Learner Autonomy and English Teaching——On Fostering Learner Autonomy in FLT

Learner autonomy has been a buzzword in foreign Language teaching in recent years. The concern with teaching and learning has shifted from the teachers‘teaching to the students＇ learning. This paper reports an experiment conducted by the author using tests, questionnaires and interviews in a senior middle school located in Hubei Province. It has proved the promotion of learner autonomy helps to improve students＇ foreign language proficiency and confidence in learning the language.     

The Students' Learning Autonomy and Language Teaching

As an essential concept of language teaching, learner autonomy (LA) is very important in language learning. Looking back to the history of foreign language teaching, we can find that people’s different attitudes to learner autonomy have become a clue of modern foreign language teaching research.On the basis of foreign language teaching (FLT), this article aims to make clear three points: 1) what is learner autonomy? 2) What is the significance of cultivating students’ learning autonomy in English language teaching in China? 3) And what can we do to cultivate students’ learning autonomy? All the answers of these questions can be found in this article.     

On the Development of Learner Autonomy in Art Majors through Metacognitive Strategy Training

Learner autonomy is considered as one of the key educational goals in all the countries of the world since 1980s.In China,developing learner autonomy is particularly emphasized in College English Curriculum Requirements.Some researches have been made on developing learner autonomy,which seem to prove that the training of language learning strategies helps to develop learner autonomy.But because the traditional teaching method has been dominant in universities,college students,in particular art majors are passive and lose interests in English.Consequently,English teaching method must be reformed and learn er autonomy must be developed.In the relevant researches on learning strategy training and the development of learner autono my,the subjects are not involved in art majors.So the author tries to make a research in the field by combining with her teaching experience.Developing learner autonomy in art majors through the training of metacognitive strategies may lay the basis for their future learning and development,which is important for the college English teaching of art majors.Key wrods:learner autonomy;art majors;metacognitive strategy training     

Research and Study on Cooperative Learning with special Reference to Vocational Students of Practical English class

This paper covers an experimental study with the application of cooperative learning in the college English teaching to vocational students. It intends to find answers to the following questions: how do students cooperate in cooperative learning? Can cooperative learning promote students’ learning? The author conducts an experiment by applying recording. Based on the above research work, this result has been reached: cooperative learning can promote students’mastering of vocabulary and grammar. The author would like to share her experiences with others in pedagogical studies of teaching vocational college students English.     

The Positive Role of Songs in Primary English Teaching

Using English songs to assist preliminary English teaching is very effective in teaching practice.English songs can not only provide lots of authentic language material,but also can arouse the students’ learning interest and cultivate their learning autonomy.     

Cultivation in Learner Autonomy Based on Learning Styles

Learner autonomy is no easy choice for most students when they are used to having teachers do everything for them.As teach ers,it is their responsibility to help the students know how to use it and to understand that autonomy goes beyond of freedom.Learning styles play an important role because teachers need a clear picture of each student’s learning capabilities.Teachers can encourage students to reach dependence by attending their needs,taking into account learner styles.The goal of this research study is to find ways in which teach ers and students can build autonomy together.It first examines the learning styles of the sample students,and then makes discussions about fostering learner autonomy based on different learning styles.     

Evaluate IELTS Writing

Testing and teaching have so closed relationship so that they are dispensable to each other. Test is testing what gets taught, so it can reinforce learning and motivate students. What is more, testing can also have backwash on teaching and learning, which can be either harmful or beneficial. This essay is going to evaluate the writing section of IELTS. First, it will look at those most important criteria in the author’s mind about assessing a test; then, the author will explore to what extent the test meets these criteria and some thoughts about small changes.     

How to Improve Spoken English Teaching through Role play in College Schools in China

In the present competitive society, English becomes more and more important, and how to master English becomes one popular topic for everyone. English is a communicative tool, however, traditional teaching method used in English teaching is not very suitable, and the traditional teaching is very boring and inefficient. The traditional teaching does not give students a real world situation to practice their English speaking and it does not cultivate their learning interests. This phenomenon continued in the students English learning for many years, and students can not use the English to communicate in their daily life. This phenomenon appears in oral English teaching in college schools as well, In order to solve the problems, the paper firstly describes the problem of English spoken teaching in college schools in Chi na. And then it analyzes the performance of problem and the cause of problems. The aim is that we find the problem and deficiency of Eng lish spoken teaching in college schools and use Role play as an effective way to solve these problems. Moreover, how to uses the role play specifically in the spoken English teaching, So that the role play can help teacher change traditional teaching method, enhance students’ oral communication ability, cultivate the students’learning interests and improve spoken English teaching in colleges.     

A Study on the Correlations Between Chinese EFL Learners’ Autonomous Learning and Their Cooperative Learning

Cooperative learning and learner autonomy have become heated topics in English teaching.Many researchers both at home and abroad have carried out the study on this field,and they proved that learner autonomy and cooperative learning are rel evant,cooperative learning can promote English majors’learning autonomy in terms of listening,reading,speaking,however,no obvious findings in vocabulary and writing.This study is conducted to prove the feasibilities and effectiveness of cooperative learning applied to foster first-year non-English majors’learning autonomy from the aspect of vocabulary and structure.The re sults of this study showed that cooperative learning was much more effective than traditional teaching approaches in fostering some positive affective factors.According to this research,cooperative learning can also improve learners’vocabulary and struc ture significantly.     

