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【Abstract】With the advent of information age,exchanges between China and west are becoming more and more frequent especially after China’s accession to WTO in the fields of politics,economy,and culture and so on.English as an international language is essential for communication.Under such a background,it has a great impact on the English learning of senior high school students.This paper aims to explore learning motivation of Chinese senior high school students in English learning through the investigation and analysis of the learning motivation of Grade One students in Baishui High School,from the perspective of educational system, social environment and internal mechanism the motivation formed.The investigation is conducted by a questionnaire which is designed based on the motivational theory of social psychology and educational psychology.At the same time,some implications are provided for Chinese senior English teaching.
【Key words】learning motivation;senior high school students;investigation and analysis;Chinese senior English teaching
Ⅰ.Introduction
After the transition from the center of teachers’imparting knowledge to the center of students’focus on language skills training,it has been widely acknowledged that students play a “subject”role and teachers play a “leading”role in Chinese English teaching.Today quality education is getting more and more important and English teaching is also transited from “examination—oriented education”to “quality education”.In such a background of English teaching,learning motivation has become a topic concerned by theoretical experts in the process of foreign language learning.That is because motivation is to determine people’s behaviors and activities and make them toward certain psychological tendency,which is the direct power of promoting people engaged in activities.Recently,there more and more researches in the field of motivation achieved a lot such as.However,those researches,both on foreign students and Chinese students,mostly focused on how to motivate students’learning interest. This paper aims to explore learning motivation of Chinese senior high school students in English learning through the investigation and analysis of the learning motivation of Grade One students in Baishui High School,from the perspective of educational system,social environment and internal mechanism the motivation formed.The investigation is conducted by a questionnaire which is designed based on motivational theory of social psychology and educational psychology.At the same time,some implications are provided for Chinese English teaching.
Ⅱ.On learning motivation
The term“motivation”presents a real mystery:people use it widely in a variety of everyday and professional contexts without the slightest hint of there being a problem with its meaning,and most of us would agree that it denotes something of high importance. Psychologists define motivation as an internal process that activates,guides,and maintains behavior over time.In plain language,motivation is what gets you going,keeps you going,and determines where you are trying to go.In other words,motivation is responsible for why people decide to do something,how long they are willing to sustain the activity,how hard they are going to pursuit it.
Motivation is composed of three kinds of drives.They were cognitive drive,self-improvement drive and subsidiary drive.Cognitive drive refers to learners who have a desire of requesting,acquiring knowledge and understanding of the world around them,articulating and solving the problem.Self-improvement drive refers to learners who get good grades to improve their status in the family and school.Subsidiary drive refers to learners who get a self-esteem satisfaction from teachers and parents through obedient to them.
1.The importance of learning motivation
Among many factors that influence English learning,such as gender,age,language aptitude,and learning strategies and so on,learning motivation is one of the most critical components.It affects the proficiency and success of foreign language learning;at the same time to a certain degree,the other factors that affect foreign language learning are closely related to the motivation.Some investigations from foreign language linguists show that strong learning motivation has an excellent effect on foreign language learning getting power and making progress;in fact it can enhance learners to learn more hard on study and gain more achievements,which forms a good circulation.If learners do not have enough and clear learning motivation,no matter how strong their capacity are and how intelligent they are,it is very difficult for them to master a task like learning a foreign language.In English teaching in order to adopt appropriate teaching materials and suitable teaching methods and create excellent learning atmosphere to help students exert their own language learning potential to master a language,we need to know learners’learning motivation and series of components that affect motivation.So it is no doubtful that learning motivation is very significant for students to learn a foreign language.
2.Some theories of second language learning motivation
At present,there are two main trends on second language learning motivation:One is to discuss the components of motivation on theory and point out theoretical frames of motivation;the other is to apply empirical methods to discuss the internal structure of second language learning motivation.In terms of theoretical discussion,those frames of motivation increase people’s awareness of second language learning motivation,but they only list elements of the motivation without the discussion of the relationship between them.At the same time,they lack of empirical supports.
