Abstract:There is a Chinese saying “Teaching a man to fish is much better than giving a man a fish.” In different areas of education, especially in the field of English teaching, much attention has been paid to the concept of “Learner Autonomy”. In fact, the achievement of learner autonomy is affected by both the internal and external factors. Nowadays, most of the studies on the factors affecting the development of students’ learner autonomy are conducted from the internal prospective while paying little attention to the external factors, such as the cultural factors. However, affected by the Chinese culture, it is more difficult for the Chinese university students to develop their autonomous learning ability compared with the western students. Therefore, this thesis will first analyze the cultural factors which affect the development of Chinese students’ English learner autonomy and then make a critical discussion on the Chinese cultural factors which may promote and hinder the development of learner autonomy. At last, the paper concludes with putting forward the corresponding strategies according to the positive and negative aspects of the Chinese cultural factors, which aims to develop Chinese university students’ English learner autonomy beyond the limitations of cultural factors.

Key words: learner autonomy; cultural factors; influence; strategies

Table of Contents

Abstract

摘要

1. Introduction-1

2. Literature Review-2

2.1 The definition of learner autonomy-2

2.2 The factors affecting learner autonomy-3

2.2.1 The internal factors affecting learner autonomy-3

2.2.2 The external factors affecting learner autonomy-3

3. Cultural Factors Affecting English Learner Autonomy-5

3.1 The definition of culture-5

3.2 The relevant cultural factors affecting learner autonomy-5

3.2.1 The concept of collectivism in Chinese society-5

3.2.2 The worship of power and authority-6

3.2.3 The avoidance of uncertainty in Confucian tradition-6

3.2.4 The exam-driven concept in Chinese institutions-7

4. Strategies of Promoting Learner Autonomy-8

4.1 Advocating cooperative learning-8

4.1.1 The importance of cooperative learning in learner autonomy-8

4.1.2 The application of cooperative learning in learner autonomy-8

4.2 Changing the traditional English teaching concepts-9

4.2.1 Redefining the role of the teacher-9

4.2.2 Cultivating an equal and harmonious relationship with students-9

4.3 Cultivating students’ metacognitive strategies-10

4.3.1 The significance of students’ metacognition in learner autonomy-10

4.3.2 Metacognitive strategies in learner autonomy-10

4.4 Optimizing the traditional assessment methods-12

4.4.1 The limitations of the summative assessment-12

4.4.2 Strengthening the formative assessment-12

5. Conclusion-15

Bibliography-16

Acknowledgements-17