A Survey Of Demonstrative Senior High School Students’ English Learning Beliefs In Zhongshan City

English learning belief is an important factor that affects students’ English learning.Researchers have found that there was a significant correlation between senior high school students’ English learning beliefs and their academic performance.According to the theses from CNKI and Wanfang databases,although there are plenty of studies related to English learning beliefs,there is still room for research on the English learning beliefs of demonstrative senior high school students.Therefore,the present study aims at investigating the overall situation of demonstrative senior high school students’ English learning beliefs,exploring the differences of English learning beliefs between high score group students and low score group students,male and female students as well as finding out the major factors forming students’ English learning beliefs.At last,some useful strategies about cultivating students’ positive English learning beliefs are put forward on the basis of the research results.The present study employs the questionnaire and interview research methods and the research subjects are 390 students in grade two from Guishan Senior High School of Zhongshan,No.2 Senior High School of Zhongshan and Xiaolan Senior High School of Zhongshan.The questionnaire consists of two parts.The first part of the questionnaire,which was adapted from Horwitz’s BALLI based on the characteristics of Chinese senior high school students,aims at investigating the overall situation of demonstrative senior high school students’ English learning beliefs and finding out the differences of English learning beliefs between high score group students and low score group students,male and female students.The first part of the questionnaire is consisted of five dimensions: difficulty of language learning,foreign language aptitude,nature of language learning,learning and communication strategies and motivations and expectations.The second part of the questionnaire,which was designed by the author referring Horwitz(1988),Abraham & Vann(1987)and Wen Qiufang(1995)’ s theories about the factors influencing language learning beliefs,aims at exploring the factors which form English learning beliefs.The second part of the questionnaire comprises of three dimensions: factors from students,factors from other people and factors from society.The study concentrates on these four research questions:(1)What’s the current situation of English learning beliefs of senior high students in demonstrative schools in Zhongshan city?(2)Are there any differences in English learning beliefs between students in high score group and low score group? If there are any differences,what are they?(3)Are there any differences in English learning beliefs between male and female students? If there are any differences,what are they?(4)What are the major factors which form the English learning beliefs?The research findings are as follows:(1)English learning beliefs of demonstrative senior high school students in Zhongshan city are neither positive nor negative.Besides,students have strong English learning beliefs in the dimension of motivations and expectations.(2)There exists significant difference between high score group students and low score group students in English learning beliefs.(3)Significant difference exists in only six items between male and female students.Compared with female students,male students maintain that English is difficult for them to learn but they have stronger intrinsic motivation in learning English.(4)There are six major factors forming students’ English learning beliefs: English learning experience,English foundation,previous English test scores,English teacher’s requirements,English teaching methods and rapid social development.Based on the research results,the author proposes some suggestions from the following two aspects: English teachers and students.For English teachers,they can set up learning tasks at different difficulty levels for students with different learning beliefs,integrate positive learning beliefs into classroom and help students to make the correct attribution.For students,aiming at forming positive English learning beliefs,they should reflect on their learning beliefs more often,ask English teachers or peers for help when having problems in learning and learn from successful English learners.