A Study Of English Learning Motivation Based On Directed Motivation Currents (DMCs) Theory

Learning motivation is an important research field in foreign language teaching,which plays a guiding role in teaching for foreign language teachers.The study of foreign language learning motivation has gone through different models,such as Social-psychological Model,Social-educational Model,Process Learning Model and Self-system Theory.Based on the current research situation in related fields,and on the theoretical basis of Dynamic System theory and L2 Learning Vision,supported by Goal Orientation Theory,Flow Theory,Perceptual Behavior Control Theory,Self-determination Theory and Time Perspective Theory,relevant scholars put forward the concept of Directed Motivation Currents(DMCs).The emergence of this theory makes it possible to study students' L2 motivation from a dynamic perspective.At the same time,the theory also covers the four categories of L2 learners' desire,cognition,emotion and behaviour,and establishes a new conceptual framework for the study of foreign language learning motivation.This study systematically expounds and discusses the theory of DMCs,and sort out the research results of DMCs at home and abroad.On this basis,the present situation of English learning motivation of high school students has been investigated and studied.In this study,91 students from Class 3 and Class 6,Grade One of Haibei No.1Senior High School in Qinghai Province were surveyed with questionnaires,and 48 students from Class 3 were interviewed.Based on the scores of the questionnaires,the present situation of English learning motivation of the students in this class was discussed in groups.Students in the class were asked to record the learning plan and reflective journal for eight weeks.After obtaining the students' two examinations scores,48 students had divided into groups again according to their academic performance.Combining the questionnaire results,interviews and learning plan and reflective journal records,the different motivation characteristics of different groups of students under the same academic records were discussed.Finally,the correlation between the academic records and the students' questionnaires scores were analyzed by SPSS software.The specific research questions are as follows: 1)From twice groupings,what is the intensity of DMCs and motivation characteristics in English learning of senior high school students? 2)What is the correlation between DMCs and academic scores in senior high school students' English learning? 3)What are the teaching suggestions for teachers based on the research results? After completing the eight-week experiment,the data were collected and analyzed by using SPSS andExcel software.From the data results,the overall motivation intensity of the subjects is not high enough.For some students with strong motivation,the orientation and persistence of their learning goals are strong.At the same time,the subjective feelings of these students are more positive,and vice versa.There is a weak correlation between students' performance and the intensity of DMCs,which indicates that students' motivation intensity will have an impact on their performance to some extent.The better the students' academic performance is,the stronger their motivation is,the clearer their learning objectives are,the stronger and lasting their motivation is.On the contrary,students with poor academic performance will gradually lose interest in learning because of emotional frustration.Because of this,English teachers should encourage students to have a clear and appropriate orientation of themselves,teach them scientific and effective learning methods and pay attention to the change of students' emotional state in time.