Exploring Chinese EFL Learners’ Directed Motivational Currents From A Dynamic Systems Theory Perspective

Directed motivational currents is a phenomenon of motivational surges in a specific period for L2 learners to realize their established learning goals or visions.It is the result of the synergistic effect of individual learners,environment,time and other factors.It is a multi-dimensional concept covering cognition,psychology,emotion and behavior.In the past,quantitative researches explored the group characteristics of DMC(s)from a synchronic perspective while qualitative researches explored the individual differences of DMC(s)from a diachronic perspective,but there were few studies combining the two.Based on the directed motivational currents theory and dynamic systems theory,this study adopts the mixed research method of quantitative and qualitative combination through retrospective qualitative interview,questionnaire survey,follow-up interview and dynamic trajectory graph,in order to investigate the dynamic change mechanism of DMC(s)in English learning of Chinese college students.The results show that:(1)To some extent,DMC(s)exists in the process of Chinese college students’ English learning and it fluctuates around the examination.(2)DMC(s)is the result of interaction of many factors,not only include internal factors such as learning interest and students’ personality,but also external factors such as social environment,school environment and classroom environment.(3)In terms of inter-group differences,there are similarities and differences in motivational currents between English majors and non-English majors;As for inter-individual differences,the intensity,launch time and duration of DMC(s)are different for each student.(4)Each dimension of DMC(s)has an interactive and nonlinear relationship with motivational intensity.The research results have important implications for the research on foreign language learning motivation and foreign language teaching.The study of foreign language learning motivation should focus on the time changes of each dimension of motivational currents,that is,researchers examine DMC(s)from a diachronic perspective,focusing on the process instead of the result.Foreign language teachers should pay much attention to the individual differences of learners’ English learning and stimulate and cultivate students’ DMC(s)in the teaching process.