From a perspective of social psychology,Garden and Lambert divided foreign language learning motivation into integrative-motivation and instrumental-motivation.After more than 10 years painstaking research and investigation on foreign language learners in the united states,Canada and other countries,finally they got that:the so-called integrative-motivation refers to learners with special interest associations to target language community or expectation into social life or even to be a member of the community.The so-called instrumental-motivation refers to a particular purpose,for example,passing an examination,gaining certain post or position to improve their social status to change their fates;obtaining the information of target language by reading scientifical references of it;gaining a diploma or certificate and so on.As language educational experts Ingram said:“As long as it has a strong need for successful learners for the economy and society,there are certain people mastering it.”
From the angle of educational psychology,one of the most general and well-known distinctions in motivation theories is that of intrinsic motivation versus extrinsic motivation.The first type of motivation derives from learners’strong interest in certain learning material and learning task;it focuses on students’natural curiosity,interest and internal needs,such as the joy of doing a particular activity or satisfying one’s curiosity.While the second type of motivation,as the term itself suggests,is that which comes from the influence of some kind of external incentive,as distinct from the wish to learn for its own sake or interest in tasks.In general,the main contents ofextrinsic motivation can be summarised as follows:to achieve teachers’ and parents’ requirements;to realize parents’dream;to gain parents,teachers and classmates’praise;to make high scores;to be admitted to a university;to have a good job in the future and so on.
In fact,it is generally accepted that in China instrumental-motivation and integrative-motivation are the equivalent for extrinsic motivation and intrinsic motivation.
III. An investigation and analysis on students’learning motivation
This investigation aims to know the conditions of English learning motivation of senior high school students and the series of components that influence it.At the same time some implications are presented for Chinese senior English teaching.In this investigation we take the form of questionnaire that eight questions about motivation are designed.The subject of this investigation is Grade One (including Class 1 and Class 2) totally 120 at Baishui High School.
1.The results of the investigation
From the investigation we can find that:
(1) At present,generally speaking,senior high school students’learning motivation is not very strong.Less than half of the students’(41.7%) English learning motivation is stronger,while 58.3%of students feel that their English learning motivation is a little poor.
(2) The types of students’ motivation of learning English are dominated by instrumental and extrinsic ones.65% of students learn English so as to be admitted to a university.The proportion of going abroad is more than 50%;66.7% of students learn English in order to hunt for a decent job after graduation;58.5% of students have no choice but to accept it,because it is compulsory;only 17.5% of the students are purely interested in English itself.
(3)In most cases the students’ intrinsic motivation of learning English exists and to a certain degree it plays a great impact.For example,66.7% of students have an intense desire of learning English when reading extracurricular books,listening to English songs,watching English films and English TV programs;more than 50% of students have a strong motivation when they have rights to study automatically (include free speech, open questions;free proposition;panel discussion, etc).
(4)Students have a strong desire to apply English in practice.87.5% of students show a strong intensity when they communicate in English.63.3% of students learn English in order to communicate with foreigner.75% of students think that they lack the chance and have no habit of speaking in English,which weak their intensity of learning motivation.
(5)Students extremely concern about the evaluation of others.79.2% of students believe that external recognition(teachers,parents and students) affects their intensity of motivation of learning English,while only 20.8% of students are concerned about self-evaluation.
2.The analysis of the investigation
From the investigation above,we can see that among students’learning motivation of English,instrumental motivation and extrinsic one play a dominant rol,while intrinsic motivation is a serious shortage——only 17.5%.The reason for this phenomenon can be analyzed from the following aspects:
(1) It is influenced by behaviourism. “Behaviourism thinks that motivation is the result of certain behaviour strengthened by external environment.” In other words,those behaviours that are received rewards are recognized and consolidated.Those behaviours that are punished are not recognized,so that their frequencies of appearance decrease until they disappear.For a long time,our education system has been fair in meeting out rewards and punishments,so students form such a deep—rooted concept:students who learn well can be praised and given various incentives;while students who perform poorly on their study are discriminated or even punished.In the whole process of learning,they undergo the stimulations of rewards or punishments every day.So they are used to immediately considering what kind of rewards or punishments they are facing with or what kinds of outcome they meet,then to deciding how much they pay the efforts on study.More than 80% of students bear a strong intensity of motivation when they are properly praised by teachers,classmates and parents.
