A Narrative Study Of Left-behind Children’s English Learning Self-efficacy

Since New English Curriculum for Primary School was carried out in China, self-efficacy in the process of English learning has received intensive attention. Self-efficacy refers to people’s judgment of their abilities to organize and execute action courses, which is demanded to gain designated types of performance(Bandura and Schunk, 1981). English learning self-efficacy is the kind of self-efficacy expressed in the process of English learning, and it is about one’s subjective judgment of whether he or she can accomplish English learning tasks successfully. Left-behind children are defined as rural children under 17 years old who are left in hometown and both of their parents go to other areas to earn money. Previous studies have found that rural left-behind children are different in psychology, behavior, learning and many other aspects. But the study on English learning self-efficacy of left behind children has rarely been addressed.Based on literature review, this study attempts to explore what the features of the three left-behind children’s English learning self-efficacy are and what contributes to their English learning self-efficacy. By the way of narrative study and with the methods of observation, interview and collecting subjects’ dairies, the findings of this thesis indicate that there are close relationship between left-behind subjects’ English achievement and their English learning self-efficacy. It also found that family education, supervisors’ education, parents’ concerns and family background, relationship between English teacher and subjects, the age at which children are left athome has deep influences on left-behind children’s English learning self-efficacy.As a special group, the issue of left-behind children’s education has attracted more and more attention. This study hopes to provide suggestions for English teachers to cultivate left-behind children’s English learning self-efficacy, to inspire them to learn English and to improve their English achievement.