Motivation and English learning.docx
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MotivationandEnglishlearning
本科毕业论文
MotivationandEnglishLearning
学院
外国语学院
专业
英语(教育)
年级
2005级
学号
谷月
姓名
222005384051134
指导教师
徐红彭奕奕
成绩
二○○九年五月
Outline
Thesis:
MotivationiscriticalinlanguagelearningaccordingtopsychologyandwaystomotivatestudentsaremoreimportanttoEnglishlearning.
I.Introduction
AmongthefactorsthatinfluenceEnglishlearning,motivationmakesup33percent.
II.Motivation
A.Maslow’sTheoryinmotivation
B.Classificationofmotivation
C.Personalfactorsinmotivation
III.ImportanceofmotivationinEnglishlearning
A.motivationdeterminesstudydirection
B.motivationdeterminesstudyprocess
C.motivationinfluencesthestudyeffect
IV.suggestionstomotivatestudentsinEnglishlearning
A.Usingvariousandinterestingactivities
BInvolvingnewandeffectivetechniques
C.Highexpectationandusingrewardsappropriately
D.Createarelaxedandpositivelearningclimate
E.Cooperativeactivities
F.Providingopportunitiesforstudentstoexperiencesuccess
V.Conclusion
Abstract
Motivation,oneofthemostfullyresearchedareasofindividualdifferencesinsecondlanguageacquisition,isaveryimportantfactoraffectingEnglishlearning.Itisalsocloselyrelatedtothesuccessoflanguagelearning.Alearner’smotivationwillevendeterminetheamountoftimeonespendsinlearningalanguage.Learningaforeignlanguageisnotasimpleandeasyjobbutsometimesitisboringanddull.MotivationiscriticalinEnglishlearning,thus,howtoeffectivelymotivatestudentsinEnglishlearningisanimportantproblem.Thispaperexpoundsthisimportanceandwaystomotivatestudents.First,itshowsthemotivationandthenexplainsintrinsicandextrinsicmotivationandtheirrelations,followingwithsomepersonalfactorsthatinfluencemotivationandimportanceofmotivationinEnglishlearning.Atlast,accordingtotherationale,therearesomesuggestionstomotivatestudentsinenglishlearning.
MotivationandEnglishLearning
Humanraceisnowenteringabrandnewera.The21stcenturyisatimeofadvancedscientificandtechnologicalknowledge,anditistruethatEnglishplaysanimportantroleinthemodernizationofacountry,providingakeytohumaneducationanddevelopment.AccordingtoEnglishculturecommittee'sreport,thepopulationofstudyingEnglishintheworldprobablyapproaches1billion,and1.5to2billionpeopleuseEnglishtocontactwitheachohereveryday.Thereportalsoestimatesthat,to2050,mostofpeopleintheworldcanuseEnglish.Furthermore,Englishenjoysawiderapplication.Above75%mailsarewritteninEnglish;60%ofradioprogramsarebroadcastinEnglish;80%ofmajorinternationalprintsarepublishedinEnglish;what'smore,Englishisregardedasthefirstgeneralusedlanguageintheimportantinternationalconferences.Itisobviousthatithasextendeditsantennaeintoeverycorneroftheglobe.Inbrief,Englishissoimportantthatitexertsafar–reachinginfluenceinthedomainofpolitics,military,economy,science,technology,culture,trade,transportation,etc.China,aswell,hasenteredacompletelynewstageinitshistory.WiththedevelopmentofthesocialistmarketeconomyofChina,theimprovementoftechnology,theraisingofinternationalstatus,especiallyalongwiththeentryofWTO,ChinaisinanurgentneedoflargequantitiesofspecialtalentswhoareskilledinEnglish,soastoenableourcountrytoplayagreaterroleintheinternationalaffairs.Therefore,learningEnglishhasbecomeessentialforthesocialandeconomicdevelopmentinChina.
Languagelearningisaverycomplicatedprocessthatisinfluencedbymanyfactors.motivation,attitude,interests,age,methods,willandcharacteraredirectandimportantfactorstoEnglishlearning.Amongthem,motivationisthemostimportantfactor,intheauthor’spiontofview.BecausethebehaviorofEnglishlearnersisdominatedbycognition,inotherwords,thelearnershaveadesireinwhichdrivethemtopersistinEnglishlearning.Forexample,twostudentssitnexttoeachotherinaclass.Theylookalikeandaresimilarinability,buttheyactverydifferently.Onejumpsintoassignments,participateseagerlyinclass,andgetsgoodgrades;theotherhesitatesonassignments,seldomjoinsindiscussion,andbarelygetsby.Why?
Thissituationistypical.Howmanytimeshavepeopleheardteacherssay,“Shecould.”InJakobovits’sresearch,heshowsthatthemainlyinfluentialfactorstoEnglishlearningare:
motivationwhichtakesup33%,aptitudewhichtakesup33%,intelligentwhichtakesup20%,andotherswhichtakeup14%(qtd.in贾冠杰58).Therefore,teachersandparentsareinterestedinmotivation,whichcandrivestudentsinEnglishlearningactively.
