A Study Of Correlation Between English Learning Motivation And English Learner Autonomy Of Higher Vocational College Non-English Majors

Over the recent years, learner autonomy has become a hot topic in the field of the foreign languages teaching and played an important role in the process of language learning. Motivation is a widely used psychological term in the field of education research and one of learner's important individual factors. What and how much are learned are influenced by the learner's motivations. Considering the importance of learner autonomy and language learning motivation, many scholars have studied the language learning motivation or learner autonomy and some studies are about the relationship between them. In China, most of the research's subjects are English major or non-English major undergraduates in the tertiary education. However, little research has been done to study English learning motivation and the improvement of English learner autonomous competence in higher vocational colleges.With the socio-economic development, the demand for the technical talents is constantly expanding, and China's higher vocational education has made great strides in development. Especially since the advent of the new century, with the increase of society's demand for vocational and technical personnel, higher vocational education, which has become an important part of China's education, has developed rapidly. However, the overall English basic knowledge level of higher vocational college students is low, which is quite different from undergraduate students in the normal universities and colleges. In this new situation, the study of higher vocational students' English learning is necessary and urgent.In this thesis, on the basis of the previous studies, regarding motivation as an important variable affecting learner autonomy, the author focuses on the relationship between English learning motivation and learner autonomy of higher vocational non-English majors in the terms of the real conditions of their English learning. A sample questionnaire investigation and interviews are carried out in a vocational & technical college in Hefei City. The study is carried out from the following four aspects: 1. Is language learning motivation (Gao et al's motivation classification) of higher vocational students correlated with their learner autonomy?2. Is attribution beliefs of higher vocational students correlated with their learner autonomy?3. Does awareness of self-actualization of higher vocational students have any effect on their learner autonomy?4. Does self-determination beliefs of higher vocational students have any effect on their learner autonomy?To analyze the data we've collected, with the assistance of SPSS 11.0, the author has used several descriptive statistics methods such as Frequency Statistics and Pearson Correlation analysis. Four main findings are reached as follows. Firstly,1) there is a positive correlation between overall English learning motivation and learner autonomy (r=.417**) at the significant level (p=.000).2) There are positive correlations between learner autonomy and English learning sub-motivations:motivation of intrinsic interest (r=.495**), motivation of immediate achievement(r=-.069**), motivation of learning situation (r=.326**), motivation of individual development (r=.390**), motivation of information media(r=.260**) and motivation of social responsibility(r=265**) respectively.3) There is no significant correlation (because the significance.268 is above.05) between learner autonomy and motivation of going abroad(r=.065).Secondly, successful attribution beliefs is correlated positively with learner autonomy (r=.401**), but there is no positive correlation between unsuccessful attribution beliefs and learner autonomy (r=.079, p=.268)). Thirdly, there exists a significant correlation between awareness of English self-actualization and learner autonomy with r=.329**. Finally, there is a significant correlation between English self-determination beliefs and learner autonomy (r=.312**)In order to cultivate their autonomous English learning abilities, the author suggests that some strategies be used to stimulate higher vocational students' English learning motivation, for example, stimulating students'intrinsic interest, helping students'set up correct attribution, improving students'awareness of self-determination and so on. Finally, the limitations of the present study are discussed and the recommendations for the future study are put forward.