1.2 Related research 

    In the 1970s, researchers linked cognitive psychology with second language acquisition and realized that the responsibility for success in language learning lays on the learners rather than the teachers. They change their focus from searching for better teaching methods to finding out how learners approach their language learning. 

    Aron Carton(1996) first issued that diffident learners use different methods of inference in foreign language study. Then he explored there are three inference methods used in learning language in 1971 - inference, interlingua inference and extralingual inference. Illuminated by Carton, Rubin(1975: 41) set about studying in this field and published the research which "examines the learning strategies successful language learners employ and suggests that teachers can help their less successful students by paying more attention to learner strategies already seen as productive". 

    In 1980s, it becomes a hot issue. Rubin and Wenden(1987) reviewed selected theoretical and research literature in metacognition, enhanced the understanding of approaches to second language acquisition and also concludes with a consideration of practical implications for foreign and second language instruction. 

    We can find that in the early period scholars focused more on good language learner like Rubin(1975) and Nainmen(1975). Later they began to consider the difference between the strategies used by successful and unsuccessful learners like Ellis(1994) and paid more attention on the training of learning strategies like Oxford(1990).

In China, we also have many researches in this filed. Chines scholars began to study learning strategies in 1984 - 黄晓华 researched on oral communication strategies. Others referred to the researches abroad, made their own definitions and classification system of language learning strategies and dug further on theoretical aspects like 刘电芝(2002) and 文秋芳(1996). Beijing Foreign Studies University(吴一安 1993) makes a research on the various factors influencing English achievement during 1987 to 1991. These can be the foundation of the later research.

Through making a general view of the researches about language learning strategies at home and aboard, major orientations and achievements include following aspects:

(1) The researches on good language learner. Researchers find out “good language learners”, then use questionnaire survey, observational method, personal interview or other methods to find the strategies they use and come up with a conclusion. For example, Rubin(1975) lists the characteristics of a good language learner: takes every chance to practice English; has a strong drive to communicate; is often not inhibited; focuses on  linguistic form as well as meaning; monitors his own and the speech of others. He is never afraid of making mistakes while practicing language.

(2) The comparative study of learning strategies of successful and unsuccessful English learners. In order to improve the efficiency of learning language, researches compare the differences between successful and unsuccessful language learners. For example, Abraham and Vann(1987) discover that unsuccessful language learners often use strategies randomly, incoherently and without control by comparing a successful second language learner with unsuccessful one. And Chamot and O’Malley(1996) agree with this result. Ellis (1994) lists five features of a good language learner: attends to form; attends to communication; participates actively; realizes that learning is a process; flexibly uses strategies according to the demand of different occasions.

(3) The study of the correlation between language learning strategies and performances. Since the 1980s, researchers have attempted to find the correlation, but they haven’t come to a consistent result. Some researches(Bialystok, 1981; Huang and Naerssen, 1985) show only unconventional language learning strategies relate to performances. Some researches(文秋芳, 1994; 文秋芳and王海啸, 1996) show both conventional and unconventional language learning strategies relate to performances. Some researches(Politzer and McGroarty,1985) show that there is no causal relation between language learning strategies and performances.