A Study Of Senior High Students' English Learning Motivation Under The Framework Of Directed Motivational Currents

As a key aspect of second language learning,motivation has become a significant part of L2 research.Most usual practices of motivation researches separate from the individual's long-term behavior and pay little attention on the goal-oriented motivation behavioral processes over time.Absorbing the cream of previous Second language(L2)motivation theory,the Directed Motivational Currents(DMCs)makes the L2 motivation a multidimensional,interdisciplinary and multilevel complete system and offers a new perspective for the L2 motivation research.Taking the complex dynamic perspective,the novel theory of DMCs has taken the step of linking the goal-related motivation with specific behavioral processes over time in order to examine how optimal combinations of certain structural features of the individual's behavioral pathway can amplify the overall motivational energy release and achieve higher efficiency in learning.As a new attempt in L2 learning,the application of DMCs has significant practical value to the individual long-term motivation as well as theoretical value to the L2 motivation process research.By using the questionnaire,classroom observation and the interview methods in combination,the author makes a research on the English learning DMCs of the 110 senior high students of the two ordinary classes in Xinxiang No.1 Middle School.The author surveys 110 students with questionnaires in which 3 are invalid.Based on the results of the final examination,the author regards the students with their achievements above 120 as the high English achievers and the students with achievements below 100 as the English underachievers.For the further research,the author selects 3 students from the English achievers and 3 students from the English underachievers respectively,and conducts interviews with them.The following three questions are put forward:1.What are the differences of English learning motivation between the achievers and underachievers?2.What elements affect the core dimensions of the DMCs during the students' English learning process?3.How to help the learners facilitate the DMCs during English learning process?The cumulative conclusions presented in this thesis are therefore highly encouraging,offering strong empirical support to the claim that DMCs are a recognized and experienced motivational phenomenon in the middle school of China.Analyzing the result of questionnaire and interview,the author finds the core dimensions of the DMCs are affected by various elements.What's more,the motivation differences in English learning between the achievers and the underachievers are revealed among all the DMCs dimensions.In light of this,the author puts forward the application route and practical measures for the formation of the DMCs in L2 classroom,which has important practical significance to the DMCs' future research and application in L2 learning.Due to the limitations of research objects and time,the conclusions put forward require confirmation through further empirical work.Suggestions for future DMCs research are made finally.