A Study Of The Third Language Learning Burnout Among Wa Ethnic Minority Students In Junior Middle Schools In Bilingual Context

With the development of affective research in second language acquisition，foreign language learning burnout has been attracting growing attention in recentyears. Current research (e.g. Leaver, Ehrman&Shekhtman,2005; Yang,2010) hasmainly been focusing on characteristics and factors of learning burnout of secondlanguage after first language, with scanty attention to the third language learningburnout in bilingual context in which learners have already acquired L1and L2competence. The burnout issue of the learners in third language learning, as a researchfield of foreign language teaching and learning, deserves much more attention. Thepresent study, therefore, was trying to bridge this gap.The present study, based on previous research, aimed at exploring thecharacteristics and factors of L3learning burnout in bilingual context in CangyuanWa Nationality Autonomous County. It was carried out by trying to answer theresearch questions:“(1) What are the characteristics of the third language learningburnout (TLLB) among Wa ethnic minority middle school students in Cangyuan?;(2)What are the possible bilingual factors that generate the emergence and developmentof TLLB?”. Two approaches, namely, self-report questionnaires and interviews, wereemployed to explore the questions. Altogether189enrolled students of Wa ethnicminority from three middle schools in Cangyuan were involved in this study. TheStudents in grade2and grade3were chosen to make sure the participants involvedexperienced at least one year of third language learning. The data collected werecomputed and analyzed with SPSS17.0.Key findings were produced as follows, through quantitative and qualitativeanalysis of the data collected. Firstly, burnout syndrome was frequently seen amongthird language learners in Wa ethnic bilingual context, and the value of cynicism anddecreased efficacy dimensions was higher than that of exhaustion dimension.Secondly, learners with higher grade and in schools with poor third language teachers appeared to have more intense learning burnout. In addition, the correlation betweenthe participants’ attitudes towards third language learning environment and learningburnout was up to-0.815，highly and negatively correlated. Last but not least,bilingual factors in terms of third language teachers, curriculum and socialenvironment were found to play important parts in attributing to the emergence anddevelopment of third language learning burnout.The results of the present study may help have a better understanding of thecharacteristics and factors of the third language learning burnout in foreign languageteaching and learning. Some implications may also be helpful in preventing thirdlanguage learning burnout in terms of third language teachers, curriculum and socialenvironment in bilingual context. Longitudinal data were not taken into account dueto the focus of the research questions, which should be the main limitation of in thisstudy. Further research was then suggested grounded on the findings and limitationsof the present study.