Influence Of Family Background On English Learning In Junior High Schools In Shanghai

As an important field of language studies, the social study of language learning has been gaining attention from scholars both at home and abroad in recent years. This thesis is based on a survey of English learning in junior high schools in Shanghai. The research covered 2034 students and 1460 student families through random sampling of the student population of Shanghai municipality. The result indicates that "family economic conditions, "parent social power" and "parent educational level" have significant influence on the students' achievements in English learning and their confidence and interest in learning the foreign language. Good family background can provide students with multiple high-quality opportunities and sufficient long-term financial support for English study, thus greatly boosting their interest and confidence in learning the language. Environmental factor of multiple opportunities plays a significant role in successful foreign language learning even at the school stage.This thesis consists of seven chapters.Chapter I is a brief introduction to the current status of English teaching and learning in China.Chapter II forms the theoretical basis of the thesis. It probes into the influence of family background on language learning from the linguistic, pedagogical and sociological points of view. References are made to the major researches and achievements in this respect in the world.Chapter III briefly reviews the history of foreign language teaching and learning in China with particular emphasis on the interaction between foreign language learning and social and family factors. Foreign language education has vacillated between high and low status in China ever since the Tang dynasty, which can be partly attributed to the perceived threat posed and the benefits brought by the foreign Language to the political, economic and social systems in China.Chapter IV explains the research design, covering the sampling method, sample description, questionnaires, English test, others sources of date and explanations of some important variables.Chapter V is the data analysis, elaborating on the relations between the variables of family background ("family economic conditions, "parent social power" and "parent educational level") and those of English learning (English test score, expenditure on English learning, opportunities for English learning, interest in English learning and time of starting to learn English).