Motivation For Learning English As A Third Language

Ethnic minority students' English learning is L3 learning.The present researches on ethnic minority students' English learning are mainly focused on language transfer and their specific characteristics in English learning.There are only limited number of studies concerning ethnic minority students' motivation for learning English,based on traditional motivation theories,and treating ethnic minority students as a whole.While different ethnic minorities have different features in English learning,it is necessary to study a single ethnic minority students' motivation for learning English from a new perspective.Through this study,methods of how to improve ethnic minority students' motivation for English will be found,and then their English proficiency will be enhanced.Based on the L2 Motivation Self System(L2MSS),the study investigated 201 Yi college students' motivation for L3 learning by adopting both qualitative and quantitative approaches.It aimed at exploring the effectiveness of L2 MSS in accounting for Chinese ethnic minority students' motivation for L3 learning,and it also aimed to investigate the influence of Yi college students' unique L2 learning experience on their motivation for L3 learning.The major findings are:(1)Yi college students' motivation for L3 learning was strong,while their motivated L3 behavior was not so strong.Significant differences existed in Yi college students' motivation for L3 learning and motivated L3 behavior in terms of year level,major and gender.Specifically,first-year students' motivation for L3 learning in ideal L3 self was stronger than that of the second-year students.Yi-English bilingual students' motivation for L3 learning in ideal L3 self and L3 learning experience was stronger than that of the Yi-Chinese bilingual and Yi-Chinese translation major students.Compared with their male peers,female students' motivation for L3 learning in ideal L3 self was much stronger.In motivated L3 behavior,first-year students outpaced second-year students.Yi-English bilingual students exceeded those who major in Yi-Chinese bilingual and Yi-Chinese translation.Female students surpassed their male peers.(2)The three elements in L2 MSS,namely,ideal L3 self,ought-to L3 self,and L3 learning experience can explain Yi college students' motivated L3 behavior.L3 learning experience was the best one to account for Yi college students' motivated L3 behavior,with ideal L3 self and ought-to L3 self following behind.(3)Yi college students' unique L2 learning experience has positive influence on their motivation for L3 learning.The study of Yi college students' motivation for L3 learning through the lens of L2 MSS,is an innovative reformation of previous studies concerning ethnic minority students' L3 motivation,providing a paradigm for the following motivation research on ethnic minority students.In addition,the study also suggests that in the further teaching,the improvement of Yi college students' motivation can be achieved through creating pleasant English learning experience,whilst the initiation of Yi college students' motivation can be achieved through constructing sound self images.Thus,their motivated L3 behavior will also be enhanced.