Chapter 1 Introduction
1.1 Background of the Study
At the beginning of the 1970s, researchers began to shift their focus of foreignlanguage teaching and learning from how to teach to how to learn. Learners’individual differences have attracted more and more attentions. Because it is very easyto see that some learners gain more achievements in learning a foreign language thanothers, although they are in the same class, learn the same textbook and have much incommon in their learning experience. One of the most important reasons why thesedifferent outcomes of foreign language learning appear is that there exist individualdifferences. Like other individual difference variables, such as motivation, self-esteem,and anxiety, tolerance of ambiguity (TOA) and language learning strategies (LLS) astwo of the most important variables of individual differences also attract muchattention.Tolerance of ambiguity firstly appears in psychologist Frenkel-Brunswik’s (1949)research, so it appears as a concept in psychological domain. Lately, some otherpsychologist have confirmed that tolerance of ambiguity is an important personalityvariable, such as Budner (1962), Norton (1975), etc. All of their studies and theirfindings on psychological research on tolerance of ambiguity have provided atheoretical support to the studies on tolerance of ambiguity in the domain of secondlanguage acquisition (SLA). Since the 1980s, foreign language experts and scholarshave brought their research findings and instruments into research on tolerance ofambiguity of second language learners. Ely (1995) pointed out that tolerance ofambiguity can affect language learning in three cases: 1) individual learners’ linguisticelements, such as phonology, pragmatics, phonetics; 2) drill of language learningskills; 3) these skills are adopted as perpetual strategies.
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1.2 Purpose and Significance of the Study
Based on the theories of tolerance of ambiguity and language learning strategies,the present study aims to, first of all, identify and assess the tolerance of ambiguitynon-English majors demonstrate when they learn English as a foreign language;second, study the current situations of non-English majors’ use of language learningstrategies and tolerance of ambiguity, and gender differences in tolerance of ambiguityand language learning strategies use; third, discuss the relationship between toleranceof ambiguity and use of language learning strategies of non-English majors.First, tolerance of ambiguity has an important influence on English teaching andlearning, and the selection or use of language learning strategies plays a role in thelanguage learning achievements. It is important for students to select applicablelanguage learning strategies. Therefore, to conduct a further study on languagelearning strategies selection or use and tolerance of ambiguity is very necessary.Second, the result of this study can make the students aware the important roletolerance of ambiguity plays in their English learning. Furthermore, the students canget an general understanding of the current situation of tolerance of ambiguity andlanguage learning strategies so that they can consciously cultivate language learningstrategies and improve their English.Third, this study can let teachers learn the current situation of tolerance ofambiguity and language learning strategies use of their students. Based on this, theycan design s，英语论文范文，英语毕业论文
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