Research On The Ways To Stimulate The Language Learning Motivation Of Non-English Majors From Hidden Curriculum Perspective

Motivation is one of vital factors that affect the success of second language acquisition. Since the 1970’s, researches on motivation have gradually presented in full swing in western foreign language teaching. Researches on motivation in China arose from 1980’s, and then domestic scholars began to research on foreign language learning motivation. After the 1990’s, the focus of foreign language teaching in China was turning to student-centered, so more and more domestic foreign language educators began to pay close attention to foreign language learning motivation. In recent years, domestic foreign language learning motivation researches present two kinds of classification. One research is the relation between foreign language learning motivation and other factors; the other research is the foreign language learning motivation itself. Researches on foreign language learning motivation itself focus on exploring the types of language learning motivation, the models of language learning motivation and follow-up change research of language learning motivation during the period of university. From the previous studies, it is found that nobody expect for Tang Fanian(2011) has researched on the ways to improve learners’ language learning motivation from hidden curriculum perspective. Therefore the research takes English learning motivation as the breakthrough point of the research, takes non-English majors students as the study subjects and explores the ways of stimulating language learning motivation from hidden curriculum.Firstly, the research defines the concept of learning motivation and English learning motivation, and then introduces the development and main content of second language motivation and English learning motivation in China(Chapter Two). After reading domestic and overseas references on learning motivation in recent years, the author finds that most scholars focus on the research on types and models of English learning motivation as well as research on relation between English learning motivation and other factors. Domestic researchers are rare to conduct systematic research on ways to stimulate English learning motivation of non-English majors from curriculum. Tang Fanian(2011) explores ways of stimulating foreign language learning motivation from hidden curriculum, but Tang gives no specific description of his study subject. However, different ways are applied to different study subjects. This paper, from the hidden curriculum perspective, analyzes the ways to stimulate the language learning motivation of non-English majors. Secondly, the research induces and analyzes the origin and the definition of hidden curriculum and English hidden curriculum, analyzes status of English hidden curriculum and the components of English hidden curriculum further, and then concludes the seven dimensions of hidden curriculum(Chapter Three). After analyzing the dimensions of hidden curriculum, the author selects the seven dimensions of hidden curriculum as ways to stimulate the language learning motivation of non-English majors(Chapter Four). In Chapter Four, the author introduces the relationship between hidden curriculum and learning motivation, and finds that hidden curriculum has impact on learning motivation. What’s more, the author constructs the seven dimensions of hidden curriculum respectively to stimulate the language learning motivation. At the end of the paper(Chapter Five), the author reviews the whole content, analyzes innovation and limitations for the research and makes suggestions.