An Investigation On Rural Senior High School Students’ Demotivation In English Learning

Demotivation is a specific internal and external force that reduces or even eliminates people’s ongoing behaviors or behavioral tendencies.Demotivation is prevalent in the process of senior high school students’ English learning in China,which has a lot of adverse effects on their English learning.Through the study of rural senior high school students’ demotivation in English learning,this paper can help people understand the current situation of English demotivation of rural senior high school and its causes.It can help us to stimulate and cultivate students’ motivation,so as to promote English teaching in rural senior high school.The subjects of the research are 436 rural senior high school students from two schools in Guangxi.This paper investigates the current situation of rural senior high school students’ demotivation in English learning and the factors that cause it through questionnaire and interview.The first questionnaire adopted from Gao Yihong’s(2003)scale aims to investigate demotivation.The questionnaires of demotivating factors adopted from Sakai and Kikuchi’s(2009)instrument.It investigates factors from six dimensions: characteristics of classes,learning experiences,teachers,class environment,learning materials,learning needs and goals.The study is to explore the following three questions:(1)What is the overall performance of English learning demotivation in surveyed school?(2)Are there any differences on demotivation between Arts students and Science students,Grade one and Grade two,male and female,students with high language proficiency and students with low language proficiency?(3)What are the factors that lead rural high school students to generate demotivation in English learning?The results show that:(1)The English learning motivation of surveyed students was weakened.The English learning demotivation is common.(2)There is no significant difference between Grade one and Grade two.But Garde two are more likely to be influenced by the characteristics of class,and Grade one are more likely to be influenced by teachers and learning materials.In gender differences,boys are more likely to be affected by learning experiences than girls,teachers,learning materials and learning needs and goals.In learning levels,learners with low language proficiency are more likely to de demotivated due to learning experiences,learning materials and learning needs and goals.Between Arts and Science students,science students are more likely to be influenced by teachers,learning materials and learning needs and goals.(3)The results show that the main factors that affect students’ demotivation are learning experiences,learning needs and goals,characteristics of class and learning materials.Basing on the above research results,the author puts forward suggestions from two aspects.For students:(1)Students should set a correct outlook on English learning and test,master the strategies of self-study and methods of memorizing vocabulary and phrase,and overcome the undesirable learning experience;(2)Students should set English learning objectives;(3)Students should establish confidence in English learning.For teachers:(1)Teachers should adopt multiple evaluation systems and use different evaluation ways for Science and Arts students;set different criteria for learners of different grades and levels;pay attention to gender differences and their characteristics in the process of evaluation;(2)Teachers should teach students effective English learning strategies and offer different guidance for individuals;(3)Teachers should assign different learning materials according to different level students;offer tips for learners with low language proficiency to help them solve the difficulties;prepare learning materials with different topics for them;(4)Teachers should guide students to make positive attribution;(5)Teachers should use students’ original motivation to stimulate English learning motivation;(6)Teachers should set a favorable class.