Research On Junior Middle School Students’ Self-confidence In English Learning

Self-confidence is a multidimensional and multilevel psychological system,which is a positive affirmation and recognition of individual’s ability and values of relatively stable personality.According to English Curriculum Standards of Compulsory education(2011),one of the task of English course is to enable students to establish self-confidence.Because the self-confidence will play the role of accelerating students’ learning process,stimulating students’ interest and arousing their learning initiative and enthusiasm in English learning,thus to improve their academic performance ultimately.This paper adopts the combination of quantitative and qualitative methods(questionnaires and interviews)to investigate the current situation of the confidence of 120 students of grade seven in NO.5 Middle School.The investigation data shows that students have low level of self-confidence,comparing with other affection factors,such as learning attitudes,interest and motivation by using the software SPSS17.0;factors influencing students’ self-confidence are mainly from students’ selves and teachers’ teaching notions and attitudes.After the investigation,the writer chose those who are in high score but in low confidence as subjects,made an experimental study on how to cultivate their self-confidence for four months by random sample.The results proved that students’ confidence in learning English has improved after the experiment.Finally,six strategies on improving students’ English learning confidence are put forward on the basis of literature research.They are: building a relaxing interaction environment to get on well with students;solving students’ cognitive puzzle to consolidate their language foundation;using all kinds of ways to encourage students to improve their studies;being tolerant with students’ mistakes;leading students to evaluate themselves objectively and have correct views of scores;providing students chances to be successful and experiencing feelings of success.