An Investigation Into The Affective Disorders Of Tianshui Senior High School Students Of English

As the important part of research into learners' individual differences in foreign or second language learning, affects draw more and more academic concerns of EFL or ESL teaching both at home and abroad in recent years and much attention is being paid to the study on learners' affective disorders in this realm.This thesis investigates into the affective disorders of 76 senior school students in Tianshui City from five aspects: examination anxiety, communication apprehension, frustration and torment, worrying about negative evaluation and tolerance of ambiguity. This thesis also deals with the correlation between the five types of affective disorders and the learners' achievements.Based upon the results of the investigation, the study aims to mould good relationship between teachers and students, to improve English teaching and learning in class, to create a cooperative, harmonious and co-creative learning atmosphere, and to seek better methodology for the improvement of EFL or ESL learning achievements.There are six sections in this thesis. Section One is about the purposes and significance of this investigation with explanations to the affective disorders and some key terms involved. Part Two deals with the literature review, introducing the status quo about the affective education and affective disorders research both in China and abroad. The third section introduces two theories involved in this investigation. One is Krashen's Affective Filter Hypothesis in the Monitor Model and the other is Schuman's Psychological Distance in Acculturation Model. Part Four, in detail, advances the hypotheses and provides some information concerning the subjects, instruments as well as methods and the procedure of this investigation.Section Five deals with data analysis and discussion which are divided into five steps: 1) the data are processed on SPSS (11.0) and the forms of descriptive analysis, T-test and regression analysis are obtained; 2) to understand the general distributive tendency of the data involved, descriptive analysis is made; 3) an independent-sample T-test is made as well to find out the district variation in affective disorders; 4) another independent-sample T-test is madeto identify the gender distinctions of affective disorders; 5) a regression analysis is conducted to understand the relationship between the achievements and the affective disorders. Each analysis is followed by the discussion in respective regard.The thesis ends with Section Six, which contains the conclusions and implications of this investigation as well as the suggestions for further research and language teachers. In this part, limitations of this investigation are also included.Based on the data and analysis of the investigation, the following conclusions have been drawn:1) Most of the senior high school students learning English in Tianshui City are being influenced by affective disorders, of which communication apprehension and examination anxiety are at the top.2) Rural senior school students are blocked by affective disorders more than urban ones.3) Boys students are impacted by the affective disorders more than girls.4) Worrying about negative evaluation is positively correlated to the students' examination scores, and communication apprehension, exam anxiety are negatively related to the scores, while tolerance of ambiguity and frustration and torment have no evident correlation to the scores.The conclusions, implications of this investigation, limitation are Part Six of this thesis.