(2) It is affected by social factors.As a person in the society,it is no doubtful that the motivation tendency of students is influenced by social factors,just as Dough G.Mook said:“Society affects our actions profoundly,both by determining what is available to us,and by determining how we select from what is available to us.”Social accession tendency directly affect students’ decision to what their main purposes of learning English are.During late 1970’s to 1980’s,there was a crazy wave of going abroad,as a result,they thought if they learnt English well,they could go abroad.After 1900’s Chinese domestic economy continued to hold the momentum of rapid development,with the rapid development of society,there was a great need for English talents especially the technical people with perfect English skills,which mainly reflected on the requirements on job seekers.For a time,CET-4,CET-6 were the main targets for college students even today,so senior high school students naturally formed such a concept:learning English well-admitted to a key university-getting CET-6 certification,in this case,it is easier to gain a decent job.So in 1990’s certification motivation had become another new starting point for senior high school students in addition to going abroad.While today with China’s “accession to WTO”,Chinese students has shown unprecedented enthusiasm in learning English.About that point it has been referred in the investigation and many students pointed “accession to WTO” had a great effect on their English learning.From the perspective of small environment,students have different social background,comparison between each other and the different attitudes towardcomparison and even teachers’explicit or implicit attitudes and tendency toward them can affect the formation of students’motivation of learning English,especially for senior high school students,because they are in the primary stage of worldview formation,and they naturally form their English learning motivation according to their environment around.
(3) It is determined by China’s education system and the characteristics of English itself.Although we advocate quality education,with a great pressure on being admitted to a university,65% of students learn English in order to get into universities.At the same time,English as a foreign language for Chinese senior high school students,it is more difficult to learn because of lacking of language environment,individual differences and the cultural differences between the west and the east.As a result,students take no interest in English not mention strong motivation.From the investigation above,75% of students have not formed the habit of speaking in English or found the opportunity of applying English in life.
(4) Students focus little on self-assessment and intrinsic motivations lose the existing condition.From the investigation,only 20% of students are concerned about self-evaluation.Our Chinese students have long been accustomed to a passive learning.What to learn,how to learn it and which target to reach are determined by teachers;what students can do is to follow what teachers have asked and they never consider whether it is suitable for them.In this case,students with lower subject role make them seriously lack of self-decisions,they are not willing to or being afraid of making decision by themselves,because they are concerned that their decisions are not wiser than teachers’,they turn to teachers’attitude toward them.They have no confidence let alone they are interested in self-decision.As a result,intrinsic motivations lose the existing condition.
IV. Some implications on English learning in China
From the investigation,we know that intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation are seriously imbalanced in the types of learning motivation of senior high school students.So we must change this case and first we need to discuss the relationship between intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation.
1.The Relationship between Intrinsic and Extrinsic motivation
Because the English learning itself caused by intrinsic motivation can make students get satisfaction and learning activities themselves are a reward,which makes it promote great strength and maintain long time learning.Most important intrinsic motivation makes students learning English as a kind of interest and maintains longer time in the process of learning.While extrinsic motivation is based on external factors, once the external factors disappear,it will disappear,so it maintains short time learning.From the perspective of Maslow’s Theory of Hierarchy of Needs,people finally pursuit self-esteem and self-actualization.That is to say,people focus on inherent needs,which are more important than extrinsic materials.H.Dough Brown said:“…We are ultimately motivated to achieve‘self- actualization’once the basis physical,safety,and community needs are met.No matter what extrinsic rewards are present or absent,we will strive for self-esteem and fulfilment.”Pi Liansheng also said in Psychology of Learning and Teaching:“One of the main tasks in education is to enable students to be interested in useful knowledge itself instead of being controlled by various rewards apart from winning academic achievements.”So in Chinese senior English teaching leading students’intrinsic motivation is the main target of motivation education.At the same time,we should have a correct view on extrinsic motivation and instrumental one,because the deep-rooted role of extrinsic motivation can not be changed at once,and under a certain circumstance,extrinsic motivation can be changed into intrinsic one.For instance,through an English examination,it may bring students’ confidence of learning English and make them find the internal interest and form an intrinsic motivation.So when we focus on intrinsic motivation,we can not neglect the functions of extrinsic motivation.“…It will be presented as a path toward more intrinsic forms of motivation.”That is the correct objective attitude toward extrinsic motivation.
2.Some implications on English teaching in China
From the investigation and the analysis of it,we know that extrinsic motivation and instrumental motivation play a leading role in the types of English learning of chinese senior high school students,while intrinsic motivation and integrative one only play an unimportant role.So they are seriously imbalanced. And we know we mainly focus on intrinsic and integrative motivation.So some implications are presented to senior English teaching.
