An Investigation Of English Learning Burnout In A Senior High School In Panjin

Cognition and emotion are two indispensible parts in the process of foreign language learning.The new round of English basic education reform also emphasizes the important role of emotional factors in foreign language learning.The 2017 English Curriculum Standard clearly puts forward that in the field of foreign language teaching,teachers shouldn’t pay more attention to students’ test scores,but should focus on students’ moral and emotional development,help students build confidence and form good habits in English learning.However,students’ actual English learning situation is not optimistic and students generally experience a certain degree of English learning burnout.English learning burnout,a negative emotional factor,which may not only hinder students’ foreign language acquisition,but also has the negative influence on students’ physical and mental development.As an important transitional stage to link the basic education and higher education,senior high school is a critical period for students to learn English.Besides,this period is also the adolescence when students’ minds and bodies change drastically.Therefore,it is very important to study senior high school students’ English learning burnout.Based on three-dimensional burnout theory,affective filter hypothesis and humanism theory,through classroom observations,questionnaires and interviews,this study takes 300 senior high school students in three grades in a senior high school in Panjin as research subjects to investigate the current situation of senior high school students’ English learning burnout.This study aims to answer the following three questions.(1)What is the overall situation of students’ English learning burnout in this senior high school?(2)What are the specific aspects of students’ English learning burnout?(3)What are the reasons that cause students’ burnout in English learning?Through investigation,this study finds that the overall situation of students’ English learning burnout in this senior high school is not optimistic.English learning burnout is prevalent among the students investigated,and the degree of burnout is relatively high.Students’ English learning burnout is mainly reflected in the dimension of reduced personal accomplishment,followed by emotional exhaustion,and inappropriate behaviors.In the dimension of reduced personal accomplishment,the main manifestations are that students don’t think they can learn English well and they are frustrated with their English performance.In the dimension of emotional exhaustion,the main manifestation is that students always feel sleepy and exhausted in English class.In the dimension of inappropriate behaviors,the main manifestation is that students often do things irrelevant with English learning in English class.According to the investigation,factors causing students’ English learning burnout have been summarized from four perspectives: students themselves,teachers,parents and school management.Based on the analysis of the situation and potential causes of students’ English learning burnout,some countermeasures are proposed to alleviate students’ English learning burnout and provide some enlightment for the English teaching practice.