Research On The Effect Of Task-based Language Teaching On College Students' English Learning Motivation

Individual differences is the research focus of second language acquisition field, and motivation is one of the main factors affecting foreign language learning and it plays an important role in predicting the success of language acquisition in general. From the literature review of learning motivation research, the following problems are existed: research content is mainly investigating the correlation between motivation and learning achievement; research method is single, quantitative research method is used commonly; for the way of stimulating motivation, designing of classroom activities is used most, and rarely takes a systematic classroom-based experiment to improve and enhance the learners'motivation. In this research, an experimental study is conducted based on the task-based language teaching, so that explore an effective way to improve students'learning motivation, provide a teaching mode for college English teaching in China, and give a true and reliable reference for future research. The main research content includes: 1. the general state of the students'learning motivation before the implementation of TBLT model; 2.the changes of students'learning motivation after the implementation of TBLT model; 3. analyze the effect of TBLT on the learning achievement and the correlation between learning motivation and learning achievement; 4. For what reasons does TBLT affect the students'learning motivation.This research design included two parts: the quantitative and the qualitative. The quantitative part was involved in an empirical study with two different teaching models, two learning achievement tests and two surveys with the same questionnaire about the non-English college students'English learning motivation: one survey was conducted before the teaching experiment, and the other was carried out at the end of the TBLT. The study consisted of 126 participants who aged from 18 to 19 from two classes of Grade one, College of humanities, Northwest A&F University (each class has 63 students). Class 0116 is experimental class, 0117 is the control class. During the experiment, the control class used previous teaching method which is teacher-centered; the experimental class adopted task-based model. All the data collected were analyzed by SPSS 17.0 in light of explore analysis, attribution analysis and correlation analysis. The qualitative research included the interview and classroom observation, for the purpose of finding out the reasons why the implementation of TBLT model affected the English learning motivation of those students. After the experiment 15 students were randomly selected for the interview. In the classroom observation, teaching steps of two classes, students'reaction, and class specific activities were recorded in detail, for the purpose of investigating the role of students and teachers in task-based language teaching.The present study generates the following major findings:1. Before the implementation of the TBLT, most students'English learning motivation are low; their main motivation styles are achievement motivation and instrument motivation.2. After the implementation of the TBLT, students'learning motivation of experiment class is increased obviously which displays TBLT can enhance the students'learning motivation; and their motivation styles change a lot, intrinsic motivation is obviously increased especially the interest motivation and medium motivation. Situation motivation and development motivation are also enhanced. However, compared with interest motivation and medium motivation, the levels of these two are still low.3. The TBLT model also has positive effect on the development of students'English learning achievement. Compared with the raise degree of control class, the experiment class is much more obvious. Learning motivation and learning motivation affects each other internally; learning motivation effected learning achievement, and learning achievement also has certain backlash to learning motivation.4. For TBLT approach, abundant preparations of pre-task and the appropriate difficulty level of the designed tasks makes it possible for the students to communicate with others successfully, enabling the students experience the pleasure of success which arouses their English learning interests and meanwhile intrinsic motivation was enhanced.5. In the experimental class, a new teacher-student relationship is emerged; teacher-centered was instead by students-centered. The changed role of teachers, as amiable facilitators and mediators in classroom instructions, helps to create the students-centered atmosphere, which encourages the students to learn more independently. What's more, the mutual help and mutual understanding among students and among students and teachers produces cooperative atmosphere which contributes to the group membership of those students and also enhances their learning motivation.The results of the present study also have strong pedagogical implications:Firstly, English teachers should create proper learning conditions which would help students learn through active involvement in activities or tasks and provide more positive feedback at the same time so as to enhance their sense of self-efficacy and their motivation in their English learning. Secondly, teachers are expected to provide interesting, practical and operative tasks for students. And they should adjust their teaching methods to the teaching content and at the same time offer guidance for students. In this way, students can acquire the sense of progress and confidence, which will gradually make them learn autonomously with strong learning motivation.Thirdly, TBLT is not the absolute abandonment of the existing teaching approaches or methods. The implementation and promotion of TBLT model could not be successfully carried out overnight. What's more, it should be suited to the local conditions and teaching environment.