(1)Letting students decide more for themselves.We know more than 50% of students gain a strong intensity of learning motivation when they decide more for themselves.They have rights to choose and decide the orientation of learning activities,but it does not mean students learn what they want to,they are allowed to choose their learning orientation according to their own interest and strong points.For example teachers design more open-riented topic just as referred in the questionnaire.Teachers may design such an activity:“Please design an English notice for a certain activity.”As to that teachingactivity,students may choose a basketball match,a music concert,a party,a display,and so on; they can choose the style of notice,such as flowing,elegant and so on;they can determine the way of finishing itstudents can use a computer to finish it or by hands;they can decide to cooperate with othersor by themselves to finish it;finally students can participate the draft of accession standards and the final evaluation of it.Before this activity,teachers and students together work out the accession standards of the notice to be designed in order that students are clear in the orientation they strive for.Because they have known the standards of evaluation,they have an accurate purpose and devote themselves to the activity in an active attitude.After they finish the notice,they together participate evaluation and they realize their perfects and defects of the notice.Most important they can taste the pleasure of this learning activity.
(2) Enhancing the practicality and times of teaching materials.For most senior high school students,they like the teaching materials which are closely related to their life and they have a strong desire to master useful knowledge.Their standards of evaluating language learning materials first are the contents are closely related to their present and future needs or not.Once they find that language learning materials have a suitable taste for them,they will produce curiosity and desire to get further learning.From the investigation,we can see that75% of students like using Oxford English,just because it chooses a lot of language learning material which is directly close to students’life.For instance,Body Language in Book for Senior Students 1A reminds students of caring more about their behaviors and manners in different occasions;it makes students realize the meanings of different body language;it makes students know the same body language has different meaning in different countries;it also makes students know how to communicate with people by gesture.So it is very significant to consider whether the teaching materials have a taste for students.If teaching materials can meet their internal needs,they will learn English very quickly and absorb lots of spiritual pleasure.
(3) Encouraging students to read English magazines,listen to English songs and watch English TV programs.Form the investigation,66.7% of students have a strong intensity of motivation of learning English when they read extracurricular books,listen to English songs and watch English TV programs.This way is very practical for students to learn English in a relax atmosphere,and it is available for them.At the same time,they widen their range of knowledge from those means and meet their internal needs.
(4) Promoting the harmonious developments of students’personality. Einstein said:“The achievement of intelligence depends on the greatness of personality.”From the investigation we find that 76.7% of students show their personality affect their English learning motivation.Generally speaking,if students are active and optimistic,it will be helpful for them to learn English.From the investigation,66.7% of students are introverted and afraid of making mistakes in learning English.We know English is a tool used for communication,so students should be talkative and optimistic without afraid of making mistakes.In senior English teaching,teachers can encourage and praise students to open their mouths to communicate with others,and students learn English in practice;in turn in the process of learning English,they perfect their personality.
V. Conclusion
Motivation is one of the most important elements that influence English learning.If a person has a strong motivation especially intrinsic motivation and integrative motivation,he or she is easier to get success.Most of Chinese senior high school students hold a“admire”attitude toward English,which is very helpful for English learning.While because there are great differences between Chinese and English culture together with unsatisfactory English learning environment,learning English is not an easy task for Chinese senior high school students.From the perspective of types of the motivation of learning English, instrumental motivation and extrinsic one are dominated by Chinese senior high school students,while instrumental motivation and extrinsic one are easily influenced by external environment and they are very difficult to maintain students’short-term learning.Intrinsic motivation derives from students’interest in English itself and internal needs and it maintains students’long-term learning.So the final purpose of discussing motivation is to improve senior high school students’English learning and promote Chinese English teaching reform.
