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An Empirical Study of Strategy Training for Non-English Majors Through Presentations

Author: TangLi
Tutor: ZhuXiaoZhou
School: Hunan Normal University
Course: Normal
Keywords: Learning Strategies Strategy Training Presentations Non-English Major
CLC: H319
Type: Master's thesis
Year: 2010
Downloads: 30
Quote: 1
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Abstract

Learning strategies play an important role in English learning. Appropriate strategies used by language learners have direct and positive effects on their language proficiency. Therefore, the research questions that language teachers should focus on are how to improve the use of strategies and in what way strategy training should be carried out.The author of this thesis has gained relevant insight into non-English majors’English learning through her work in college English teaching over ten years. Many students are short of good learning methods and learning strategies, not to mention initiative. Duty reports or presentations are being directed or were directed by many college English teachers in order to increase students’enthusiasm, and to promote interactions in the EFL class. This research, based on the cooperative learning and constructivism theory, focuses on directing presentations in small groups with the aim of improving students’ learning strategies, enabling teachers to better deal with this activity, and considerably increasing the benefits students gain from the training; Additionally, the teacher-centered teaching mode becomes a student-centered one, enhancing the practically teaching quality.The research was carried out during Weeks 2-18 in the fall semester of 2009.The subjects were 48 students from Class 0801 in the Furong College of Hunan University of Arts and Science. They all majored in computer technology. There were three phases in this research:Firstly, subjects in this experiment were required to do a questionnaire on learning strategies and some had an interview. Information on their learning strategies, English achievements, interest, motivation, learning purpose and confidence was collected for further analysis. Secondly, the author tried to improve subjects’awareness of learning strategies, and then promoted and conducted the new pattern of presentations in the experimental class. Presentations were prepared and given in groups. Major adjustments included:pre-set topics, assigned tasks to individuals, made self-assessment, peer assessment and teacher assessment. Students wrote learning diaries to reflect their respective presentations, as well as a learning log. Both the results in final English exams of the second and third semester were collected for the research.Statistics from two questionnaires were performed using SPSS17.0 software. Comparisons were made between two final college English exams and subjects’performance in the College Entrance Examination. Qualitative Analysis was made of the learning diaries. The findings have shown that strategy training through presentations has a significant effect on non-English majors and can enhance their awareness of using language strategies effectively, especially their use of Meta-cognitive Strategies, Affective Strategies and Cognitive Strategies. Meanwhile, presentations in groups can improve the interest, motivation and confidence of the subjects. Relatively, academic scores in English exams did not increase much because of the limitation of training time and subjects’original English level.The findings of this research suggest that strategy training through presentations in this new pattern is more effective and practical than the normal duty reports/presentations. So, it is believed from the research that strategy training through presentations can be suitable and effective and may enhance learners’proficiency and optimization of using learning strategies.

An Empirical Study of Strategy Training for Non-English Majors Through Presentations

Abstract

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