A Survey Study On English Learning Motivation Of Senior High School Students In Gansu Hui Region

In this era of globalization,English has become so significant that educators and scholars have put English teaching in the first place.In English education,many factors affect students? learning efficiency,among which English learning motivation is the most important.It is mentioned in English Curriculum Standards for General Senior High Schools(2017 Edition)that learning motivation,as an important part of emotion and attitude,is a prerequisite for learning English.Moreover,the Ministry of Education has repeatedly stressed the importance of strengthening foreign language teaching in ethnic minority areas.Therefore,it is meaningful to effectively improve the motivation of ethnic minority students for English learning.Based on self-determination theory,this study investigates the English learning motivations of senior high school students in Gansu Hui Region and the factors that affect the English learning motivation.This study mainly addresses two research questions:(1)What are the English learning motivations of senior high school students in Gansu Hui Region?(2)What are the factors that affect the English learning motivations of senior high school students in Gansu Hui Region?This thesis uses quantitative and qualitative methods to answer two research questions respectively.Firstly,questionnaire is used to investigate the main English learning motivations of senior high school students.The subjects are 200 students from three grades in high school,of which 170 are Hui students and the rest are Han students.Through the descriptive analysis,it is concluded that there are six types of senior high school students’ English learning motivations,including integrated regulation,identified regulation,external regulation,intrinsic knowledge,intrinsic accomplishment and introjected regulation.Among them,integrated regulation is the most important type of motivation.Secondly,nine students from three grades of senior high school were randomly selected for interviews,and then the interview results were analyzed and discussed with thematic analysis method.The interview results showed that four main affecting factors were English learning purpose,personal interest,family environment and English teachers.The results indicate that teachers can stimulate students? English learning motivation with effective teaching methods.Therefore,this study suggests that teachers should first understand the significance of motivation in students’ English learning process,and then guide students to realize the importance so that they can learn English actively.In addition,teachers should flexibly adopt independent learning,cooperative learning and inquiry-based learning in their teaching in accordance with the Core Competency of English Subject.Moreover,teachers can creatively design Learning and Understanding Activities and Practical Activities to cultivate students? interests.Finally,teachers should strengthen communication with students’ parents and work with them to stimulate students? motivation in English learning.