【References】
1.Brown,H.D.Principles of language learning and teaching.New JerseyPrentice Hall,Inc,1994(3)
2.Clement,et al.Motivation,self-confidence and group cohesion in the foreign language classroom. Language Learning,1994(3)
3.Drnyei,Zoltn.Motivation and Motivating in the Foreign Language Classroom. The Modern Language Journal,1994(2)
4.Ingram,E.Psychology and Language Learning London.Oxford University Press,1975
5.Mook,D.G.Motivation:the organization of action.New York:W.W.Norton & Company,Inc,1987
6.Oxford,Rebecca & Shearin,Jill.Language Learning Motivation:Expanding the Theoretical Framework.The Modern English Journal,1994(2)
7.Pintrich,P.R.Multiple goals,multiple pathways:The Role of Orientation in Learning and Achievement.Journal of Educational Psychology,1992(1)
8.Schmidt,R.D.& O.K.Boraie.Foreign language motivation:Internal structure and external connections. In R.L.Oxford.Language Learning Motivation:Pathways to the New Century,University to Hawaii at Manoa;Second Language Teaching & Curriculum Center,1996
9.Spaulding,C.L.Motivation in the classroom. New York:McGraw-Hill,1992
10.Tremblay,P.F. & R.L.Gardner. Expanding the motivation construct in language learning.The Modern Language Journal,1995(4)
11.贾冠杰:外语教育心理学,南宁:广西出版社,1996
12.李洪与、何一粟:学习的动力,武汉:湖北教育出版社,1998
13.皮连生主编:学与教的心理学(第2版),上海:华东师范大学出版社,1997
14.文秋芳:英语学习者动机、观念、策略的变化规律和特点,外语教学与研究,2001(1)
15.武和平:九十年代外语二语学习动机研究述略,外语教学与研究,2001(1)
【Key words】learning motivation;senior high school students;investigation and analysis;Chinese senior English teaching
Ⅰ.Introduction
After the transition from the center of teachers’imparting knowledge to the center of students’focus on language skills training,it has been widely acknowledged that students play a “subject”role and teachers play a “leading”role in Chinese English teaching.Today quality education is getting more and more important and English teaching is also transited from “examination—oriented education”to “quality education”.In such a background of English teaching,learning motivation has become a topic concerned by theoretical experts in the process of foreign language learning.That is because motivation is to determine people’s behaviors and activities and make them toward certain psychological tendency,which is the direct power of promoting people engaged in activities.Recently,there more and more researches in the field of motivation achieved a lot such as.However,those researches,both on foreign students and Chinese students,mostly focused on how to motivate students’learning interest. This paper aims to explore learning motivation of Chinese senior high school students in English learning through the investigation and analysis of the learning motivation of Grade One students in Baishui High School,from the perspective of educational system,social environment and internal mechanism the motivation formed.The investigation is conducted by a questionnaire which is designed based on motivational theory of social psychology and educational psychology.At the same time,some implications are provided for Chinese English teaching.
Ⅱ.On learning motivation
The term“motivation”presents a real mystery:people use it widely in a variety of everyday and professional contexts without the slightest hint of there being a problem with its meaning,and most of us would agree that it denotes something of high importance. Psychologists define motivation as an internal process that activates,guides,and maintains behavior over time.In plain language,motivation is what gets you going,keeps you going,and determines where you are trying to go.In other words,motivation is responsible for why people decide to do something,how long they are willing to sustain the activity,how hard they are going to pursuit it.
Motivation is composed of three kinds of drives.They were cognitive drive,self-improvement drive and subsidiary drive.Cognitive drive refers to learners who have a desire of requesting,acquiring knowledge and understanding of the world around them,articulating and solving the problem.Self-improvement drive refers to learners who get good grades to improve their status in the family and school.Subsidiary drive refers to learners who get a self-esteem satisfaction from teachers and parents through obedient to them.
1.The importance of learning motivation
Among many factors that influence English learning,such as gender,age,language aptitude,and learning strategies and so on,learning motivation is one of the most critical components.It affects the proficiency and success of foreign language learning;at the same time to a certain degree,the other factors that affect foreign language learning are closely related to the motivation.Some investigations from foreign language linguists show that strong learning motivation has an excellent effect on foreign language learning getting power and making progress;in fact it can enhance learners to learn more hard on study and gain more achievements,which forms a good circulation.If learners do not have enough and clear learning motivation,no matter how strong their capacity are and how intelligent they are,it is very difficult for them to master a task like learning a foreign language.In English teaching in order to adopt appropriate teaching materials and suitable teaching methods and create excellent learning atmosphere to help students exert their own language learning potential to master a language,we need to know learners’learning motivation and series of components that affect motivation.So it is no doubtful that learning motivation is very significant for students to learn a foreign language.
