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Richard E. Mayer (2003, P459) stated: There are “three kinds of possible answers to questions about what motivates students to work hard: 1. motivation is based on interest; 2. motivation is based on self-efficacy; 3. motivation is based on attribution”. We decided to do the survey around these aspects. If we are aware of their motivations, we may find out more effective ways to teach by priming students’ motivation to learn.
Research problem
What’s the students’ motivation of learning English?
When it comes to the question of why students have to learn English, the answer is obvious: they want to graduate on due time. Under such a circumstance, what we teachers can do is to cultivate potentials within both students and teachers. If we want to cultivate students’ potentials, the most effective way may be priming their motivations to learn English.
Literature review
Richard E. Mayer (2003, P460) defines motivation as “Motivation is an internal state that initiates and maintains goal-directed behavior.” and he believes “When the learner’s motivation is intrinsic, it comes from within. …when motivation is extrinsic, it is imposed on the learner from the outside.” However, merely promoting intrinsic motivation would not be sufficient for students to engage in the task persistently. And controlling actions are sometimes needed to cooperate with autonomous ones, which require students to conform to a set standard or to meet a particular expectation. (Roger H. Bruning, et al 4th ed. 2004 p127) ①
Research significance
As far as the purpose is concerned, the research in teaching process often aims at helping solve practical problems encountered. The students in higher vocational colleges are supposed to pass Practical English Test for Colleges (PRETCO) level b at the end of the first year and level a at the end of second year. The extrinsic motivation is clear: they have to conform to the standard of PRETCO; otherwise, they will flunk out in that they fail to meet the college expectation. The research is to explore the relationship between different variables and make it clear how they function in students’ learning English, which will undoubtedly indicate how to next.
The Research
The study is conducted in three forms:
1.Surveys on college students’ learning English and on attitudes toward English in labor market
2. observations and interviews
3.Experts and peers assessment on teaching reform
The survey
The survey is to explore students’ attitudes towards English learning and their motivation of learning and working units’ attitudes toward English. The handouts were distributed to 60 second-year college students and retrieved 40 valid ones while 20 valid copies were retrieved from 35 companies in that some of them refused to stamp their official seals, which is understandable since it involves their privacy. According to descriptive statistics collected, 96.5% companies surveyed list English qualification certificates as one of requirements for job candidates. 89% of them hold it is necessary to test English proficiency of job candidates and 73.8% focus on the candidates’ ability of English oral expression. In a word, bilingual employees appeal to labor market, especially those who can speak fluent English. It can be shown by the following graph:
As for students, 96% participants admit that they feel great pressure from outside in English learning. 92% of them think it important to learn English, especially applied English and 94% declare that they like English. However, it’s pity that only 11% say that they would like to study English hard.
The interview and observations
We interviewed several experts and peers in English education. Some of themstated that it inevitable tendency to carry out English teaching reform, and the teachers should focus on how to improve English effectiveness. They all believed that it necessary to combine English learning with different majors. If so, English will exert more function in one’s career. As for students, they seemed indifferent to what was on in class; therefore, the teachers find it difficult to carry out classroom activities. They complained that many students were spoiled due to one-child policy. Comparatively speaking, today’s students are lazier, lacking motivation to get themselves promoted. In a word, what most attendees cared most was how to activate the motivation of students and develop their ability of autonomous learning.
Results and analysis
The survey of labor market clearly tells the students in what direction they should go in their study. After all, to get a rather satisfactory job is the purpose for most students. In this sense, they have to care their English qualification certificates, which indicate they do think it important to learn English well. As the above figure shows, 94% participants declare that they like English. However, it’s pity that only 11% say that they would like to study English hard. It seems a paradox to understand.
If a student says he/she has no interest to learn English, the teachers often find it useless to help him/her. Starting from interest theory, we all believe that we can do nothing to seduce them to study hard. It has been proved in many cases that those lacking interest do not care appraisals or criticisms. However, it is worth exploring the potentials of applying self-efficacy and attribution theory to prime their intrinsic motivations concerning self-efficacy and their expectancy.“Self-efficacy is a self-appraisal of one’s ability to accomplish a task, as well as a measure of one’s confidence about one’s ability to perform that task.”(Wang Chengping, 2007 P97) ②According to the feedbacks to the unstructured question –What should account for your being of studying English, we find some of them are losing interest while being hit by failures constantly. The situation is worsening in this way: the fact that they think they can’t do ---- they fail on test----enhance the belief that they have no ability----they become lazy---- their repeated failure----they have no interest.
It can be concluded that both extrinsic and intrinsic motivations have influence on students’ English learning. As for college students, extrinsic motivation is often closely related to appraisal or criticism, coming from labor market, schools and parents, which often bring about negative affective feelings such as worry, anxiety, etc. Teachers should take the responsibility to help them digest outside pressures and prime their intrinsic motivation to study hard. As a matter of fact, if a student finds he/she dominates the task given and feels confident to accomplish it on his/her own, he/she will gain more confidence and accelerate more competence to deal with difficulties in learning process. The main task for teachers is to help them activate the motivation, cooperate with each other well and therefore achieve desirable effect.
