本科毕业设计-在英语教学中激发大学生的学习动机

2.LiteratureReview

2.1Motivationalstudiesfromabroad

Therearealargenumberofresearchesonwhethermotivationaffectsforeignlanguagelearning.Amongtheresearchers,Gardner＆Lambert(1972)identifiedthatmotivationisofgreatimportancetosuccessfullanguageacquisition.Accordingtothem,effort，desiretolearn，andsatisfactionwiththetaskarethethreemainelementsessentialtoidentifythedegreeofmotivationinlanguagelearning.DÖrnyei(1994)putitfurtherwiththecognitivefactorsofthelearningmotivationandhealsodidtheexperimentwhichwasbasedonastateofforeignlanguageteachingclassroom.HeputforwardthoseL2learnersatthefollowingthreelevels:thelanguage,learner,andthelearningsituation.Apartfromthese,thereareotherresearchesshowingtherelationshipsbetweenmotivationandotherpossibleconsiderationssuchasattitudes,learninghabits,anxiety,andteachers.Forinstances,Matthew,P.(1997)triedtofindouttheeffectsofauthenticlanguagematerialsonmotivation.Heturnedtoclassroomobservation,andthenhegotthatauthenticlanguagematerialscanpromotemotivationthroughhisresearch.

2.2Domesticstudiesaboutmotivation

Chinabeganitsstudyoflanguagelearningmotivationinthe1980s,atthattime,thetermmotivationcouldonlybefoundinchaptersorsectionsinsomemonographsaboutpsychologyoflearning(Gui,1985,1991).SomeacademicjournalsinthefieldofforeignlanguageteachinginChinarevealedthatonlyoneauthor(Zheng,1987)usedthewordmotivationinthetitleofhisresearchpaper.Until1990s,manymoreresearchesbegantoconcernwithmotivationasmoreandmorepeoplehadrealizedglobalizationandtherewasapopularityofforeignlanguagelearningamongChinesepeople.

TheearliestexperimentalresearchwasdonebyGuiShichun(1986)whocenteredonlearningmotivation,learningenvironments,attitudestowardlearningsituationsandlearningstyles．Theresultidentifiedthatlearningenvironmentsandattitudes(especiallywhohavestronginstrumentalmotivation)affectmostuponstudents’learningmotivation.

IntheinvestigationofZhouYan(1992),heconcludedthatmotivationiscorrelatedwithlearningachievement.HaoMeiandHaoRuoping(2001)reportedthatstudents’achievementmotivationispositivelyrelatedtotheirfinalscores，butnegativelyrelatedtotheirstateanxiety．

InstudyofindividualdifferencesonmotivationconductedbyWuYi’anandLiuRunqing(1993),theyfoundthatChineselearners’Englishlearningmotivationwere,moreoftenthannot,instrumental．Accordingtotheirstudy,gettingacertificateisthemajormotivationofChineselearnerswhichisdifferentfromthemotivationtypeofstudentsinothercountries.

WenQiufang(1995，2001),whoanalyzedtherelationshipbetweenmotivationandlearningstrategies,classifiedmotivationintotwocategories:superficialanddeepmotivations.Theyalsofoundthatmotivationiscorrelatedwithlanguagelearningbeliefsandstrategies.Apartfromthisclassification,GaoYihongeta1.(2003)，summedupthatthereareseventypesofmotivationamongstudentswhichareinterest,achievement,learningcontext,goingabroad,socialresponsibility,personaldevelopmentandinformationmedia.

Toconclude,ChineseresearchersadoptthetheoriesofthestudyofmotivationonL2learningfromoverseasanddevelopitsowntheoriesbasedontherealsituationinlandthroughinvestigation,realclassroomcontextandsoon.Factors,suchaslearningenvironment,interest,teacher,passingexams,socialresponsibility,peers,affectstudents’learningmotivation.TheabovetheoriesnotonlyenrichthemotivationtheoriesofL2learning,butalsohelpustoknowwhatproblemsarestillexist,howwecanimprovestudents’Englishlearning.

