A Research On English Learning Motivation Of Senior High School Students

Motivation is considered to be one of the main determining factors of success in learning a second language (L2) or a foreign language (FL).â‘ Research on motivation for foreign language learning started in 1950s by Canadian psychologists, Gardner and Lambert. And the researches of motivation have been carried out in China since 1980s, and most studies focused on the motivation of college students. The present study is based on the previous studies with the focus on the English learning motivation of Senior high school students. The overall purpose is to identify the motivation types among English learners, explore the main motivational beliefs and problems that exist among senior high school students and provide suggestions on how to motivate senior high school students in English learning based on the motivation theories and the findings of the study. The researcher administered a questionnaire on English learning motivation of senior high school students. A research is conducted in No.1 Middle School of Xindu , No.2 Middle School of Xindu and No.2 Middle School of Hanyuan, where 470 students are randomly chosen from over 6000 students. The questionnaire is modified time and again on the basis of Gardner's ATMB. The results of the questionnaire was put into computer and analyzed by Excel. The results of the study are summed up as follows:1)Examination-related goals are the main driving forces for students to exert effortful behavior; Only a few students feel it interesting to learn the English language and the culture of English speaking countries. Besides, the students have low sense of self-efficacy and many of them attribute their previous success to external factors2) The development tendency of students' motivation shows a decline from Grade 1 to 3.3) Students with different levels of language proficiency show different degree of English learning interest: High achievers have greater internal motivation than low achievers.4) Female students have greater interest and higher self-efficacy than male students.At last, the researcher puts forward several suggestions for motivating students in English learning, based on the study, motivational theories, and the researcher's teaching experience.