(Note:①Roger H. Bruning, et al 4th ed. (2004) Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, New Jersey
②Wang Chengping (2007) Learner Autonomy in Chinese College English Study—a case study in WAHU CELEA journal April, 2007, Vol. 30. No. 2 pp.95-103）
Reference
[1]John W. Creswell (2005) Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, New Jersey
[2]Richard E. Mayer (2003) Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, New Jersey
Research problem
What’s the students’ motivation of learning English?
When it comes to the question of why students have to learn English, the answer is obvious: they want to graduate on due time. Under such a circumstance, what we teachers can do is to cultivate potentials within both students and teachers. If we want to cultivate students’ potentials, the most effective way may be priming their motivations to learn English.
Literature review
Richard E. Mayer (2003, P460) defines motivation as “Motivation is an internal state that initiates and maintains goal-directed behavior.” and he believes “When the learner’s motivation is intrinsic, it comes from within. …when motivation is extrinsic, it is imposed on the learner from the outside.” However, merely promoting intrinsic motivation would not be sufficient for students to engage in the task persistently. And controlling actions are sometimes needed to cooperate with autonomous ones, which require students to conform to a set standard or to meet a particular expectation. (Roger H. Bruning, et al 4th ed. 2004 p127) ①
Research significance
As far as the purpose is concerned, the research in teaching process often aims at helping solve practical problems encountered. The students in higher vocational colleges are supposed to pass Practical English Test for Colleges (PRETCO) level b at the end of the first year and level a at the end of second year. The extrinsic motivation is clear: they have to conform to the standard of PRETCO; otherwise, they will flunk out in that they fail to meet the college expectation. The research is to explore the relationship between different variables and make it clear how they function in students’ learning English, which will undoubtedly indicate how to next.
The Research
The study is conducted in three forms:
1.Surveys on college students’ learning English and on attitudes toward English in labor market
2. observations and interviews
3.Experts and peers assessment on teaching reform
The survey
The survey is to explore students’ attitudes towards English learning and their motivation of learning and working units’ attitudes toward English. The handouts were distributed to 60 second-year college students and retrieved 40 valid ones while 20 valid copies were retrieved from 35 companies in that some of them refused to stamp their official seals, which is understandable since it involves their privacy. According to descriptive statistics collected, 96.5% companies surveyed list English qualification certificates as one of requirements for job candidates. 89% of them hold it is necessary to test English proficiency of job candidates and 73.8% focus on the candidates’ ability of English oral expression. In a word, bilingual employees appeal to labor market, especially those who can speak fluent English. It can be shown by the following graph:
As for students, 96% participants admit that they feel great pressure from outside in English learning. 92% of them think it important to learn English, especially applied English and 94% declare that they like English. However, it’s pity that only 11% say that they would like to study English hard.
The interview and observations
We interviewed several experts and peers in English education. Some of themstated that it inevitable tendency to carry out English teaching reform, and the teachers should focus on how to improve English effectiveness. They all believed that it necessary to combine English learning with different majors. If so, English will exert more function in one’s career. As for students, they seemed indifferent to what was on in class; therefore, the teachers find it difficult to carry out classroom activities. They complained that many students were spoiled due to one-child policy. Comparatively speaking, today’s students are lazier, lacking motivation to get themselves promoted. In a word, what most attendees cared most was how to activate the motivation of students and develop their ability of autonomous learning.
Results and analysis
The survey of labor market clearly tells the students in what direction they should go in their study. After all, to get a rather satisfactory job is the purpose for most students. In this sense, they have to care their English qualification certificates, which indicate they do think it important to learn English well. As the above figure shows, 94% participants declare that they like English. However, it’s pity that only 11% say that they would like to study English hard. It seems a paradox to understand.
If a student says he/she has no interest to learn English, the teachers often find it useless to help him/her. Starting from interest theory, we all believe that we can do nothing to seduce them to study hard. It has been proved in many cases that those lacking interest do not care appraisals or criticisms. However, it is worth exploring the potentials of applying self-efficacy and attribution theory to prime their intrinsic motivations concerning self-efficacy and their expectancy.“Self-efficacy is a self-appraisal of one’s ability to accomplish a task, as well as a measure of one’s confidence about one’s ability to perform that task.”(Wang Chengping, 2007 P97) ②According to the feedbacks to the unstructured question –What should account for your being of studying English, we find some of them are losing interest while being hit by failures constantly. The situation is worsening in this way: the fact that they think they can’t do ---- they fail on test----enhance the belief that they have no ability----they become lazy---- their repeated failure----they have no interest.
It can be concluded that both extrinsic and intrinsic motivations have influence on students’ English learning. As for college students, extrinsic motivation is often closely related to appraisal or criticism, coming from labor market, schools and parents, which often bring about negative affective feelings such as worry, anxiety, etc. Teachers should take the responsibility to help them digest outside pressures and prime their intrinsic motivation to study hard. As a matter of fact, if a student finds he/she dominates the task given and feels confident to accomplish it on his/her own, he/she will gain more confidence and accelerate more competence to deal with difficulties in learning process. The main task for teachers is to help them activate the motivation, cooperate with each other well and therefore achieve desirable effect.
(Note:①Roger H. Bruning, et al 4th ed. (2004) Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, New Jersey
②Wang Chengping (2007) Learner Autonomy in Chinese College English Study—a case study in WAHU CELEA journal April, 2007, Vol. 30. No. 2 pp.95-103）
Reference
[1]John W. Creswell (2005) Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, New Jersey
[2]Richard E. Mayer (2003) Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, New Jersey