Since Holec published the book Autonomy and Foreign Learning in 1981, autonomy has been a hot topic for discussion both in theory and practice of foreign language teaching。 Similarly, in China, as an ancient Chinese proverb says: “Teach a man how to fish and he eats for a life, while is better than to give him a fish and he just eats for one day。” The meaning of this quotation is known obviously to us all。

The Ministry of Education issued the College English Curriculum Requirements in 2007。 The document clearly stated that to inspire learners’ autonomous learning capacity is one of aims of college English education。 What’s more, changing learners’ personalized learning methods and developing students’ autonomous learning capacity are the targets for successful education reform。 (Ministry of Education P。R。C, 2007)。 However, considering the complex situation, to be autonomous learners, Chinese students still have a long way to go in its true sense。

Based on nowadays research background, by ways of questionnaires and interviews, this survey aims to find out the non-English majors students’ general situation and existed problems in Zhoukou Normal University for autonomous English learning。 Then explore some practical ways to foster students’ autonomous English learning capacity。

The results of this survey carry out further exploration of autonomous learning and provide a reference for scholars。 It is also hoped that the study can help teachers and students to realize the general beliefs in autonomous learning。 And the survey can stimulate their own motivation and self-consciousness for learning, enhance their subject consciousness, and strengthen learning efficiency and compressive learning capacity。 Lastly, helping learners becomes more autonomous in their lifelong learning。 Therefore, this survey is of great significance to be progress of learner autonomous in long run。

II。 Description of the Research

This chapter aims to offer a brief description of all the kinds related to this study。 First, the purpose of the survey is discussed, and then introduces the respondents of this research, last, a description of the study methodology is offered: instruments, data collection and analysis。

2。1 The Purpose of this Survey 

The purpose of this research is to get the firsthand information concerning the learner autonomy on foreign language learning of non-English major college students in Zhoukou Normal University。 That the general briefs and motivations about students’ autonomous learning, and so on。 Through investigate the real situation of learner autonomy in Zhoukou Normal University, we can try to find out the roots of exiting problems and provide some practical suggestions to develop the learners’ autonomous learning。 Meanwhile, it is also important to give some effective implication for our future teaching and learning。文献综述

2。2 The Respondents of the Research

The subjects in the research were 125(120 for doing questionnaires and 5 for interview) the sophomores college students of non-English majors randomly selected from Zhoukou Normal university, Henan Province, in which 60 are males and 65 are females。 They are from School of Chinese language and Literature, College of life science, College of Physical Science and Technology and College of Information Technology。 These four schools are the main schools in Zhoukou Normal University, so they can represent the specialist of Non-English majors in the Normal University。 These learners had learned English at least six years before they entered this university in September 2014。

The reason for choosing the second-year students of Zhoukou Normal University’s as respondents is that: Firstly, I also studies in this college, so I am familiar with the learning environment of the college。 What’s more, it is convenient for me to collect statistics and communicate with students。 Secondly, the freshman had just entered the university and they may still be influenced by teacher-centered instruction in the middle school。 Therefore, quite a few students may not have the attitude of learner autonomy。 Thirdly, the second-year students mostly have adapted themselves to the university study after three semesters’ study in university, and most of them may have studied autonomously to a certain degree。 Lastly, in the third and fourth year non-English majors in Zhoukou Normal University will not have college English classes。