English Self-Efficacy and English Autonomous Learning Ability of Chinese College Students

Abstract

English self-efficacy and English autonomous learning ability are two important influential factors on college English learning in China. This study aims to explore the English self-efficacy and autonomous learning ability of 386 undergraduate students in an application-oriented university in China and to reveal the relationship between them. It was found that students experienced a medium level of English self-efficacy but they did not sense they had the ability to complete tasks in English learning, that they reported a medium level of English autonomous learning ability but their abilities of using effective learning strategies and monitoring and applying the acquired knowledge have much space to be improved, and that there was a substantial association between the surveyed students’ English self-efficacy and their English autonomous learning ability and students’ English autonomous learning ability increases with improvement of their English self-efficacy. This article is intended to provide some insights on developing Chinese college students’ English self-efficacy and autonomous learning ability so as to promote their English learning.