A Preliminary Study of College Students' Out-of-Class English Learning Activities

Abstract

This study explored 316 EFL college students’ out-of-class English learning activities, learning difficulties, and the relationships between genders, grades, weekly hours of independent English study, and English learning activities. The results can be summarized as follows. (1) More than 51% of the students write emails in English, read English news online, study English online, and watch English movies to learn English. (2) Most students study English for future career and for personal interest. (3) Most students believe that their reading abilities are better than listening, speaking, and writing ones. (4) Writing is the most difficult language skill for EFL college students. (5) Limited vocabulary is students’ major problem in improving four language skills. (6) EFL college students tend to tackle their learning difficulties by using self-learning magazines and asking for English teachers’ help. (7) Students with higher entrance exam scores tend to spend more time in out-of-class English learning. (8) Gender and learning activities are not closely related, except that more male than female students write email in English. (9) Students’ English scores and their learning activities (i.e., email writing, listening to ICRT, reading English magazines, reading news online, watching movies, and studying English online) are related. (10) Learning activities and time spent are not closely tied.