2.Some theories of second language learning motivation
At present,there are two main trends on second language learning motivation:One is to discuss the components of motivation on theory and point out theoretical frames of motivation;the other is to apply empirical methods to discuss the internal structure of second language learning motivation.In terms of theoretical discussion,those frames of motivation increase people’s awareness of second language learning motivation,but they only list elements of the motivation without the discussion of the relationship between them.At the same time,they lack of empirical supports.
From a perspective of social psychology,Garden and Lambert divided foreign language learning motivation into integrative-motivation and instrumental-motivation.After more than 10 years painstaking research and investigation on foreign language learners in the united states,Canada and other countries,finally they got that:the so-called integrative-motivation refers to learners with special interest associations to target language community or expectation into social life or even to be a member of the community.The so-called instrumental-motivation refers to a particular purpose,for example,passing an examination,gaining certain post or position to improve their social status to change their fates;obtaining the information of target language by reading scientifical references of it;gaining a diploma or certificate and so on.As language educational experts Ingram said:“As long as it has a strong need for successful learners for the economy and society,there are certain people mastering it.”
From the angle of educational psychology,one of the most general and well-known distinctions in motivation theories is that of intrinsic motivation versus extrinsic motivation.The first type of motivation derives from learners’strong interest in certain learning material and learning task;it focuses on students’natural curiosity,interest and internal needs,such as the joy of doing a particular activity or satisfying one’s curiosity.While the second type of motivation,as the term itself suggests,is that which comes from the influence of some kind of external incentive,as distinct from the wish to learn for its own sake or interest in tasks.In general,the main contents ofextrinsic motivation can be summarised as follows:to achieve teachers’ and parents’ requirements;to realize parents’dream;to gain parents,teachers and classmates’praise;to make high scores;to be admitted to a university;to have a good job in the future and so on.
In fact,it is generally accepted that in China instrumental-motivation and integrative-motivation are the equivalent for extrinsic motivation and intrinsic motivation.
III. An investigation and analysis on students’learning motivation
This investigation aims to know the conditions of English learning motivation of senior high school students and the series of components that influence it.At the same time some implications are presented for Chinese senior English teaching.In this investigation we take the form of questionnaire that eight questions about motivation are designed.The subject of this investigation is Grade One (including Class 1 and Class 2) totally 120 at Baishui High School.
1.The results of the investigation
From the investigation we can find that:
(1) At present,generally speaking,senior high school students’learning motivation is not very strong.Less than half of the students’(41.7%) English learning motivation is stronger,while 58.3%of students feel that their English learning motivation is a little poor.
(2) The types of students’ motivation of learning English are dominated by instrumental and extrinsic ones.65% of students learn English so as to be admitted to a university.The proportion of going abroad is more than 50%;66.7% of students learn English in order to hunt for a decent job after graduation;58.5% of students have no choice but to accept it,because it is compulsory;only 17.5% of the students are purely interested in English itself.
(3)In most cases the students’ intrinsic motivation of learning English exists and to a certain degree it plays a great impact.For example,66.7% of students have an intense desire of learning English when reading extracurricular books,listening to English songs,watching English films and English TV programs;more than 50% of students have a strong motivation when they have rights to study automatically (include free speech, open questions;free proposition;panel discussion, etc).
(4)Students have a strong desire to apply English in practice.87.5% of students show a strong intensity when they communicate in English.63.3% of students learn English in order to communicate with foreigner.75% of students think that they lack the chance and have no habit of speaking in English,which weak their intensity of learning motivation.
(5)Students extremely concern about the evaluation of others.79.2% of students believe that external recognition(teachers,parents and students) affects their intensity of motivation of learning English,while only 20.8% of students are concerned about self-evaluation.
2.The analysis of the investigation
From the investigation above,we can see that among students’learning motivation of English,instrumental motivation and extrinsic one play a dominant rol,while intrinsic motivation is a serious shortage——only 17.5%.The reason for this phenomenon can be analyzed from the following aspects:
(1) It is influenced by behaviourism. “Behaviourism thinks that motivation is the result of certain behaviour strengthened by external environment.” In other words,those behaviours that are received rewards are recognized and consolidated.Those behaviours that are punished are not recognized,so that their frequencies of appearance decrease until they disappear.For a long time,our education system has been fair in meeting out rewards and punishments,so students form such a deep—rooted concept:students who learn well can be praised and given various incentives;while students who perform poorly on their study are discriminated or even punished.In the whole process of learning,they undergo the stimulations of rewards or punishments every day.So they are used to immediately considering what kind of rewards or punishments they are facing with or what kinds of outcome they meet,then to deciding how much they pay the efforts on study.More than 80% of students bear a strong intensity of motivation when they are properly praised by teachers,classmates and parents.