Peoplearealwaysmotivated.Theymaynotbemotivatedtodowhatwewouldprefertheydo,butitcanneverbetrulysaidtheyareunmotivated.Inpsychology,motivationisaforcethatenergizesanddirectsbehaviortowardagoal(PaulEggen&DonKauchak427).Justasaforcemovesanobject,motivationmovesaperson.Morevisualized,ifindividualsaremachines,motivationisastheveryenginethatpowersanddirectsindividuals’behavior.Motivationservethreeimportantfunctions:
energizingpeople(turningthekeyandstartingthemotivationalengine)directingpeople(pointingpeopleinaparticulardirection),andhelpingpeopletoselectthebehaviormostappropriateforachievingourgoals(DonHamachek262).Inaword,motivationisaninnerstatethatarousesindividual’sdesireforagoalandmaintainstheireffortsinacertaindirectionandtime.
Inlanguagelearning,motivationisnotonlyanintensivedesireforlearningandacquiringknowledgeofEnglish,butalsoaninnercausethatpushesstudentsforwardinEnglishlearningwithenthusiasmandwillingness.Generally,motivationisclassifiedintointrisicmotivationandextrinsicmotivation.Intrinsicmotivationisthetypeofinnerdrivethatpropelsstudentsforwardandonwardwithcontinuousenergyfueledbyitsowncuriosityandinterest.Itexistswhensomeoneworksbecauseofaninnerdesiretoaccomplishatasksuccessfully,whetherithassomeexternalvalueornot(CherylL.Spaulding4).Inotherword,studentsarewillingtolearntheknowledgethatisnewandinterestinginthepurposeoffulfillingoftheircuriosity,theneedtoknowandfeelingofcompetenceandgrowththatcauseintrinsicmotivation.Theirpurposeoflearningisalsotheenjoymentofthelearningprocessnotforpraiseorrewards.StudentswithintrinsicmotivationorientationstudyEnglishontheirowninitiativeandtendtoprefermoderatelychallengingtasks.Thishasagreatvalueandimportanceinlearning,fortheinwardinterestmakesthemself-startingandself-perpetuatingandcankeepthemotivationalmachinerygoingforalongtime.Incontrast,extrinsicmotivationisasanoutwardforceintheformofexpectation,praiseandrewardspowersstudentsinEnglishlearning.Itexistswhenindividualsaremotivatedbyanoutcomethatisexternalorfunctionallyunrelatedtotheactivityinwhichtheyareengaged(CherylL.Spaulding4).Whenstudentsworkhardtowintheirparents’favor,gainteachers’praise,orearnrewardssuchaspocketmoney,wecanrightlyconcludethattheirmotivationisprimarilyextrinsic,theirreasonforworkandstudylieprimarilyoutsidethemselvesandtheaimoflearningisnotfortheknowledgeitselfbuttheoutwardrewardsinordertogainself-esteem.Andtheoutwardpraiseandrewardsencouragestudentstostudymoreactively.
Bothintrinsicandextrinsicmotivationsareimportant,inseparableandcomplementarytoeachotherinEnglishlearning.Intrinsicmotivationisevidentwhenpeopleengageinanactivityforitsownsake,withoutsomeobviousexternalincentivepresent.However,intherealworldnotallofthestudentsareautomaticallyenergizedtoperformthisorthattask,ortolearnaboutthisorthattopic.Sometimes,agoodgrade,thethreatoffailingandpraisemovestudentsfromaninactivetoanactivestate.Theuseofrewardsasextrinsicmotivatorshavesometimesbeenfoundtoincreaseintrinsicmotivation,especiallywhentherewardsarecontingentonthequalityoftheperformanceratherthansimplyonparticipation. Itisclearthatextrinsicmotivatorsaresometimesnecessaryeithertogetstudentsstartedinthefirstplace,ortostartthemdownatrackthattheymightnotknowexists(DonHamachek267).However,overstressingtheuseofextrinsicmotivationcanstifleintrinsicmotivation.Motivationthroughrewardssuchaspoints,candies,compliments,money,testscores,orgrades.Theserewardsareexternallyadministeredandmayinhibitlearninginthelongrun,althoughseemingtobeeffectiveintheshortrun.Researchersgenerallyagreethatintrinsicmotivationisbetterforlongtermlearning.
Motivationcanbeexplainedasinteractionsamongbehavior,theenvironment,cognitions,andpersonalfactors.AndpersonalfactorstakeaveryimportantpositioninindividualEnglishlearning.Thereforefourpersonalfactors:
arousal,needs,beliefs,andgoalswillbediscussedasfollows.
Thefirstpersonalfactorthataffectspeople’smotivationisarousal.PaulEggenandDonKauchak(438-439)explainthatarousalisaphysicalandpsychologicalreactiontotheenvironment,includinganxietyandcuriositymotivation.Anxietyisarousaltothepointofgeneraluneasinessandtensionandcuriositymotivationisbasedontheideathatstudentsderivepleasurefromactivitieswithanoptimal(intermediate)levelofsurprise,discrepancy,orincongruity—eachofwhichinducesarousal.Whenateacherhandsoutatest,thestudentsaresittingnervouslyandcuri