A Survey Study Of Students’ English Learning Demotivation In Vocational College

As an International language English is becoming more and more important all over the world and in most part of China students begin to learn English from grade three in primary school. Among the factors affecting second language learning achievement, motivation plays a crucial role in second language acquisition. As coin has two sides, the positive of motivation improves language learners’ learning, and the negative side, that is demotivation, impedes the process of English learning. Many researchers pay lots attention to motivation both home and abroad. Based on previous studies on demotivation, this study focuses on demotivation in English learning in vocational college. The aim of the study tries to find out demotivating factors for vocational college students in college English learning and offer some implications for language learning to help English teachers take appropriate measures to protect and even enhance students’ motivation. The present study is supposed to find the answers to the following two specific research questions. 1) What is the dominant demotivating factors affecting vocational college students’ English learning? 2) What should teachers and students do to reduce English learning demotivation in vocational collage? The participants are 420 sophomores of non-English majors from Inner Mongolia Technical College of Construction. The author has interviewed 10 highly demotivated students to gain further information about the negative part of motivation in learning English. Meanwhile, the author also has interviewed 8 teachers to know about their views on demotivation in language teaching. This thesis is based on the close-ended questionnaire of English learning demotivation in vocational college and a semi-structure interview from both teachers and students to collect data. The research method attempts to use both quantitativeand qualitative methods to investigate English learning demotivation in vocational college. The results of the questionnaire are analyzed by SPSS17.0.The main findings are summarized as follows: There are six dominant demotivating factors affecting vocational college students’ English learning,such as learner-related factors, the influence of parents, attitudes to classmates,course-related factors, compulsory nature of second language study, and attitudes towards English. In order to better diminish the demotivating factors affecting non-English major students of vocational colleges in the process of learning English, some possible and effective motivational strategies and implications for students and practicing English teachers are proposed in this thesis according to the results of questionnaire and interview in the present research.