Examining The Effects Of Socioeconomic Status,Motivation,and Language Input On English Learning In Primary And Middle Schools In Shanghai

As English has increasingly been treated as a lingua franca and a significant way to realize social mobility around the world,‘English divide’ as a consequence of different socioeconomic status(SES)has gradually become a growing concern.However,its effect on foreign language learning in instructional contexts remains unclear.Only a few studies have investigated the relationship between learners’ SES background and their achievement in foreign language learning as well as the mechanism of SES on foreign language achievement in instrumental contexts.The mixed results of these studies were reported.The present study,thus,aims to identify the relationships between parents’ SES,learners’ motivation,language input,and children’s English language learning,the mechanism through which SES influences L2 learning outcomes,and how such relationships differ across different grade levels.Based on one of the projects on psychological and social science of Shanghai in 2016"Research on Examining the Current Situation of Compulsory English Education in Shanghai",the participants included 3526 fifth-,eighth-,and eleventh-grade students who had learned English from the first-grade level from 15 primary,secondary,and high schools in Shanghai.All participants attended well-designed English language skill tests including listening,reading,and writing tests and a survey providing information about socioeconomic statues of their parents,their learning motivations,and extra-curricular language input they received outside school.Oral test was conducted in focused group.The results indicated that family economic condition and the parents’ educational level had significant effect on students’ motivational variables and self-perceived competence as well as the quantity and quality of language input received by students,which in turn had significant effect on students’ English learning outcomes regardless of grade levels.The mediating effect of language input received by students on the relationship between SES and students’ English learning outcomes was also reported in fifth-and eighth-grade students.This thesis is composed of seven chapters.Chapter Ⅰ is a general introduction of the current situation of the research on the SES and language learning outcomes.Chapter Ⅱ explains the theoretical basis of the thesis.The second language learning and teaching model provides a map of essential factors to be taken into account in understanding second language learning.The Self-determinant Theory probes into the influence of social context on language learning motivations.Chapter Ⅲ offers a brief review of the previous studies on the relationship between SES and language learning motivation,language input,as well as students’ language learning outcomes.The recent concern has been put on the mediating effect of language input on the relationship between SES and language learning outcomes in instructional setting.Chapter Ⅳ describes the research design and research procedures,including the sampling method,participants description,student questionnaire,tests for English skills,and the identification of some important variables.Chapter Ⅴ is the result of data analysis,focusing on the relations between SES factors("family economic conditions" and "parental education level")and motivational variables as well as language input factors and those of English learning outcomes.The mechanism through which SES factors take effect on English learning outcomes is also elaborated.Chapter Ⅵ mainly discusses the result of data analysis.The uneven distribution of English learning resource outside formal school system and students’ motivational factors lead the socioeconomic factors to have a significant effect on students’ English learning in primary and middle school.Besides,language input factors outside formal school system is reported to have mediating effect on the relation between family background factors and students’ English learning in primary and junior high schools.However,other factors that also restrict the effect of SES on English learning,including teachers’ proficiency level,school differences,learners’ learning strategies,were not taken into consideration in the current research.This is also one of the orientations for the further research.Chapter Ⅶ is the concluding remarks of the whole thesis and discusses about the limitations and orientation of further research in the field of L2/FL teaching and learning.