Abstract: 

For Chinese middle school students, English study is a difficult task which results in two groups came in being: low achievers and high achievers in English. One of the crucial reasons for the phenomenon is the different usage levels of English learning strategy. Therefore it's significant to study learning strategies about EFL learning between high and low achievers of junior middle school. This study is based on O’Malley’s(1985) Classification of Language Learning Strategies to research the following three questions: 1. What is the general situation of the students’ using the language learning strategy? 2. What are the differences between high and low achievers in using learning strategies? 3. What are the reasons that attribute to the differences in using learning strategies between high and low achievers? 

Through the questionnaire adapted from Oxford’s SILL and case interviews, the author collected the demanding data and analyzed it by SPSS software. The analysis and discussion come to the conclusion that English learning strategies have a significant impact on the students’ achievements. The following are the major findings of this study: Firstly, High achievers and low achievers have significant difference in using the three kinds of strategies. The high achievers do a better job than low achievers as a whole. Secondly, there is a positive correlation between the usage level of English learning strategies and students’ achievements. Thirdly, inferiority complex, the fear for difficulties are the reasons for low achievers to fail to achieve standards requirement of English teaching syllabus. In order to improve the students’ efficiency in learning strategies, teachers should act as an instructor and motivator, and students should be “explorers” who gradually grasp the effective strategies of their own personalized learning in the process of practice, as well as establish mutual-aid groups by themselves where the members can share English learning strategies using experience.

Key words: English learning strategies  high achievers  low achievers

Contents

Abstract

摘要

Chapter 1 Introduction-5

1.1 Research background-5

1.2 Purposes of the study-5

1.3 Significance of the study-6

1.4 Structure of the thesis-6

Chapter 2 Literature Review-6

2.1 Definitions of low achievers and high achievers in English learning-7

2.2 Research on the language learning strategies.-7

2.2.1 Definitions of language learning strategies-7

2.2.2 Classifications of language learning strategies.-8

Chapter 3 Methodology-9

3.1 Research questions-9

3.2 Participants-10

3.3 Research methods-10

3.3.1 Questionnaire-10

3.3.2 Case Interviews-11

3.4 Method of data collection-11

Chapter 4 Findings and discussion-11

4.1 Findings about the questionnaire-11

4.1.1 General situation of students using learning strategies-11

4.1.2 Differences in using ELS between high and low achievers-13

4.2 Findings about case interviews-16

4.3 Discussion about characteristics of the students’ learning strategies.-17

Chapter 5 Conclusion-18

5.1 Pedagogical Implications-18

5.2 Limitations-19

5.3 Suggestions for further studies-20

Bibliography-20

Acknowledgments-22

Appendix-23