(2) It is affected by social factors.As a person in the society,it is no doubtful that the motivation tendency of students is influenced by social factors,just as Dough G.Mook said:“Society affects our actions profoundly,both by determining what is available to us,and by determining how we select from what is available to us.”Social accession tendency directly affect students’ decision to what their main purposes of learning English are.During late 1970’s to 1980’s,there was a crazy wave of going abroad,as a result,they thought if they learnt English well,they could go abroad.After 1900’s Chinese domestic economy continued to hold the momentum of rapid development,with the rapid development of society,there was a great need for English talents especially the technical people with perfect English skills,which mainly reflected on the requirements on job seekers.For a time,CET-4,CET-6 were the main targets for college students even today,so senior high school students naturally formed such a concept:learning English well-admitted to a key university-getting CET-6 certification,in this case,it is easier to gain a decent job.So in 1990’s certification motivation had become another new starting point for senior high school students in addition to going abroad.While today with China’s “accession to WTO”,Chinese students has shown unprecedented enthusiasm in learning English.About that point it has been referred in the investigation and many students pointed “accession to WTO” had a great effect on their English learning.From the perspective of small environment,students have different social background,comparison between each other and the different attitudes towardcomparison and even teachers’explicit or implicit attitudes and tendency toward them can affect the formation of students’motivation of learning English,especially for senior high school students,because they are in the primary stage of worldview formation,and they naturally form their English learning motivation according to their environment around.
(3) It is determined by China’s education system and the characteristics of English itself.Although we advocate quality education,with a great pressure on being admitted to a university,65% of students learn English in order to get into universities.At the same time,English as a foreign language for Chinese senior high school students,it is more difficult to learn because of lacking of language environment,individual differences and the cultural differences between the west and the east.As a result,students take no interest in English not mention strong motivation.From the investigation above,75% of students have not formed the habit of speaking in English or found the opportunity of applying English in life.
(4) Students focus little on self-assessment and intrinsic motivations lose the existing condition.From the investigation,only 20% of students are concerned about self-evaluation.Our Chinese students have long been accustomed to a passive learning.What to learn,how to learn it and which target to reach are determined by teachers;what students can do is to follow what teachers have asked and they never consider whether it is suitable for them.In this case,students with lower subject role make them seriously lack of self-decisions,they are not willing to or being afraid of making decision by themselves,because they are concerned that their decisions are not wiser than teachers’,they turn to teachers’attitude toward them.They have no confidence let alone they are interested in self-decision.As a result,intrinsic motivations lose the existing condition.
IV. Some implications on English learning in China
From the investigation,we know that intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation are seriously imbalanced in the types of learning motivation of senior high school students.So we must change this case and first we need to discuss the relationship between intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation.
1.The Relationship between Intrinsic and Extrinsic motivation
Because the English learning itself caused by intrinsic motivation can make students get satisfaction and learning activities themselves are a reward,which makes it promote great strength and maintain long time learning.Most important intrinsic motivation makes students learning English as a kind of interest and maintains longer time in the process of learning.While extrinsic motivation is based on external factors, once the external factors disappear,it will disappear,so it maintains short time learning.From the perspective of Maslow’s Theory of Hierarchy of Needs,people finally pursuit self-esteem and self-actualization.That is to say,people focus on inherent needs,which are more important than extrinsic materials.H.Dough Brown said:“…We are ultimately motivated to achieve‘self- actualization’once the basis physical,safety,and community needs are met.No matter what extrinsic rewards are present or absent,we will strive for self-esteem and fulfilment.”Pi Liansheng also said in Psychology of Learning and Teaching:“One of the main tasks in education is to enable students to be interested in useful knowledge itself instead of being controlled by various rewards apart from winning academic achievements.”So in Chinese senior English teaching leading students’intrinsic motivation is the main target of motivation education.At the same time,we should have a correct view on extrinsic motivation and instrumental one,because the deep-rooted role of extrinsic motivation can not be changed at once,and under a certain circumstance,extrinsic motivation can be changed into intrinsic one.For instance,through an English examination,it may bring students’ confidence of learning English and make them find the internal interest and form an intrinsic motivation.So when we focus on intrinsic motivation,we can not neglect the functions of extrinsic motivation.“…It will be presented as a path toward more intrinsic forms of motivation.”That is the correct objective attitude toward extrinsic motivation.
