A Contrastive Study Of Motivation And English Proficiency Between Students Of General Program And Students Of Vocational Program

Over the past few decades, a prominent shift has been highlighted in foreign language education research field, with less focus on the method of teaching but more focus on learner characteristics. Learner factors have attracted much attention since second language, learners vary on a number of dimensions. Effective teaching methods can be developed through understanding language learners deeply. A number of variables are found to affect learning outcomes. Among those variables, individual learner differences are valued highly and studied frequently.Motivation is one of the most important aspects in individual learner differences in foreign language learning. Although Chinese scholars have made great achievements in the field of motivation, little attention has been paid to the similarities and differences between the motivation of non-English major students of vocational program and students of general program.This study is based on Deci and Ryan’s intrinsic/extrinsic motivation classification theory, aiming to answer the following research questions:①what kind of motivation do students of vocational program and students of general program mainly possess? Intrinsic or extrinsic?②Is there any correlation between students’ motivation and their learning proficiency? If there is, which of the two kinds of motivation contributes more to students’learning proficiency?③What are the differences between high-achievers and low-achievers in respect of motivation?④What are the differences between males and females in respect of motivation?The paper is carried out among160second-year students of general program and150students of vocational program in Huangshan University. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficient, independent-sample t-test and paired-sample t-test in SPSS (Statistic Package for Social Science12) are employed in date processing. We have found the following results:①Students of general program are more intrinsically motivated in English learning and intrinsic motivation is the main type of motivation. While students of vocational program are both intrinsically and extrinsically motivated to learn English and both motivations contribute to their English study.②For both students of general program and students of vocational program, higher correlation is founded between intrinsic motivation and their language proficiency.③Those relatively high achievers of both students of general program and students of vocational program are more intrinsically motivated. But as for extrinsic motivation, those relatively low achievers of students of general program are more extrinsically motivated to learn English. But for students of vocational program, there is no significant difference between high achievers and low achievers. They are both in possession of extrinsic motivation in learning English.④Students’extrinsic motivation has no close relation with their gender. But female students have a higher intrinsic motivation than that of male students.It is hoped that the findings of the study will help supplement the study on the motivation of students of general program and students of vocational program, provide empirical references to the English teaching and learning, and help improve English learners’language proficiency.