A Study Of English Learning Motivation Of High Vocational Colleges Students And Its Influencing Factors

Motivation is one of the most important factors that affect foreign language learning. A large number of researches have shown that positive motivation can lead to successful learning. The motivation researches about second language acquisition emerged in 1950s overseas. Gardner & Lambert's social-educational model of second language acquisition with its Attitude/Motivation Test Battery (AMTB) is one of the most influential theory. According to this theory, motivation can be divided into two types: integrative motivation and instrumental motivation. It emphasizes that in the process of language learning, achievement is determined by three factors: learner's motivation intensity; learning attitudes and learning desire. Motivation researches on foreign language learning in our country started in 1980s. However, most researchers paid more attention to university graduates, and the research aimed at high vocational college students who are the masses of our high education sector is fewer. Due to the vital role that motivation plays in language learning, this paper starts with Gardner's motivation theory, combines the learning characters of high vocational students and mainly discusses motivation types and the factors that affect high vocational college students'learning motivation, in order to find out the way of stimulating high vocational students'English learning motivation.To investigate the students'English learning motivation in a vocational college, a modified English learning motivation questionnaire and group interviews concerning motivation types, motivation intensity, desire to learning English and attitudes toward learning English are designed according to Gardner's Attitude/ Motivation Test Battery and the results of the questionnaire were put into computer and analyzed by SPSS, which shows that the current high vocational students'motivation is of both two types, with the instrumental motivation being a little more outstanding.The results indicate that the students'attitudes towards learning English have significant correlation with the two types of motivation according to Pearson Correlation. The other two variables, intensity and desire, are strongly correlated with integrative motivation but have no or little correlation with instrumental motivation. As for the correlation with achievement, the results illustrate that positive attitudes towards learning are strongly correlated with achievement and that intensity and desire also have correlation with achievement, of which learning intensity takes the first place. Since attitude, intensity and desire are regarded as the main components that define motivation, it is not adequate to focus on only one of them to depict a motivated student. So, good achievement is not only in connection with positive attitude and desire, but also with great efforts in learning, i.e. learning intensity. Group interviews about the factors that affect learning motivation indicate that the individual factor, school environment, teacher, learning atmosphere, especially classroom atmosphere, and parents have great impacts on high vocational students. In the end, based on the survey, motivational theories, students'view in the group talks and the author's teaching experience, the author puts forward some strategies about how to stimulate high vocational students'English learning motivation, to make teaching and learning more harmonious and to obtain the best teaching results by strengthening students'motivation.