3.Motivation

3.1Definitionofmotivation

Motivationiscommonlythoughtofastheinnerdrive,impulse,emotionordesirethatmovesonetoparticularaction(Brown,1981:121).AsstatedbyHarmer,J.(1983)thatmotivationissomekindofinnerdrivethatencouragesomebodytopursuitacourseofaction.

Gardner’sdefinitionofmotivation,whichisbasedonsocialpsychology,islargelyacceptedandfrequentlyquoted.AsonsocialnatureofL2learning,hedefinesmotivationtolearnaL2astheextenttowhichtheindividualworksorstrivestolearnthelanguagebecauseofadesiretodosoandthesatisfactionexperiencedinthisactivity(Gardner,1985:1).AndwhenmotivationisappliedinEnglishlearning,motivationcanbeadecisivefactorforlearnerstosucceedinlearningEnglish.Thereisalargebodyofresearchdocumentinghowknowledgeandexperiencearedynamicallyrelatedtomotivation(Graham＆Golan,1991).

WhenmotivationisappliedinEnglishlearning,itisnotonlyanintensivedesireforlearningandacquiringknowledge,butalsoaninnerpowertopushstudentsforwardwithenthusiasmandwillingness.StudentswhoaremotivatedstronglyarelikelytotakeacorrectandpositiveattitudetowardsstudyandwillthusworkhardinlearningEnglish.Consequentlythestudentscangetbettergradethanthosewhohaven’tbeenmotivatedorthosewhodon’thaveanyinterestinlearningEnglish.

Fromthedefinitionandtheoryabove,wecanseethatmotivationisaprocessrelatedtothementalstate.Itisassociatedwithvariousdecision-making,intentions,determinations,personalimpulseandsoon.FromhowGardnerdefinesmotivationinlanguagelearning,wecouldseethatmotivationisanimportantfactorinlanguagelearningsinceonceone’slearningmotivationisaroused,he/shewillprobablytryeverywaytoworkhardunlesshe/shereachesthegoal.Soitisessentialforustounderstandmotivationinadeepstate,especiallywhenitisusedinEnglishlearning.

3.2Typesofmotivation

3.2.1Integrativemotivationandinstrumentalmotivation

RobertGardnerandWallaceLambert(1972),whoseaimwasstudyinghowattitudeandmotivationaffectlanguagelearning,haddonealargenumberofinvestigationsandresearcheswithforeignlanguagelearnersinCanada,somepartsoftheUnitedStates，andthePhilippinesforovertwelveyears.Basedontheirresearchfindings,theygroupedmotivationastwobasickinds:Integrativemotivationandinstrumentalmotivation.

i)Integrativemotivation

Integrativemotivationappearswhenlearnerswishtointegratethemselveswithinthecultureofasecondlanguagegroup，toidentifythemselveswithandbecomeapartofthesociety(GardnerandLambert,1972).Whenoneshowshisrealinterestinthepeopleandthecultureofoneparticularcommunity(especiallywheretheyneedtospeakaforeignlanguage),hewillbemotivatedbytheneedsthatacquiringthesecondlanguagewillenablehimtomeetwithandtalktothetargetlanguagespeakers.

ii)Instrumentalmotivation

Instrumentalmotivationreferstothemotivationtoacquirealanguageasmeansforattaininginstrumentalgoals：furtheringacareer,readingtechnicalmaterial，translation，andsoforth(GardnerandLambert,1972).Comparedwithintegrativemotivation,instrumentalmotivationfocusesmoreonthepracticalvalueandadvantagesoflearninganewlanguageinthatainstrumentalmotivatedpersonoftenshowsarelativelylimitedinterestinthepeopleandthecultureofthetargetlanguagecommunity.Inthiscase,onelearnsthelanguagemainlybecausehe/sheneedsitforoneormorecertainpurposes.

However,thisclassificationofintegrativeandinstrumentalmotivationisnotsuitabletobeappliedhere.AsBrajKachru(1977-1992)notedthatinthedevelopingcountrieswhereEnglishhasbecomeaninternationallanguage，peoplelearnEnglishwellforinstrumentalreasonsalone．Sothiskindofclassificationcannotillustratehowwelloneismotivated,becausenomatteroneismotivatedbytheintegrativeorinstrumentalfactororboth,thedegreeofhowwelloneismotivatedisstillunknown.However,ifwewanttomotivatestudentseffectively,weneedtoknowhowwellstudentsaremotivatedandwhichkindofmotivationcanhelptheminEnglishlearning.

