| With more and more attention drawn to emotional function in second language acquisition, foreign language motivation has got further and deeply explored. Currently most of studies just focus on studying its model to figure out strategies and solutions to stimulate motivation so as to improve teaching and learning effectiveness. One point is that the previous research mainly takes college students and middle school students as subjects, but not the largest group—primary school students. Moreover, comparative research on primary students with different nationalities in the same region is severely rare. As a matter of fact, it is pretty useful and significant to find out the factors which impact English learning motivation by comparing subjective and objective conditions. Students can learn from each others’ strengths while avoiding weaknesses to collectively improve English learning motivation level. The present study, therefore, just attempts to bridge this gap.Based on the previous research, the present study aims at exploring whether there exists any difference in English learning motivation between Han and Yi pupils. What are differences lying in English learning motivation and what are the consequent deep causes? Its sample are 146 students and 6 teachers from two primary schools in two towns of Chuxiong, of which revenues, annual income, capita income are very similar in recent years, and teaching standard is also very close. The subjects(students of Grades 4 and 5, not Grade 3) have certain English learning experience and can read something in English. This study was carried out to answer the following three questions: 1) What are the present characteristics of English learning motivation of both Yi and Han primary school students in rural areas in Chuxiong? 2) Is there any difference existing in English learning motivation of Yi and Han primary school students? 3) Is there any possibility that ethnic background causes Yi students’ English learning demotivation? The approach adopted by this study is a combination of questionnaire, interview and class observation in order to quantitatively and qualitatively answer research questions. Then the collected data were fully analyzed with SPSS 19.0.What has been found after data analysis are that: Firstly, there is no significant difference in English learning motivation between Han males and females, whereas Yi males’ English learning motivation level is significantly lower than that of females in general. Secondly, Han pupils’ English learning motivation level, to a large extent, is significantly higher than that of Yi, who are surprisingly with lower anxiety than Han. Thirdly, combining with class observation and interview, the cause of the above mentioned difference lies in Yi’s lower motivation level, which is closely relevant to their trilingual background, Yi pupils’ living environment, their parents’ poor education and worse teaching quality and so on. All of these together make Yi students have a narrow horizon, get insufficient family support, suffer from interlingual interference and shoulder a heavy learning burden ect.Based on the findings of this study, it can be concluded that both Yi and Han pupils’ English learning motivation level is universally low at present. Particularly, Yi’s English learning motivation is much lower than that of Han. Thus, based on their previous experience, all the organizations and staff can spare no efforts to develop strategies and tactic by joint efforts to stimulate students’ positive affection. Most importantly, it is time for them to take Yi pupils’ disadvantages into consideration, and adjust the remedy to help them develop strengths. Finally, educational administrative departments, schools and staff should bring Yi pupil’s English learning motivation into play on a large scale so as to lay a solid foundation for their lifelong English learning. The present study, however, has some limitations such as small sample size, narrow sample coverage and synchronic research method. It suggests that future research should avoid such limitations and explores the issues deeply and comprehensively. |
