A Survey On The Use Of Motivational Regulation Strategies Of Adult English Learners

Motivation plays such a significant role in second language learning.Without motivation,language learning can neither begin nor continue.However,learners’ motivation is not static,and it is very important for learners to adopt appropriate and effective motivational regulation strategies.In recent years,researches on motivational regulation strategies have emerged in an endless stream,but the research objects were mostly college students,and some research objects were middle school students.However,the research on the use of motivational regulation strategies in adult English learning is rarely concerned.In view of this,this thesis attempts to use a research paradigm combining quantitative research and qualitative research to explore the application status and the impact of motivational regulation strategies in adult English learning.The objective of this study is to inquire into the following questions:(1)What is the general situation of adult English learners’ use of motivation regulation strategies? Are there any differences in gender,grade and English achievement of adult English learners in the use of motivational regulation strategies?(2)Why adult English learners lack English learning motivation?(3)What types of motivational regulation strategies are usually used by adult English learners in the process of English learning?By using questionnaires and interviews,this study took 627 students from the Continuing Education College in Lishui,Zhejiang Province as the subjects to investigate their utilization of motivational regulation strategies,and 50 of them were interviewed.This study used SPSS 17.0 to analyze the collected data;utilizing descriptive statistical analysis to discuss the overall application of adult English learners’ motivational regulation strategies;using independent sample T-test to analyze gender,grade and English achievement differences of adult learners;applying interviews to analyze the reasons for their lack of motivation to learn English and those motivational regulation strategies they commonly used in English learning.The results of the study found that the frequency of use of adult English learners’ motivational regulation strategies was generally at a moderate to high level.Women used motivational regulation strategies more frequently than men;Sophomores were more apt to use motivational regulation strategies than freshmen;Adult learners’ use of motivational regulation strategies did not significantly affect their English achievements except interest enhancement and volitional control.In addition,through qualitative research,the author found that Chinese adult English learners were affected by a combination of subjective and objective factors so that they lacked the motivation to learn English.At the same time,it was found that adult learners often used volitional control and interest enhancement when they lacked motivation to learn English.Based on the mentioned above findings,this study provides recommendations for both adult learners and teachers.The study suggested that adult learners should consciously strengthen the use of motivational regulation strategies,especially when English learning motivation was relatively low.English teachers could introduce several MRS to students when they are freshmen,and they can also train students with weak learning motivation,especially boys,so as to improve the motivation of adult learners to learn English.