3.2.2Extrinsicmotivationandintrinsicmotivation

i)Extrinsicmotivation

Extrinsicmotivationregardstoouterfactors,suchasprizes,appraisals,complimentsorfeedbacks.Inaword,asLatham(1998)statedextrinsicmotivationisrelatedto"Tangiblebenefits".Itexistswhenindividualsaremotivatedbyanoutcomethatisexternalorfunctionallyunrelatedtotheactivityinwhichtheyareengaged(Spaulding,1992:4).Forexample,astudentwhoismotivatedbyparents’complimentwillworkhardtogethighscores;hiseffortsaremadeforextrinsicreasonaloneinsteadofgainingtheknowledgeitselforhavingarealinterestoflearning.

ii)Intrinsicmotivation

Onthecontrary,intrinsicmotivationisaresponsetoneedsthatexistswithinthelearner,suchascuriosity,theneedtoknow,andfeelingsofcompetenceorgrowth(Eggen&Kauchak,1994:428).Itisalsocalleddirectsatisfactionforitreferstolearnerswhogetsatisfactionderivedfromlearning.Itexistswhensomeoneworksbecauseofaninnerdesiretoaccomplishatasksuccessfully,whetherithassomeexternalvalueornot(Spaulding,1992:4).Acaseinpointisthatastudentmakeseveryefforttolearntheknowledgebecauseheisinwardlyinterestedatthatsubjectandwantstoknowmoreaboutit.Hiswillingforlearningthatsubjectwellgrowsandcausesintrinsicmotivation.Hispurposeoflearningisfortheenjoymentofthelearningprocessratherthanforpraisesorrewards.

Inconclusion,wecanseethatbothextrinsicandintrinsicmotivationbooststudy,theyarebothimportantandcomplementarytoeachother.Theoutwardpraisesandrewardsencouragestudentstostudymoreactivelywhiletheinwardinterestmakesonestudyhardandthiskindofmotivationcankeeprunningforalongtime.Theuseofrewardsasextrinsicmotivatorshavesometimesbeenfoundtoincreaseintrinsicmotivation,especiallywhentherewardsarecontingentonthequalityoftheperformanceratherthansimplyonparticipation(Lepper,1983:267).

Butitisalsoclearthattheextrinsicmotivatorissometimesnecessaryforitgetsstudentsstartedinthefirstplace,but,havingthedrawbackofnotlastingforlongandoverusingofextrinsicmotivationcanstifleintrinsicmotivationwhileitistheintrinsicmotivationthatcanarousethestudents’reallearninginterest.

4.PresentSituationaboutCollegeStudents’Motivation

AstheglobalizationandopeningpolicyinChina,foreignlanguage,especiallyEnglishhasenjoyeditsimportantplaceandEnglishteachinghasreceivedgreatimprovements.ButthetraditionalEnglishteachingmodehasmadelotsofdump-EnglishlearnersinChinaasitpayfarmoreattentiononmultiplechoicesofgrammarandreadingcomprehensionthanspeakingcompetence.Collegestudentsareallattheprimeagesoflearning,theydefinitelyhavetheabilitytolearnEnglishwell,buttheyfailtodosojustinthereasonthattheyareinappropriatelyeducated.AsLiLanqing,theformervice-premierofChina,pointedoutthatChinesecollegeEnglishstudentshavelearnedEnglishforovertenyears,buttheyareunabletolisten，speak,readorwritewell--theirabilitiestouseEnglisharestillpoor.

Chinesescholar,GaoYihong(2003)hasprovedthatthemainmotivationofChinesecollegestudentstowardsEnglishlearningiscertificatemotivation.Asfornon-Englishmajorslearners,CET4(CollegeEnglishTestBand4)andCET6(CollegeEnglishTestBand6)certificatesplayaveryimportantroleincollegeEnglishteachingandlearningsincemanycollegesanduniversitiesstipulatethatstudentswhocan’tpassCET4willnotgetthediploma.AsforEnglishmajors,passingTEM4(TestforEnglishMajorsBand4)andTEM8(TestforEnglishMajorsBand8)isnotonlyprovingoftheirabilitybutalsoapathtotheircareers.

