A Study Of English Learning Motivation And English Learning Strategy For Vocational College Students

Language learning motivation has been considered as one of the important variables affecting learners'language learning achievements; language learning strategies are specific behaviors, steps, or techniques that students often intentionally use to improve their progress in developing L2 skills (Oxford, 1993). In our country,most of the research's subjects focus on English majors or non-English majors in Chinese tertiary education. However, little research has been done to study the English learning motivations and the use of language learning strategies at vocational colleges. With the increasing popularization of China's education, college students of vocational courses have accounted for more than a half of the total number of the current college students in China's universities and colleges at all levels. However, the general standard of these students is lower and they have a great difference compared with the undergraduates in normal universities and colleges. Under such condition, studies aim at these students appears rather necessary and urgent.In recent twenty years, researchers abroad have paid more and more attentions to study the relationship between language learning strategies and language learning motivations. According to Rod Ellis, the strength of learner's motivations can be expected to have a causal effect on the number of language learning strategies they employ. Oxford and Nyikos found that the degree of motivation is the single most powerful influence on the choice of language learning strategies. Politzer and McGroaty also make the point that learners'goals are likely to determine strategy use. All these findings show that language learning strategies and language learning motivations are closely related, but they do not point out what the relationships are and how they relate, what's more, the differences and similarities between efficient and less-efficient learners used language learning motivations and strategies, and the differences and similarities between public vocational colleges and private vocational colleges. This thesis aims to discuss these questions.The research was carried out among 328 non-English majors in Qingdao Harbor Vocational & Technical College, Qingdao Hismile Vocational & Technical College, Qingdao Huanghai Vocational & Technical College, and Qingdao Binhai Vocational & Technical College through a questionnaire survey. This questionnaire was composed of 51 questions concerning vocational college students'language learning strategies and motivations. By means of SPSS13.0 software, the author makes analysis of these data, the study revealed that: 1) Most of the vocational college students'English learning motivation is instrumental motivation; efficient learners have intrinsic motivation; less-efficient learners have extrinsic motivation. 2) Most of the vocational college students'English learning strategy is cognitive strategy and meta-cognitive strategy; efficient learners can use all kinds of strategies; less-efficient learners are subjected to using more affective strategies and social strategies. 3) There is a strong relationship between language learning motivations and language learning strategies; English learning motivations have a great impact on English learning strategy choice. There are differences between the impacts of different types of motivation on strategy choice .4) There are some similarities and differences between public vocational colleges and private vocational colleges.The thesis consists of four chapters. Introduction introduces the background, significance and objectives of the study. Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 set a theoretical foundation for the author's study. Chapter 1 is a general survey of the research on language learning motivations (LLMs): giving definitions and classifications of language learning motivations, introducing some influential theories in language learning motivations and the significance of language learning motivations in the English learning. Chapter 2 is a general survey of the research on language learning strategies: providing definitions and classifications of language learning strategies, analyzing various factors affecting learners'language learning strategies (LLSs) and reviewing the research achievements of the relationship between LLSs and LLMs. Chapter 3 is the main body of the thesis: introducing the subjects, instrument and process of the study and analyzing the results by means of SPSS13.0 in order to find the relationship between language learning motivations and language learning strategies. In the final part, according to these findings, the author gives some suggestions to vocational college English teachers and students respectively.