A Study On English Learning Motivation Of Senior Art Students

As a factor, motivation can influence learners’learning process and it is considered by many researchers as the key to success. At the same time, motivation determines the participation and effort of the learners in learning a foreign language.New English Curriculum Standards pointed out that the influencing factors of English learning achievements are English language knowledge, English using ability, language learning strategies and attitudes towards English learning. And interest, motivation, confidence and cooperation spirit are the key elements of the attitude towards English learning. From this aspect we can see the vital importance of motivation in English learning.Since 1960s, many scholars at home and abroad began to do research about English learning motivation, among which Gardner and Lambert are the most famous ones. Motivation is defined as "the degree of effort that individuals want to learn a language." And it includes three elements:the desire of learning a language; the satisfaction of learning a language; the effort of achieving the goal. Their AMTB model of classifying learning motivation has paved the way for further study. Since the 1970s, the study of learning motivation gradually changed from teachers’ teaching into students’learning. The research on foreign language learning motivation is just one of the important signs of this turn. In the 1990s, more and more domestic scholars started to focus on learning motivation. But most of the researches are based on ordinary high school students or college students. Senior art students’learning motivation is seldom focused.With the rapid development of our society and the change in NEMT, more and more senior students choose to study art. In the process of teaching senior art students, English teachers realize that art students have little interest in English learning, no matter what kind of education method or teaching content are adopted. Art students’English learning motivations are rather low, for them to learn English is painful and a heavy burden. Therefore in this paper, how to arise art students’ English learning motivation is discussed.In the study, the author carried out a research by questionnaire survey and used data processing software to deal with the result. The survey is made among 181 students (including 91 art students and 90 non-art students) in Gangcheng No.16 senior middle school in Wuhan by questionnaires. According to the survey, the author finds that:1. Most art students have low leaning motivation and they are not interested in learning English.2. Extrinsic motivation is higher than Intrinsic motivation for most of the art students. They obviously own instrumental motivation, with the only purpose of passing exams and getting good jobs by learning foreign language, so they care less about learning process and only care about learning result.3. Art students share low self-efficacy and confidence; they lack of clear goals and endure great pressure.4. Art students have incorrect direction of attribution. They think success or failure in English study due to objective factors.From the questionnaire, the author found that the factors influencing the students’ learning motivation are:1. Self-awareness:including self attribution and self-efficacy, target, etc.2. Emotional factors:including interests, attitudes, needs, and anxiety, etc.3. The classroom teaching environment:including English teachers’ teaching methods and the environment of classroom.At last, the author analyzes a teaching case in reality and makes some suggestions: Improve art students’ interest in learning English; Create a relaxed English learning atmosphere; Innovate teaching methods; Arose students’ interests in the British and American culture; Cultivate the harmonious relationship between teachers and students; Help students to correct attribution.