A Study Of Non-English Majors’ Motivation, Attitudes And Needs In College English Learning

Recent years witness rapid development of College English teaching in China, especially driven by the teaching reform since 2007. However, new problems and challenges also emerged due to various causes. An important aspect lies in the changes in students’motivation, attitudes and needs in College English learning. Although massive studies have been conducted concerning College English teaching, the number of those focused on students, especially on students’motivation, attitudes and needs in College English learning is rather limited. Moreover, existing studies have the limitations in sample size and major diversity. Therefore, this study attempted to investigate students’ motivation, attitudes and needs in College English learning, explore the influential factors, and provide pedagogical suggestions based on research results.In this study,5,782 non-English-major undergraduates from a key university in Shandong Province were selected as the participants. They came from four grades and twenty-eight majors. A questionnaire that includes close and open questions was designed. Collected data were treated with SPSS 19.0 for the descriptive analysis, independent sample T-test and analysis of variance to examine students’ motivation, attitudes and needs in College English learning, the influential factors particularly regarding gender and grade, and the correlation between students’motivation, attitudes and needs.The results indicated that participants held a moderate intensity of motivation in College English learning and had stronger integrative motivation; participants possessed positive attitudes towards English learning; participants had diversified needs in classroom teaching, curriculum design, teaching materials, teacher qualities and after-class tutorials. Significant gender and grade differences were found in students’motivation, attitudes and needs. Significant correlations existed among the three factors that exerted co-contributing impacts on English learning.By implications, the education administrators were suggested to improve College English teaching in the light of students’needs and introduce the latest research results. Schools were advised to guide students to set up proper motivations and attitude and provide training programs and conferences for teachers. Teachers were suggested to employ student-centered teaching method and contents, strive for better teacher qualities from the perspectives of personality, proficiency and attitudes, and pay equal attention to after-class tutorials. Students were supposed to hold proper motivation and attitudes and make efforts to participate in different teaching and learning activities.