An Empirical Study Of English Learners' Motivation In A Chinese Setting

This research is concerned with my empirical study of motivation among non-English major undergraduates studying in Chinese universities. In order to set the stage and provide readers with a clear picture of the current achievements in these fields, it is necessary to review the research literature concerned with learning motivation in a second/foreign language. Chapter 1 is devoted to this task. This introduction is necessary because both theoretical and empirical research on motivation from different perspectives have already been fruitful, however, no clear and unequivocal consensus exists among them. Sometimes, the research is merely applicable to the specific context and sometimes the findings of the research have been less than convincing. Chapter 2 is devoted to a comprehensive description of the investigation along with its underlying hypotheses and research design. On the basis of the previous research on L2 learning motivation and the specific context of English learning in a Chinese classroom, this paper proposes four hypotheses to make motivational variables applicable to a Chinese setting. Given such hypotheses, this paper suggests a motivational structural model applicable to a Chinese setting. So as to analyze all possible motivational variables, a model of Chinese undergraduates'motivational components has been worked out. This model attempts to cover all of the possible aspects concerning undergraduates'English learning motivation in a Chinese setting. Then this paper made an investigation of non-English major undergraduates'motivation of English learning ranging from freshmen to seniors attending Xiangtan University, Changsha University, Central South University, and South China University of Technology, which aimed at testing the realistic feasibility of the hypothesized motivational structural model. The testing instrument is the questionnaire from Appendix I or II, which consists of three parts. And a detailed discussion of the data obtained from the investigation offers strong support for the original hypotheses. Chapters 3 and 4 focus on some implications obtained from this empirical study. Chapter 3 attempts to draw together the findings discussed throughout the investigation, and to highlight some implications for English learning and teaching in a Chinese setting. Chapter 4 attempts to advocate some exciting new directions for the future research in this area.