A Study Of Motivation And English Achievements Of Non-English Majors In Qinghai Normal University

With the open door policy, more and more people in China are learning English for various purposes. In Qinghai area, there is no exception. The acquisition of English language is a complex process. During the process of language learning, motivation is regarded as one of the most significant and crucial factors which influences learners' English achievements directly. It can motivate, regulate, facilitate or hinder the language learning. It determines whether a learner participates in a task, how much energy he devotes to it, and how long he perseveres. Most language teachers agree that motivation of the students affects their success or failure in language learning. As Cooper (1981) said: "If most students had to know a given foreign language in order to accomplish some goals for themselves, then most would learn it." It brings out the importance of motivation and the way it can overcome unfavorable circumstances in other aspects of language learning. Educators and parents value motivation for its own sake as well as for its long-term contribution to students' learning and self-esteem. There is no doubt that motivation is a powerful factor and important determinant in second language learning. It should be made clear that by no means should the English teachers neglect the importance of motivation. This thesis starts with the brief descriptions of theoretical researches on learning motivation. Then it goes on to report the important role of motivation based on the investigation among non-English majors in Qinghai Normal University (QNU). From the investigation and result analysis, we can safely say that the degree of motivation and English achievements are in direct proportion. Thirdly, the author analyses the factors causing the lack of learning motivation: 1) unawareness of importance of English; 2) poor English foundation; 3) inefficient learning strategies; 4) traditional teaching methods are the main reasons in Qinghai area. Finally it also puts forward corresponding ways to motivate non-English majors to study English in the light of the special characteristics of English teaching in Qinghai province. They are: (1) inspire the interest of the non-English majors; (2) adopt the communicative approach; (3) teach non-English majors to learn independently; (4) improve the English teachers' qualities. Language learning motivation is so important that every teacher should take a full consideration of it. If proper measures are put into practice, the students will be highly motivated to study English actively, consciously and enthusiastically.