193.6.1 Subject selection 19   3.6.2 Classroom observations 19   3.6.3 Questionnaire design 20   3.6.4 Pilot study .20   3.6.5 Delivery of the questionnaire 20   3.6.6 Interviews .213.7 Data a

7、nalysis 213.7.1 Validity of data .213.7.2 Quantitative analysis of the data 223.7.3 Qualitative analysis of the data 233.8 Summary 23iiChapter Four   Results and Discussions4.1 Introduction 244.2 Category framework of learning strategies in this study 244.3 Results and discussions about th

8、e quantitative research 254.3.1 Correlation between beliefs and learning results. 254.3.1.1 Results of the Pearson Correlation analysis . 254.3.1.2 Findings.264.3.2 Differences between beliefs of high-achievers and low-achievers26  4.3.2.1 Results of the Independent Samples Test .26  4.3.2

9、.2 Discussions and implications. 274.3.3 Correlation between learning strategies and learning results.27  4.3.3.1 Results of the Pearson Correlation analysis . 27  4.3.3.2 Discussions 294.3.4 Differences between strategy application of high-achievers and low-achievers . . 294.3.4.1 Results

10、 of the Independent Samples Test. 29  4.3.4.2 Discussions. 304.3.5 Comprehensive analysis of the Yi students strategy application .30  4.3.5.1 Descriptive statistics of each strategy category . 30  4.3.5.2 Findings 314.3.6 The Yi students main difficulties in English learning31 

11、4.3.6.1 Frequency distribution and description of the difficulties 31  4.3.6.2 Results of the Pearson Correlation .31  4.3.6.3 Conclusions .324.4 Results and discussions about the qualitative research324.4.1 Results of individual interviews for teachers324.4.2 Results of individual intervi

12、ews for students32iii4.4.3 Summary of difficulties in learning .334.4.4 Findings and discussions. 354.5 Summary.35                   Chapter Five    Conclusion   5.1Introduction.36 

13、;  5.2 Major findings from the study36 5.2.1 Findings on strategy application of the Yi students 36      5.2.2 Findings on the correlation between the Yi students strategy application and learning results . .36      5.2.3 Findings on the Yi

14、 students difficulties in English learning36   5.3 Implications.37     5.3.1 Theoretical implications .37      5.3.2 Methodological implications37      5.3.3 Practical implications38      5.3.4 P

15、edagogical implications. 385.4 Limitations of the study and suggestions for future research39 References. 40Appendix 1 Questionnaire .43Appendix 2 Individual interview for students . 47Appendix 3 Individual interview for teachers48Appendix 4 Transcription of individual interviews for teachers49

16、Appendix 5 Transcription of individual interviews for students52Appendix 6 Tables and figures in quantitative analysis62ivList of Tables and Figures Table 2.1: Definitions of learning strategies .8Table 2.2: OMalley and Chamots categories of learning strategies .12Table 2.3: Oxfords classificat

17、ion of learning strategies .12Table 3.1: Summary of classroom observations .19Fig. 3.2: Frequency distribution of the first test . 22Table 4.1: A table for checking questionnaire items within each category .24Table 4.2: Correlation between beliefs and learning results 25Table 4.3: Frequency distribu

18、tion of beliefs No.4, 5, 9 and 19 62Table 4.4: Descriptive statistics of low-achievers and high-achievers .26Table 4.5: Correlation between learning strategies and learning results .28Table 4.6: Frequency distribution of strategies No.3, 6 and 12 63Table 4.7: Frequency of strategies No.13, 15, 16 an

19、d 18 .28Table 4.8: Significance value of strategy No.12 . 29Table 4.9: Summary of strategy application of each category 30Table 4.10: Descriptive statistics of each strategy category  . 64Fig. 4.11: Frequency distribution of the main difficulties  . 65Table 4.12: Interpretation of difficul

20、ties in English learning . 31Table 4.13: Description of learning difficulties . 32Table 4.14: Summary of Part One: background . 33Table 4.15: Summary of Part Two: beliefs . 33Table 4.16: Summary of learning difficulties . 34Table 4.17: Summary of Part Three: learning strategies .34Chapter One 

21、Introduction 1.1 Introduction to the study This study originates from my quenchless curiosity and deep interest with the Yi students and a strong urge to explore how they learn English. The study is intended to investigate how the Yi students employ learning strategies in their English learning

22、 in junior middle schools of Chuxiong. The study involves: an analysis of the present teaching of English in Middle schools of Chuxiong, an analysis of the Yi students cultural background and an investigation on the strategy application of the junior Yi students. A detailed analysis is also to be gi

23、ven to illustrate what are the strategies that they fail to use or cant use effectively. A discussion is to be conducted to explore the relevance between their learning strategies and their learning results. Besides, it tries to explore the main difficulties that exist in their English learning, exp

24、ecting that special characteristics of the Yi students in English learning will be revealed.In this study, face-to-face interviews, classroom observations and a five-point scale questionnaire are to be conducted to test the students from the Yi background. The research is based on the assumption tha

25、t the Yi students application of learning strategies is closely related to their English proficiency, although there may be many other factors influencing students learning results in English learning. On this basis, the Yi learners should be given sufficient concern on the guiding and training of e

26、ffective learning strategies, with their cultural background, personalities and the difficulties in learning being taken into consideration. 1.2 Statement of the problems1.2.1 The drawbacks of the present theoretical outcomesAs an English teacher working in an underdeveloped area of the west populat

27、ed mostly by minority ethnic groups, the writer herself often feels that the efforts that students have made do not reach satisfactory expectations, especially the local Yi students. There seem to be great differences between the Yi and the majority Han students in regard to learning strategies and

28、learning results in academic contexts.However, relevant researches in foreign countries have mainly been focused on good language learners learning strategies, the classification and the effectiveness of learning strategies; moreover, these researches occurred in the setting of using English as a se

29、cond language. Most domestic researches take university students as subjects and very few recent researches have been conducted on the English learning of the junior Yi students in the western areas populated by the minority ethnic groups.1.2.2 The Yi students special backgroundThe Yi ethnic group h

30、as long been distributed in Southwest China, “with a population of about 6,580,000”. “The Yi nationality is a hardworking, brave and kind people, who worship fire and tiger, which have given birth to their most important festival The Torch Festival. They live in underdeveloped areas, living a plain

31、and quiet life. The Yi People has its own language, which varies from area to area in which it is located.” ( Liu, 2005:5 )The researcher herself used to teach in a middle school in Chuxiong Yi Nationality Autonomous Prefecture, where “there is a population of about 2,450,000 and among which the Yi

32、ethnic group make up 24.6% of the population”. Therefore, how they study English and what their difficulties are in their study are worth studying. What kind of educational situation are they in? This can be found in the following documents: Where there is a good command of Chinese, Chinese should be used in teaching. Otherwise, bilingual instructions can be adopted. Children at the right age should accept the nine-year compulsory educ