Private High School Students' English Learning Motivation Research

Motivation is a very important factor which can influence the outcome of students' learning second language. More and more scholars study and define motivation from different perspectives, and classify motive into several types based on different standards. Here we divide the motivation into internal motivation and external motivation based on previous researches. The internal motivation is divided into interest, sense of achievement, responsibility, opportunity for advance, and self perfection. The external motivation is divided into reward/punishment, utility value, group attitude, and pressure.A survey is conducted in three private high schools of Anshan, where 527 students are chosen. A questionnaire with 38 items, which is modified time again on the basic of Gao Yihong's questionnaire (2003), is used for the instrument of this study. The results of the study are summed up as follows:1. All the 9 subtypes of internal and external motivation exist in the process of students'learning, and internal motivation is stronger and has more positive effect on students than external motivation.2. The development tendency of students'motivation shows a decline from Grade 3 to 1.3. The art students have stronger internal motivation and external motivation than science students.4. Female students have stronger motivation than male students.5. Students from different types of classes show different degree of motivation intensity:focus class students have greater learning interest than parallel and basic class students; basic class students have lower motivation of being self perfect and of searching of opportunity for advance.6. As students' contribution of English performance to total grade is different, the motivation intensity is different.7. Students with different estimate on English learning show different degree of motivation intensity.According to the results and teaching experience, this thesis is to sum up the factors that influence students' English learning motivation, and put forward relevant strategies from six aspects:1. Pay attention to students whose English learning motivation are low and help them correct study manner; 2. Establish the reasonable teacher's expectation and make students set up good self-concept; 3. Identify the teaching goal and guide the students to formulate rational learning goal and plan; 4. Establish good relationship between teachers and students, improve interest in teaching; 5. Clarify the teachers' duty and guide the students to compete in the cooperation; 6. Strengthen the communication with parents, parent-school work together for the students to create a good atmosphere.