A Study On The Influence Of Junior High School Students’ Second Language Motivational Self System On Motivational Regulation Strategies And Motivated Behavior In English Learning

Motivation provides the driving force in the English learning process,so learners’ motivation regulation competence is quite significant.It has been found that learners use a variety of motivational regulation strategies to actively regulate their motivation during the learning process,and that motivational regulation can influence the learning effectiveness of foreign language learners.However,the correlation of Motivational Regulation Strategies in foreign language learning is relatively rare.Particularly,learners’ Motivational Regulation Strategies and motivated behaviors are associated with the L2 Motivational Self-System.Based on this,this study explores the use of MRS of junior high school students in English learning from the perspective of the L2MSS;the intrinsic relationship between the three levels of the L2 MSS and middle school students’ MRS and motivated behavior in English learning,to achieve the purpose to further reveal the role of junior high school students’ L2 MSS on MRS and motivated behavior in English learning,and to provide a ground for improving students’ motivation to learn English in junior high school.In the present study,a combination of quantitative survey and qualitative interview and classroom observation was used.Taking 246 junior high school students in Hohhot as the research participants,data were collected through English Learning Motivational Regulation Strategies,Second Language Motivational SelfSystem,and Motivated Behavior Questionnaires,supplemented by semi-structured interviews and the Motivational Orientation of Language Teaching Classroom Observation Scheme aiming to answer the following research questions: 1.What kinds of motivational regulation strategies are used in their English learning by junior high school students? 2.What correlations exist between the junior high school students’ second language motivational self-system,motivation regulation strategies and motivated behavior? 3.What are the influence of the junior high school students’ second language motivational self-system on motivational regulation strategies and motivated behavior in English learning? The data were analyzed by SPSS 26.0descriptive statistics to obtain the use of MRS of junior high school students,and after the correlation of L2 MSS with MRS and motivated behavior in English learning was analyzed by Pearson correlation analysis and multiple linear regression analysis is to get effects of L2 MSS with MRS and motivated behavior in English learning.The results of the study showed that(1)the general use of MRS for middle school students reached a high level(M=3.50),the use of eight MRSs ranged from moderate to high,and six strategies reached a high frequency level: Mastery Self-Talk,SelfEfficacy Enhancement,Negative-Based Incentives,Performance Self-Talk,Volitional Control,and Task Value Enhancement.(2)All three dimensions of the L2MSS(IL2S,OL2 S,and SLLE)were positively related to the eight MRSs as well as motivated behavior.Individually,the IL2 S had the highest correlation with Mastery Self-Talk,and the SLLE had the highest correlation with Task Value Enhancement.The correlations between the L2 MSS and motivated behavior were in the order of SLLE,IL2 S,and OL2 S.(3)The L2 MSS was able to predict the use of MRS and motivated behavior.The predictive power of the IL2 S was higher than that of the OL2 S for the eight MRSs except for the Self-Reward strategy.For Interest Enhancement,Task Value Enhancement,Mastery Self-Talk,and Volitional Control,the predictive power of the SLLE was higher than that of the IL2 S,and the IL2 S was higher than that of the OL2S;whereas for the two strategies of Performance Self-Talk and NegativeBased Incentive,the predictive power of the IL2 S was higher than that of the OL2 S,and the OL2 S was higher than that of the SLLE.SLLE had no significant predictive power for Negative-Based Incentive,but had significant predictive power for all other seven MRSs.Based on the findings,the author summarizes the shortcomings of this study as well as makes suggestions on how teachers construct a reasonable L2 MSS for students in the English classroom and student enhance the use of MRS in English learning.Teachers should attach importance to the use of students’ motivational regulation strategies,focus on the cultivation and guidance of students’ L2 motivational selves,help students construct their IL2 S,guide and internalize their OL2 S,and provide students with positive learning experiences by optimizing the classroom in the future,aiming to further promote junior high school students’ English learning motivation.