The Factors Underlying English Learning Interest Of Senior High Schools Students In Hainan Rural Areas

Interest is the intrinsic motivation in learning,which plays an important role in learning process.In recent years,researchers at home and abroad have done a series of studies on English learning interest,contributing to our deeper understanding of the concept of foreign language learning interest and its causes and consequence for foreign language learning.Based on previous studies,this study investigates the factors underlying English learning interest of senior high school students in Hainan rural areas.To be specific,this study intends to answers the following questions: 1)What is the general level of English learning interest of senior high school students in Hainan rural areas? 2)What are the internal factors affecting English learning interest of senior high school students in Hainan rural areas? 3)What are the external factors affecting English learning interest of senior high school students in Hainan rural areas? In terms of research methods,this study adopts a mixed design combining qualitative method and quantitative method.Specifically,an open questionnaire is used to explore the potential factors affecting the English learning interest of senior high school students in Hainan rural areas.Then quantitative data are collected to further investigate whether the variables that emerged from the qualitative surveys affected students' English learning interest.The qualitative research indicated that learning motivation,learning strategies,teacher emotional support,teacher academic support,peer emotional support and peer academic support were the potential factors influencing senior high school students' English learning interest.The quantitative research showed that peer academic support,learning motivation and learning strategies significantly positively predicted English learning interest,while peer emotional support significantly negatively predicted English learning interest.The relationships between teacher emotional support,teacher academic support and English learning interest were not significant.In the end,the results were discussed and suggestions were rendered to improve English learning interest of senior high school students in rural areas.