LiHua(2006)conductedaninvestigationonhermasterthesisOnLearningMotivationandEnglishTeachinginVocation-technicalColleges.Surveying755students’scoresfromcollegeentranceexaminationinOctober,2004andOctober,2005,havinginterviewwith280freshmenfromdifferentdepartments,Lifoundoutthat60%ofthestudentslackinterestofEnglishlearning,86%admitthattheystudyEnglishmainlytogetahigherscore,67.49%ofthemhavenoconfidencetolearnitwell.

Fromtheabovetworesearches,wecanseethatmostcollegestudentsaremotivatedbyextrinsicfactorsmuchmorethanintrinsicones.WhentheyaremorenegativelymotivatedtopassexamsratherthantolearnEnglishwell,theycannevercultivatetheirrealinterestandgainknowledgeinEnglishandwillthusneverlearnwell.

5.MotivatingCollegeStudentsinthePartofTeachers

5.1Teacher’sroleinlanguageteaching

Teachingandlearningco-exist.Studentsarethemainbodyoflearningwhileteachersplaytheirpredominaterole.AccordingtothelatestCourseStandardofEnglishTeaching,teachers’workistomotivatestudents’interestinEnglish,cultivatestudents’senseofsuccess,guidestudentstoformagoodlearninghabit,enablethemtocommunicatesmoothlyanddevelopsoundvaluetowardslearningandliving.Basically,teachersaretheonlyonewhostudentscanrelyoninthepartofstudy.

Soitissuggestedthatteachersmakeeveryefforttomotivatestudentsintrinsicallyandconsequently,studentswillbemotivatedtocultivatearealinterestoflearningEnglishandstudyhardforacquiringknowledge.Theauthorsuggeststhefollowingstrategiesforarousingthecollegestudents’intrinsicmotivation.

5.2Strategies

AllcollegestudentshavecollegeEnglishclassesandclassroomlearningistheirmainsourceoflearningEnglish,butthefactisthatstudentsarenotsuccessfullymotivatedinclass,andweallknowteacheristheleadingactorinarousingstudents’intrinsicmotivation.Herefollowssomesuggestivestrategiesinthepartofteachersthatcanserveasremediestothepresentsituation.

1.Settinggoals

Manycollegestudentsarelackofasenseofmakinggoals,especiallythatoflong-termgoalswiththereasonthattheyneverformhabitsofmakinggoalsintheirearlyages.Goalisawantedresultorpurpose;whenyousetyourgoal,therewillbeinnerimpulsesinyourhearttopushyouworkhardtowardsyourgoal.SoitisimportantforteacherstomakesurestudentstosetgoalsintheirEnglishlearning.Inthelearningprocess,teacherscanhelpstudentstoestablishasenseofdirectionandconstantlyremindthemoftheirgoals,bitbybit,studentsarenotonlyencouragetomakegoalsbutalsokeeptheirgoalsinmindandthuswillworkhardtofulfilltheirgoals.Moreover,teachersshouldalsoremindthestudentstosetthegoalsneithertoohighnortolow,bothofwhichcanbringnegativeeffectsontheirlearningmotivation.Anditisadvisableforstudentstohavelong-termgoals,teachers,asguiders,canencouragestudentstothinkabouttheirdreamsandmakefutureplans,andonceawhile,talktothemandcheckwhethertheyarestillworkingonit.

2.Buildingupself-confidence

Aswecanseefromtheaboveinvestigation,whichwasconductedbyLiHua(2006)inOnLearningMotivationandEnglishTeachinginVocation-technicalColleges.Surveying755students’scoresfromcollegeentranceexaminationinOctober,2004andOctober,2005,hefoundthat67.49%ofthemhavenoconfidencetolearnEnglishwell.Whycollegestudents,whohavelearnedEnglishforovertenyears,stilllackofconfidencetolearnEnglishwell?Secondlanguagelearningisquitedifferentfromourmothertongue,wecantalktootherwithourmotherlanguageconfidentlybutitisnotthecasewhenwespeakEnglish.Thefearoffailureormakingafoolofoneselfmaydriveastudent’sconfidenceinEnglishlearningaway.Buildingupstudents’confidencecanhelpthembelieveorfeelthattheywillsucceedandweknowthoughconfidencerelatestoinneraspect,wecangeneratestudents’confidencebyoutermethods.

