AN EMPIRICAL INVESTIGATION OF CULTIVATING STUDENTS AUTONOMOUS LEARNING CAPACITY IN COLLEGE ENG LISH TEACHINGAbstract This paper is a two2year empirical investigation of cultivating students’ autonomous learning capacity inCollege English teaching at Shanxi University of Finance and Economics (SUFE).The goal of the study is to optimize students’ language learning and to find a new direction of teaching innovation. The paper analyzes the current teaching context and presents a critical review of the literature on learner autonomy. The author explores understanding of learner autonomy in Chinese context and produces an autonomous learning model in the experimental study. The paper presents some strategies f or fostering autonomy such as instructing students how to learn, level2based teaching and collaborative learning. It was found that only by encouraging greater learner autonomy can students raise their English learning effectiveness.Key wordsTeaching English as a f foreign language; learners autonomy; teaching innovation1. IntroductionIt is true that after studying English for over ten years, most university students continue to find reading English books a difficult task. Understanding oral English, especially English spoken by native speakers, is considered an even tougher t ask than reading aloud. But, even more difficult, is the job of expressing themselves clearly and fluently in spoken English. Many students who are able to pass the upper2level English examinations wit h high grades are frequently poor at using t he language .Especially since 1999, university enrollment across the country has been expanding annually. This has plunged college English teaching into a new series of problems including: particularl...
