The Relationship Between Foreign Language Learning Burnout And Motivation

Motivation is one of the important affective factors widely studied by foreign language learning researchers in the past years. Based on the findings of foreign language learning motivation (FLLM),scholars have been trying to support foreign language teaching practices with motivational strategies since 1990s.However, the focus of researchers is on the influence of different motives on language learning success, and only a few studies on the fluctuation of FLLM and related emotions could be found.As a consequence of these limitations, it has proven difficult to build a solid theoretical base for L2 motivational strategies.L2 motivational self system (L2MSS) theory is serving as the background theory in most of the current motivational strategies related researches.Because of its close relationship with the process oriented perspective on motivation, it is believed that L2MSS theory could explain the fluctuation of motivation effectively.But current L2MSS theory is far from perfect and mature enough to be the theoretical base of L2 motivational strategies because it neglects the effect of learner's actual L2 self-concept, and does not explain the decreasing of his/her executive motivation and the rising of related negative emotions in the actional phase of his/her foreign language learning process.Burnout Syndrome, proposed by psychologists, takes the rising of dejection related emotions as its main characterization and the decreasing of motivation as one of its symptoms.Furthermore it considers causal in this process a painful conflict between an individual's different self-concepts.Using these ideas it becomes possible to further develop L2MSS theory. By introducing the concept of burnout and related theories we can move toward providing an effective explanation to the "daily ebb and flow" of FLLM and the appearance of negative counter-productive emotions on the part of learners.By exploring the relationship between foreign language learning burnout (FLLB) and FLLM, this paper connects the self system of the foreign language learner, the fluctuation of FLLM and the rising of negative emotions with the concept of burnout, and thus develops a new dimension of L2MSS theory hopefully providing an effective theoretical base for L2 motivational strategies.The current study is grounded on self theory in psychology, L2MSS theory, and psychological explanations of burnout syndrome. A review of the literature on burnout syndrome and FLLM helped to build 8 hypotheses about the characteristics and causes of learner's FLLB,and the correlation between learner's FLLB and FLLM.Based on these hypotheses, this paper extends current L2MSS theory from 3 different aspects:the relationship between leaner's possible L2 self-concept and the actual L2 self-concept;the effect of the foreign language learner's cognitive appraisal;and the rising of negative emotions in the fluctuation of FLLM.By using a combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches, the current study verified the 8 hypotheses to support the extended L2MSS theory.Thirty foreign language (English) major students (Grade 2008,X University) took part in the one-year qualitative study.In addition,290 foreign language (English) major students (Grade 2006-2009, X University) took part in the quantitative study which employed the foreign language learning burnout inventory (FLLBI) and part of AMTB (Translated Version) as measuring tools.All the 8 hypotheses built by the paper were accepted according to the empirical results.The study has the following key findings:1)The foreign language learner gets FLLB represented by dejection-related emotions as soon as he/she realizes that it is impossible to reduce the discrepancy between his/her actual and possible L2 self-concepts.FLLB is closely related to structured foreign language learning activities, and has the same 3 dimensions(exhaustion, cynicism, and decreased professional self-efficacy) as the wider well known professional burnout.FLLB has dynamic characteristics;it rises and falls along with the variations of time and/or environmental factors.2)There is a correlation between the rising of burnout and the decreasing of motivation. Many constructs of FLLM systems have significant negative correlations with the experience of FLLB.Among these constructs, negative attitudes to a foreign language learning environment correlates to the rising of FLLB,and moreover a simple positive attitude stance is not capable of preventing its appearance.Furthermore the predictive power of foreign language learning result (language level) in identifying FLLB is woefully limited;FLLB appears even among high language level learners.3)Based on the above two findings, the L2MSS theory is developed from 3 different aspects with the help of psychological self theory's explanations of decreasing motivation, the rising of negative emotions and burnout.(a)The discrepancy between possible and actual L2 self-concepts forms the learner's choice motivation of foreign language learning.This is because the learner is willing to reduce this discrepancy.And the learner's cognitive appraisal of his/her activity of reducing this discrepancy becomes essential to alter the executive motivation in the actional phase of his/her foreign language learning process.(b) When the learner finds no positive result after the appraisal, his/her FLLM will decrease and dejection related emotions appear; when there is a negative result, FLLM will be decreased or increased and agitation-related emotions appear; when there is a positive result, FLLM will increase,and positive emotions appear. (c) Dejection and agitation related emotions are results of learner's cognitive appraisal of his/her activities of reducing the discrepancy between his/her possible and actual L2 self-concepts.Dejection related emotions are representations of FLLB,and could be regarded as important criteria of FLLM decreasing.The above findings have strong implications for further foreign language teaching and learning research. More emotion-based affective factors in foreign language learning are waiting to be examined. More attention should be paid to different affective factors in cognitive-affective integrated studies.With the help of mature concepts and theories from the field of psychology, FLLM research will achieve further advancement. The self-cognition related approach might well be able to help researchers further understand the fluctuation of FLLM.The interactive relationship between the actual and possible L2 self-concepts, and the effect of self-cognitive appraisal should be-important topics in future L2 motivational research.Our findings also provide implications for foreign language education.Based on the extended L2MSS theory, it is necessary to have learners get positive results of self-cognitive appraisal in any foreign language teaching practice,in order to maintain and enhance their FLLM. It is also necessary to add motivational (coping with negative emotions) strategies training programs in foreign language teachers education, in order to help their professional development.This is the first study to introduce the concept of foreign language learning burnout into FLLM research, and future related studies need to further explore this foreign language learning affective phenomenon. The extended L2MSS theory proposed in the present study also, calls for the support of more empirical researches.Future related studies could employ other kinds of research samples, various data collecting and measuring tools, quantitative analyzing techniques, and longitudinal research designs. The development of the FLLBI questionnaire is another contribution and innovation of the present study.We hope the questionnaire can be adapted and improved in order to measure other kinds of research subjects.