The Empirical Study On Learners’ Affect In Senior High School

The teaching process of English is the communication of language and also the process of the communication of emotions. Affect is the tool of language teaching and also the aim of teaching which will directly influence students’ intelligence development and the process of cognition. But influenced by the test-oriented education, many practitioners neglect people’s emotional needs and pay little attention to the human environment.This paper sets out the importance of learners’affect on English learning with analyzing Krashen’s affect filter hypothesis, Rogers’ humanistic theory and Maslow’s hierarchy of need. Krashen stated that we cannot say more proper input equals doing a good job in language learning, learners’ affect should also be taken into consideration. According to Krashen’s affective filter hypothesis, it stated how affective factors relate to the second language acquisition process. Rogers’humanistic theory put emphasis on developing students’ potentiality and it stated that affect and recognition are combined in human spirit. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs shows the learners’ emotional needs by pyramid figure. Self-actualization is the final needs of learners. Thus teachers should meet students emotional needs and maximize the teaching effectiveness.An investigation was made in Shanghai Caoyang Middle School and the result shows that teachers’ care for learners’ affect factors are lower than learners’ expectations. Learners now are more sensitive and emotional. Thus, teachers should care more about learners’affect needs.This paper is organized into five chapters. Chapter One introduces the research background, purpose and its importance. Chapter Two introduces three factors, motivation, anxiety and attitude, which influence learners’ affect and find the theoretical basis. Chapter Three introduces the process and methodology of the investigation. Chapter Four introduces the suggestions and solutions. Chapter Five sums up the thesis and put forward some suggestions for teachers.