Group Cooperative Learning—Making Learning a Deeper Process

The paper is to explore whether or not group cooperative learning in author’s university can make students learning deeply.In 2004,the Chinese Ministry of Education constituted"College English Teaching Syllabus"(College English Teaching Syllabus,2004,showed in appendix),in which it makes it clear that the properties and objectives of College English teaching are:College English teaching is a teaching system which has the content of English language knowledge,English applied skills,learning strategies,intercultural communication.According to the syllabus,lots of Chinese universities will aim to explore new and effective teaching modes,which will stimulate college English teachers to reflect their traditional teaching methods and make the corresponding improvement inevitably.     

Promoting Learner Autonomy for College English Majors through Peer-teaching

This study explored the potential of using peer-teaching as a pedagogy to promote college English majors’ learner autonomy.Data collected over 2 weeks through observations,interviews and questionnaires revealed that the students were highly motivated in their learning and their self-confidence was greatly improved.The study also proved peer-teaching had also developed the students’ metacognitive strategies and social strategies.Thus,peer teaching is effective in promoting language learner autonomy.     

Research on Instruments of Formative Assessment for Differentiated Language Teaching

Formative assessment is crucial to differentiated language teaching.To ensure the quality of differentiated teaching,some assessment instruments should be adopted during formative assessment,such as differentiated learning portfolios and group activity journal.The effective application of these instruments can also improve the students’ autonomous language learning ability.     

A Model of Teaching and Learning Online in Asian Context

Online teaching and learning practices in Asian universities are different from that in western universities. Western universities give emphasis on student-student interaction for learning. Online courses offered by most Asian universities are a kind of mixed mode that comprised simultaneous face-to-face tutorials and online interaction facility. In this situation most students use the online facility to collect resources and to contact their teachers. The quantity of student-student interaction was sporadic in many courses. So research is needed to improve the situation and create an environment for students where they can learn what peer group interaction is and practice it. This paper has presented for Asian universities. Possible barriers in teaching and learning have been considered to develop the model. a model of teaching and learning online situations in Asia and students＇abilities     

The Influence of Macro and Micro Contexts on Teaching and Learning in the Classroom

This paper is based on three observations and independent thinking of the classroom teaching of the author’s colleagues.It attempts to examine how macro and micro contexts affect teaching and learning in the classroom.The author focuses the discussion on three aspects:(i)the present EFL contextual setting in China;(ii)the influence of the evaluation system on both teachers and students;(iii)his own beliefs as a teacher.Finally,he comes to the implications that teachers should often reflect on their teaching by means of observing other teachers’teachings;In order to bring more effective teaching and learning to the class,Teachers should change their class from a teacher-centered one to a students-centered one.     

Consideration on Vocational Students’ Participation in Class:With Special Reference to Task-based Approach and Traditional Method

This paper covers an experimental study on vocational students’ participation in the class under task-based approach and traditional grammar-translation teaching method.As vocational colleges in China have developed rapidly,teachers are still exploring and experimenting with different teaching approaches in order to find the suitable one(s).Using the theory of task-based approach,the grammartranslation method,the author conducts an experiment by recording.The following key issue has been addressed and some conclusive results have been made.The paper intends to find an answer to the following question:Under which teaching approach can students participate in the class more actively? Based on the above research work,the following result has been reached:Task-based approach can promote students’ mastering of vocabulary and grammar,and students participate in the class more actively.The author would like to share her experiences with others in pedagogical studies of teaching vocational college students English.     

Feedback——To be or not to be

Triggered by different outcomes from the students, the author began to think over the theories and practices of feedback in teaching and learning. So this essay is discussing the purposes and importance of providing feedback to students as well as how to assure an effective feedback.     

On the Learner-Centered Teaching Approach-The Reflection Getting from New College English By ZheJiang University

This paper first focuses on a brief evaluation of the teacher-centered and the learner-centered methodologies and the relevant result and the necessily for changing. Secondly,it represents the practical ways of teaching based on the learner-cen-tered approach in classrooms to show how students' initiative is given .Thirdly , it presents the guidance for fellow teachers and students in group activities .The author of the paper believes that getting students started is the initial step towards active learning and fruitful teaching. It is proposed that efforts made to get students involved should focus not only on forms of activities but also on their contents , skill integration and establishing cooperative relationships between teachers and students or among students.     

Psychological Effect and Foreign Language Teaching

Psychology of foreign language teaching is to study the foreign language teaching in the process of law of psychological activities, research foreign language educators and the educated mind, language knowledge, language skills, individual differences in foreign language teaching. It reveals the essence of learning process and the development of effective teaching methods of science. In foreign language teaching, the south wind effect can cultivate students’interest in learning; applying Piga Marion’s effect can make the students potential to obtain the development; using the Hawthorne effect can make the negative emotions by persuasion.     

Cultivating Students' Cultural Awareness in Foreign Language Teaching

Many foreign language teachers are often wondering why their students cannot avoid some mistakes in their writing assignment and oral presentations though the grammatical rules and phrases are quite familiar to them. On the other hand students also complain about the boredom of learning English."What is the use of learning English besides taking exams?"they often ask. In this paper the author is going to discuss language learning and teaching from the cultural perspective. By discussing the importance of culture teaching, the author intends to help both the teachers and the students to get out of their bewilderment. Some useful suggestions will be shared at the end of the paper, aiming to offer some practical and concrete guidance to both the students and my co-workers.     

The Study of Students-centered English Teaching at Colleges

The lack of communicative efficiency among students is still an important problem in China’s English teaching circle.Learner-centered language teaching and learning approach proposed by Nunan and Breenin 1980 s is the best one to solve the problem. This paper briefly presents the approach and mainly talks about how to apply the approach in the authentic teaching and learning situation. The adoption of this method will definitely promote the English teaching reform in China.Key words: linking adverbials; Chinese EFL learners; use; teaching