An Investigation Of English Learning Motivation And Strategies Of High Vocational Students

Based on the observation of English learning among high vocational students, the author attempt to explore English learning motivation and English learning strategies. In detail, the research objectives include: 1) Is there correlation between English learning motivation and English learning strategies among high vocational students? 2) What are the general characteristics of English learning motivation (types and intensities) and English learning strategies (choices and frequencies) among high vocational students? 3) Under the influence of student source, major, gender and family background, what English learning motivation do high vocational students hold, and to what degree of intensity? What English learning strategies do they employ, and to what degree of frequency?A wide-ranged questionnaire survey and semi-structured interviews are carried out among high vocational students in Laiwu Vocational College. The questionnaire includes two parts: the modified English Learning Motivation Scale of Chinese College Students by Gao, et al. (2003) and the modified Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL Version 7.0) by Oxford (1985), which are used to collect the data of English learning motivation and employments of English learning strategies. Interviews were held among English teachers and part of subjects aiming to verify and explore the results of the questionnaire survey. Both quantitative analysis and qualitative analysis are used to analyze the data collected by the questionnaire survey and interviews. Statistic Package for the Social Sciences 10.0 (SPSS 10.0) as a main approach of quantitative analysis, including descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, One-Way ANOVA test, is used to analyze the data collected from the questionnaire. The results of this investigation indicate: 1) There is significant correlation between English learning motivation and English learning strategies; 2) Generally speaking, for high vocational students, the intensity of English learning motivation and the frequency of English learning strategies use are somewhat below average. They employ affective strategy and cognitive strategy with a medium frequency, while they seldom adopt metacognitive strategy and social strategy. They hold integrative and resultative motivations significantly, but are less intrinsically motivated; 3) The students from senior high schools employ affective strategy more frequently than five-year-system students from junior high schools. In terms of affective strategy, the students from vocational schools or secondary technical schools are similar to those from senior high schools. The students from senior high schools and those from vocational schools or secondary technical schools are both instrumentally motivated with higher intensity than five-year-system students from junior high schools. In addition, approximate significant difference on integrative motivation exists between the students from vocational schools or secondary technical schools and five-year-system students from junior high schools. The students of Arts use social strategy more frequently and are more intrinsically motivated than those of Sciences. Female vocational students behave significantly better than male vocational students on every learning strategy and learning motivation. The students from rural area use cognitive strategy, affective strategy and metacognitive strategy more frequently than those from urban area. The intensities of integrative motivation, resultative motivation, intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation held by the students from rural area are all higher than the ones held by the students from urban area.Despite some weaknesses in this study, the results can still prove the relationship between English learning strategies and English learning motivation to some extent. Based on the findings of the study, it was suggested that English teachers should enrich teaching methods and carry out multi-level teaching to spur the intrinsic motivation of high vocational students. What's more, it is urgent to help them set appropriate study goals and conduct strategy training.