The effects of traffic noise on English learning of Chinese university students

The acoustic environment quality is an important factor that influences the quality of the school education. English-immersed teaching mode is becoming an important direction of education reform in China. The effects of classroom acoustic quality on students' learning under English-immersed teaching mode have attracted great attention in these years. Traffic noise is one of the common noise sources in university campus, which has a great impact on students' learning efficiency. The effects of traffic noise on students' learning efficiency and subjective perception in non-native language environment may be different from the traditional native-speaking environment. This is because listening comprehension in English environment is a complicated psychological and physiological process for the students who use English as a second language. However, researches on the impacts of traffic noise on Chinese students in English language environment are still very limited. In this paper, the influences of traffic noise levels on listening efficiency of university students in English-immersed model have been investigated. Experimental tests are carried out in a typical classroom in Huaqiao University, China, to investigate the English listening efficiency of Native Chinese students without hearing problem in acoustical conditions varying different traffic noise levels. The results of this research could provide a reference for the design and renovation of Chinese university classrooms, especially for English-immersed model classes.