Application Of Motivation Theories To Oral English Teaching

After years of language learning, the students can only read and write to a limited extent. They can't use the target language to communicate with other people. The English that most Chinese students have learned is 'mute English'. Students play a passive role in learning speaking. The reasons that students acquire low oral competence are no doubt various and multiple. Among them is motivation. Motivation is considered by many to be one of the main determining factors in success in developing a second or foreign language. Therefore, the author attempts to investigate one of the reasons for it and tries to work out some ways in which the problems can be dealt with sensibly so as to give back voice to 'mute English'. The paper is composed of four chapters. Chapter One gives the definitions of motivation, different types of motivations and some relevant theories. Chapter Two describes the investigation (including the purpose, participants, method and procedure). Chapter Three goes on to analyze the attributions to the problems. In Chapter Four, suggestions are made to solve the problem properly. The author expects that the results of the investigation and the solutions suggested can be of some help to English teaching and learning.