1.2 Related research 1

1.3 Significance of the Study 3

Chapter Two Literature Review 4

2.1 Language learning strategies 4

2.1.1 Definition of Language Learning Strategies 4

2.1.2 Classification of Language Learning Strategies 5

2.2 Young Language Learners 7

Chapter Three Methodology 8

3.1 Research Design 8

3.2 Subjects 8

3.3 Instruments 8

3.3.1 Documentation Method 9

Learn from domestic and foreign researches and find the issue that they haven’t discussed yet then propose my hypothesis. 9

3.3.1 Questionnaire Survey 9

3.3.2 Interview 11

Chapter Four Results and Analysis 12

4.1 English Learning Strategies Used by Young Learners 12

4.2 Most Frequently and Least Frequently Used Language Learning Strategies 13

4.3 Correlations of pupils’ performances and strategies use 14

4.4 Difference in English Learning Strategies Use between Successful and Unsuccessful Young learners 15

4.5 Ten Language Learning Strategies Frequently Used by Successful learners 17

Chapter Five Conclusion 19

5.1 Findings 19

5.2 Implications 21

5.3 Recommendations 21

5.3.1 Limitation of the Present Study 21

5.3.2 Recommendations for Future Studies 22

References 23

Appendix Ⅰ 25

Appendix Ⅱ 27

 Chapter One Introduction

1.1 Research background 

    We have learned English for a long time, but a research of EF English Proficiency Index(2005) which is a report that attempts to rank countries by the average level of English skills among adults shows that Chinese acquisition of English ranks the 47 of 70 countries. China used to emphasize too much the importance of the score. To confront the situation, ministry of education revised the New English Curriculum Standards (NECS) since 2003. Now it is already the third version of NECS. The goal is to improve the overall level of English and promote a balanced development of compulsory education. As a standard, NECS guides the complication of textbooks which influence the quality of teaching and finally reflect in students' performances. In NECS (2011 version), the curriculum follows the international practice of piding the general objectives into different ability levels. When designing these nine levels, nature of language development, different needs of  age groups, areas and economic imbalance are all taken into consideration. 

    According to NECS (2011), the fundamental aim of the NECS is to develop students' comprehensive language competence which is achieved through the five general objectives: language skills and knowledge, attitudes to learning, learning strategies and cultural awareness. In other words, teachers should not only teach students to listen, speak, read and write which are the basis of comprehensive language competence, but also teach students how to learn. Many scholars(Rubin 1975, 文秋芳1995, etc.) confirmed that there is a positive correlation between the students' learning strategies and their English achievements. Therefore, “Empirical and theoretical evidence is presented to support the conclusion that improvement of learning ability is an important and viable educational goal." (Derry and Murphy 1986: 3)