A Study Of Non-English Majors' English Learning Motivation In Higher Vocational Colleges From The Perspective Of Dynamic System Theory

Motivation is one of the most important factors that influence language learning success.In the process of learning a foreign language,learning motivation plays an extremely important role,which is crucial to the whole process of learning as well as the learning results.Research on second language motivation now turns to the social-dynamic stage(Dai,2015).In the social-dynamic stage,research on second language motivation attempts to break through the limitations of the linear paradigm and stress the complexity of the process of second language motivation.At this stage,Dynamic System Theory provides an important theoretical basis for researchers.In recent years,higher vocational education has been developing quickly and many higher vocational colleges have arisen.But the study on English learning motivation(ELM)of higher vocational college students who bear the requirements of the state for their professionalism,applicability and technicality is rare,especially from the perspective of Dynamic System Theory(DST).In view of the importance of motivation in English learning,the particularity of higher vocational college students and the shortage of study on higher vocational college students' English learning motivation form the perspective of Dynamic System Theory,this paper attempts to discover the characteristics of ELM of non-English majors in higher vocational colleges from the perspective of DST and find out some feasible ways for teachers to stimulate students' English learning motivation.The research collected data by the questionnaire and the interview.The subjects of the study were non-English majors from Shandong Vocational College and Shandong Urban Construction Vocational College.The data were analyzed by SPSS 19.0 and Excel.The findings of the research prove the conformity between the traits of English learning motivation system of non-English majors in higher vocational colleges and the traits of the dynamic systems theory.Firstly,according to the data analysis of the questionnaire,ELM of the students is dynamic,non-linear and complex in the whole process of the three college years,while it is stable in a comparatively short period.Besides,some data details about ELM of the students were also discussed so as to explore the dynamism and complexity: 1)two types of ELM,namely individual development and test score,are the most important ELM of students and on the contrary,going abroad is the least important ELM;2)the one-way ANOVA of questionnaire data show that as for these two types of ELM--individual development and information media,students from different grades pay significantly different attention to them.Secondly,the interviews offer some other clues as well: 1)students' ELM has the trait of sensitivity to the initial state;2)different types of ELM are interconnected.Based on the research findings,some pedagogical implications are put forward for teachers to stimulate higher vocational non-English majors' English learning motivation.Firstly,higher vocational English teachers should help students to maintain and protect their English learning motivation by creating and maintaining a good English learning environment,maintaining the construction of teaching staff,and combining long-term and short-term goals.Secondly,higher vocational English teachers ought to help students generate the initial motivation by reforming teaching methods and cultivating learning interest,implementing multi-level evaluation and meeting students the sense of success,and stressing emotional education.Thirdly,higher vocational English teachers are supposed to help students to strengthen the connection and promotion among different types of motivation by guiding students to combine the intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation and transform learning motivation from surface to deep.