A Study of Learning Strategy for ESP ——Focusing on Computer English in Vocational Schools

论文摘要

An American futurist once predicated in the early 1980s: "The blind in the 21st century is not those who have little knowledge, but those who don’t know how to study." A recent research shows that the learning achievement equals 50% of learning strategies plus 40% of efforts and 10% of IQ.As an important branch of English for Specific Purposes （ESP）, Computer English （CE） is beginning to gain an upper hand in West China’s secondary vocational schools. Some ESP teachers, however, are actually not so familiar with ESP theories though they are in the circle of ESP teaching trying, for they’ve been recently transferred from English for General Purposes （EGP）. What is the purpose of ESP teaching? How to prompt the learners’ proficiency of ESP to get to the purpose of learning? How to foster the learners’ autonomy for ESP learning? These questions remind us of some theories on the research of "Good Students", "Language Learning Strategy" and "Learning Strategy Instruction", etc. The author of this thesis wishes to roll learning strategies and special English into her teaching practice to find an effective approach to ESP teaching in secondary vocational schools.An experimental study has been conducted in two classes, an experimental class and a control class, with two purposes. One is to find out whether learning strategy instruction （LSI） for CE has a positive effect on CE learning and whether learning strategy instruction （LSI） for CE increases the frequency of learning strategy use? After a careful analysis of the data, the author finds that the experimental class has a higher mean score than the control class, which means that the experimental class uses more learning strategies, especially meta-cognitive strategies, than the control class.The research demonstrates the value of strategy instruction for ESP learning. By this study, it has been found that there are positive correlation between learning proficiency and learning strategy on the course of CE: proper use of learning strategies could improve computer language learning ability, while the improvementof language learning ability could prompt the use of learning strategy. Use of effective learning strategies in the regular classes not only improves models of language learning to make language learning effective, but also decreases the students’ burden.LSI should be seen as a goal of modern language learning. It is a necessary road to the development of students’ self-access. This study shows that strategy-based instruction （SBI） is an effective learning strategy training approach that rolls learning strategies into the regular classes. This approach may improve and develop the students’ learning ability, especially their independence and voluntary learning ability. As an ESP teacher, I am aware of the importance of learning strategies to ESP teaching and learning, because it may help the teacher grasp the main points of some ESP and improve their learning proficiency. Simultaneously, the study of learning strategy for the ESP teacher may help the students build up their learning strategy awareness, extend their using range of learning strategies, and therefore reduce the blindness in the process of ESP teaching and learning.Nowadays our world has entered an era of information explosion and knowledge economy is under the way. What students learn in schools today may be out of date when they leave school. So their learning strategies and abilities appear more important than anything else that is required at schools. It is our final object to build up life-long and autonomous learners.

论文目录

• CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY
• 1.1 Prelude
• 1.2 Background of the Study
• 1.3 Definition and Attribute of ESP
• 1.4 Significance of ESP in Vocational Schools
• 1.5 Two Advantages of ESP over EGP
• 1.5.1 Motivation from Marriage of Learning and Using
• 1.5.2 Self-access from Special Knowledge and Learning Strategies
• 1.6 Characteristics of Computer English
• 1.6.1 Concept of Computer English
• 1.6.2 Vocabulary Characteristics of Computer English
• 1.6.3 Sentence Characteristics of Computer English
• 1.7 Summary
• CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW
• 2.1 Introduction
• 2.1.1 Relationship between ESP and Learning Strategy
• 2.1.2 Researches of Learning Strategy at Home and Abroad
• 2.2 Review of Learning Strategy
• 2.2.1 Definition of Strategy
• 2.2.2 Classification of Learning Strategy
• 2.2.2.1 O'Malley and Chamot's Framework
• 2.2.2.2 Oxford's Classification
• 2.3 Review of Learning Strategy Instruction
• 2.3.1 Goal of Strategy Instruction
• 2.3.2 Models for Strategy Instruction
• 2.3.2.1 Oxford's Model for Learning Strategy Instruction
• 2.3.2.2 CALLA for Strategy Instruction
• 2.3.2.3 SBI
• 2.3.3 Reading Learning Strategy
• 2.4 Purpose of the Study
• 2.5 Scope of the Study
• 2.6 Summary
• CHAPTER THREE METHODOLOGY
• 3.1 Introduction
• 3.2 The Participants
• 3.2.1 The Students
• 3.2.2 The Teacher
• 3.3 Data Collection Procedures
• 3.3.1 Pre-training Stage
• 3.3.1.1 Methods Employed and Pre-training Text
• 3.3.1.2 Questionnaire of learning strategies
• 3.3.1.3 Semi-structured Interviews
• 3.3.2 In-training Stage
• 3.3.2.1 Awareness Training
• 3.3.2.2 Instruction of Meta-cognitive Strategies
• 3.3.2.3 Instruction of Cognitive Strategies
• 3.3.2.4 Instruction of Affective Strategies and Social Strategies
• 3.4 Post-training Stage
• 3.4.1 Post-training Test & Questionnaire
• 3.4.2 Post-training Interview
• 3.5 Summary
• CHAPTER FOUR RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
• 4.1 Quantitative Data Analysis
• 4.1.1 Introduction
• 4.1.2 Situation before Training
• 4.1.3 Comparison of Relative Results
• 4.2 Qualitative Analysis
• 4.2.1 Correlation between LSI and Score
• 4.2.2 Correlation Analysis between LSI and Frequency for Strategy Use
• 4.2.3 Comparison of Strategy Use at Pre-instruction Stage
• 4.2.4 Comparison of Strategy Use at Post-instruction Stage
• 4.3 Summary
• CHAPTER FIVE CONCLUSION
• 5.1 Introduction
• 5.2 Review of the Study
• 5.3 Outcomes of the Study
• 5.4 Pedagogical Implication
• 5.5 Limitations
• 5.6 Recommendations
• REFERENCES
• Appendix A
• Appendix B
• Appendix C
• Appendix D