2.Some implications on English teaching in China
From the investigation and the analysis of it,we know that extrinsic motivation and instrumental motivation play a leading role in the types of English learning of chinese senior high school students,while intrinsic motivation and integrative one only play an unimportant role.So they are seriously imbalanced. And we know we mainly focus on intrinsic and integrative motivation.So some implications are presented to senior English teaching.
(1)Letting students decide more for themselves.We know more than 50% of students gain a strong intensity of learning motivation when they decide more for themselves.They have rights to choose and decide the orientation of learning activities,but it does not mean students learn what they want to,they are allowed to choose their learning orientation according to their own interest and strong points.For example teachers design more open-riented topic just as referred in the questionnaire.Teachers may design such an activity:“Please design an English notice for a certain activity.”As to that teachingactivity,students may choose a basketball match,a music concert,a party,a display,and so on; they can choose the style of notice,such as flowing,elegant and so on;they can determine the way of finishing itstudents can use a computer to finish it or by hands;they can decide to cooperate with othersor by themselves to finish it;finally students can participate the draft of accession standards and the final evaluation of it.Before this activity,teachers and students together work out the accession standards of the notice to be designed in order that students are clear in the orientation they strive for.Because they have known the standards of evaluation,they have an accurate purpose and devote themselves to the activity in an active attitude.After they finish the notice,they together participate evaluation and they realize their perfects and defects of the notice.Most important they can taste the pleasure of this learning activity.
(2) Enhancing the practicality and times of teaching materials.For most senior high school students,they like the teaching materials which are closely related to their life and they have a strong desire to master useful knowledge.Their standards of evaluating language learning materials first are the contents are closely related to their present and future needs or not.Once they find that language learning materials have a suitable taste for them,they will produce curiosity and desire to get further learning.From the investigation,we can see that75% of students like using Oxford English,just because it chooses a lot of language learning material which is directly close to students’life.For instance,Body Language in Book for Senior Students 1A reminds students of caring more about their behaviors and manners in different occasions;it makes students realize the meanings of different body language;it makes students know the same body language has different meaning in different countries;it also makes students know how to communicate with people by gesture.So it is very significant to consider whether the teaching materials have a taste for students.If teaching materials can meet their internal needs,they will learn English very quickly and absorb lots of spiritual pleasure.
(3) Encouraging students to read English magazines,listen to English songs and watch English TV programs.Form the investigation,66.7% of students have a strong intensity of motivation of learning English when they read extracurricular books,listen to English songs and watch English TV programs.This way is very practical for students to learn English in a relax atmosphere,and it is available for them.At the same time,they widen their range of knowledge from those means and meet their internal needs.
(4) Promoting the harmonious developments of students’personality. Einstein said:“The achievement of intelligence depends on the greatness of personality.”From the investigation we find that 76.7% of students show their personality affect their English learning motivation.Generally speaking,if students are active and optimistic,it will be helpful for them to learn English.From the investigation,66.7% of students are introverted and afraid of making mistakes in learning English.We know English is a tool used for communication,so students should be talkative and optimistic without afraid of making mistakes.In senior English teaching,teachers can encourage and praise students to open their mouths to communicate with others,and students learn English in practice;in turn in the process of learning English,they perfect their personality.
V. Conclusion
Motivation is one of the most important elements that influence English learning.If a person has a strong motivation especially intrinsic motivation and integrative motivation,he or she is easier to get success.Most of Chinese senior high school students hold a“admire”attitude toward English,which is very helpful for English learning.While because there are great differences between Chinese and English culture together with unsatisfactory English learning environment,learning English is not an easy task for Chinese senior high school students.From the perspective of types of the motivation of learning English, instrumental motivation and extrinsic one are dominated by Chinese senior high school students,while instrumental motivation and extrinsic one are easily influenced by external environment and they are very difficult to maintain students’short-term learning.Intrinsic motivation derives from students’interest in English itself and internal needs and it maintains students’long-term learning.So the final purpose of discussing motivation is to improve senior high school students’English learning and promote Chinese English teaching reform.
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