Arousing Learners’intrinsic Motivation By Means Of Role-play

Chinese Ministry of Education has taken a series of steps to make revolution on vocational education and teaching in recent years, with the focus on the guidelines of seeing comprehensive quality as foundation and career ability as standard. According to English Syllabus of Secondary Vocational Schools announced in January2009, English teaching goals in vocational schools are to develop language skills and form application ability of professional English gradually; to arouse students’ intrinsic motivation, strengthen their confidence, help them to master suitable learning strategies; to cultivate their right value concept. So classroom teaching activities have become basic and important approaches which integrate the English language instrumental property with humanity. The core principles are learner-centered, communication-oriented and activity-based.However, present situation of vocational students is beyond optimism. It seems that most of the students in vocational schools are far from the needs of present career characters because they have weak motivation and low interest in English learning with poor English foundation. They are short of cooperation spirit. At the same time, they are longing for knowledge, for instance they desire new teaching methods and authentic English learning context.To achieve the goals of vocational English teaching and meet the demands of vocational students, arousing learners’ intrinsic motivation to language learning and helping them gain communicative ability so as to meet the needs of future career are of great importance. Role-play as a trying teaching activity is put into practice to test its effect on intrinsic motivation of English learners in vocational schools. In this study, a quantitative experimental research design is conducted in a vocational school. A few factors involved in both role-play and intrinsic motivation of vocational students are measured under the heading of interest, environment, engagement, cooperation and feedback. The research questions are the following: Ql. Can students’ intrinsic motivation be aroused by introducing role-play to the English class? Q2. Will students’ academic achievements be improved if their intrinsic motivation can be aroused?Instruments including questionnaires, proficiency tests and interview were carried out in the research. According to the results of the experiment, main findings are the following:1) Role-play is an effective way to arouse students’ intrinsic motivation to English learning.2) Students’ academic achievements will be improved along with the improvement of their intrinsic motivation.3) Motivation correlates with insisting on learning.4) Intrinsic motivation interacts with role-play.5) Factors arousing intrinsic motivation take on effect together.