Whendesigningthetasksinclass,teachersneedtoawareaboutthedegreeofdifficulty,likesettinggoals,toohighwilldecreasestudents’confidence,toolowwilllessentheirinterest,soitisbetterforteacherstodesignsuitabledegreeofdifficultytasks.Whendoingpracticeinclass,likepairswork,presentationordialogue,itisbeneficialforteacherstomakesureenoughpracticetimeforstudentstotalkinEnglish.AndwhenstudentsmakeerrorsinusingEnglish,teachersneedtousesuitableerrorcorrectingmethodwhichwouldnotdecreasingstudents’confidence.

3.Arousinginterest

StudentsareeducatedtopassexamsfromPrimarySchooltillcollege;moststudentsthusnevercultivatearealinterestoflearningEnglish.Andwhentheyentercollege,theyarestillmotivatedtopassexamsassomeschoolsevendeferordon’tawarddegreetostudentswhohaven’tpassedCET4.Whenstudentsare,toalargeextent,motivatedtopassexams,howcantheysimplydeveloparealinterestoftheirlearning?However,interestisveryimportantinarousingstudents’learningmotivation,whenstudentshaveinterestinclass,theywillpayspecialattentiontoteachersandtakepartintheteachingactivities.Therearemanywaystoarousestudents’interest;onecommonwayinclassistheactivitiesandtasks.Variouskindsofactivitiescancertainlyattractstudents’attention,teacherscanneveronlydoingpairsworkinclass,instead,teachersneedtothinkdifferentkindsofactivities,likequiz,presentation,doingdialogue,roleplay,makingsentences,situationalaskandanswer,andevenouterclassroomactivities.Andwhat’smore,agoodlead-ininclass,likegreeting,talkingaboutcurrentaffairs,orthebackgroundaboutthetext,canmotivatestudentsintheverybeginning.

4.Satisfaction

Itisveryessentialforteacherstotreateverystudentthesame,becausewhenunfairnessappears,someofthestudentsmaybediscouragedbythisphenomena.Teachersneedtocreateasenseofsatisfactiontostudentsbytreatingthemequally,praisingthemandgivingthemsomerewardswhentheyaredoingwell.Treatingequallywillcreateasenseofsatisfactionamongstudents.Apartfromthis,studentsalsoexpectpositiveappraisalswhentheyaredoingwell,soteachersareadvisedtooralormaterialrewardstostudentsasencouragement.Thusstudentswillknowthatteachersaresatisfiedwiththeeffortstheymadeandhavethedrivetogoonworkinghardandevenworkingharder.

5.Stimulationinclass

Intraditionalclassroom,teachersalwaysignoretheimportanceofstimulationandgivetheanswerstostudentsdirectly,butitisnolongerusefulinmodernclassroomnow.Inmodernclassroom,studentsaretheleadingroleinthelearningprocess,andteachersareservedasguides.TheteachingmodeofcollegeEnglishteachingisdifferentfromthoseofPrimarySchoolorMiddleSchool,theremightbemorestudentsinacollegeEnglishclassroomandteachercannottakecareofeverystudent,cannotgeneratefeedbackintime.Sowhatteachersneedtodoistomakestudentstothink,toexplore,andtofinishthetaskbyone’sowneffortorgroupwisdoms.Teacherscandropahint,directstudentstoarightwayandthenstimulatethemtothinkhowtosolvetheprobleminsteadoftellingthemhowtodointhefirstplace.

6.Homework

Inmostofthecases,teachersaskstudentsjusttodotheexercisesonworkbookandpreparefordictation,somorecommonthannot,studentscopytheanswersfromtheguidebookandtreatindictation.Asamatteroffact,collegeteachersseldomcheckstudents’homework,thussomestudents