A Study on the Interaction of Psychological Factors and

A Study on the Interaction of Psychological Factors andEnglish SpeakingFor the past several decades, with the development of the international communication, English has become the world language. The teaching of oral English is improved to priority in the nations using English as a foreign language, including China. However, there has been a heated debate over the English speaking ability of Chinese university students. From then on, many linguists, educationists, and even the common English teachers（Littlewood W, 2000、陈颉,1997、贾冠杰，1998、刘森,2000、王蔷，2000) have been devoted to explore the ways of improving spoken English. They investigated the factors related to the English speaking, such as social factors, teachers’ influences, learners’ strategies. Thes e researches achieved a great success in the establishment of the concerning theories. However, based on these researches, our teaching methods and techniques, to a larger extent, still failed to produce effective English speaking. To discover the reasons, many researchers（Cook, V.J，1978、Rivers, W.M，1964、McDonough,1981）turn to study the learners’ psychology.Nowadays we have become increasingly aware that individual learners are different from each other. They are not simply soft clay, waiting to be shaped by teacher, but have their own personalities, motivations, and other psychological characteristics. These elements affect how learners act in the spoken English learning.1. The Five Important Psychological Factors in Spoken English Teachingand LearningLanguage is a tool of communication, so as to English. The ultimate aim of English teaching is to cultivate the students’ ability of speaking and communication. Among the four skills of English learning----reading, writing, listening and speaking, reading is perhaps the easiest, while speaking the most difficult to acquire(Huang X & M Van Naerssen., 1985: 287-307). That is because speaking is an active skill, requiring students to combine the words into sentences without preparation, and no time to revise.During this process, learners show their differences, some can draw and organize the information in their mind flexibly, and then speak it out fluently; others can’t organize the words they want to express in a reasonable and logical way, even though they have mastered much knowledge and are eager to express. One of the important reasons is due to their psychological characteristics.English speaking is a complicated psychological process. In terms of spoken English teaching in schools, it’s quite essential for teacher s and learners to take someimportant psychological factors into accounts in order to achieve better results in spoken English teaching and learning. This part is a contribution to discuss some important psychological factors concerned.According to the studies concerning the factors which affect the English speaking, there are motivation, anxiety, extroversion, self-esteem and self-concept.1.1 MotivationBrown, H. D.（1980:35）stated that motivation was an intrinsic power, an emotional promotion, a kind of desire for encouraging people to take action. Through experiment, he concluded that there were three basic kinds of motivation---intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation and integrated motivation in general learning theory. It is clear that these three kinds of motivation don’t exclude each other. Most learners are motivated by these reasons in the oral English learning.In learning spoken English, just like other fields of human learning, motivation is the crucial force that determines whether a learner embarks on a spoken task at all, how much energy he devotes to it and how long he preserves. It is a complex phenomenon and includes many components: the individual’s drive, need for achievement and success, curiosity, desire for stimulation and new experience, and so on.It is clear that learners with high and favorable motivation for speaking often try to devote themselves into English speaking. In English class, they are active, and cooperate with teachers’ activities positively. Out of class, they ta ke any opportunity for imitating, practicing and speaking English. They are of strong volition (AmesC,1992:261-271) and will, of clear learning purpose. Thereby, they are easier and more proficient to achieve success in spoken English .In their turn, the success encourages higher motivation.On the contrary, the author observes that many students always keep silent no matter English class or out of class. This shows that they lack of motivation for speaking English. (Ames C, 1992:261-271) If they always keep this attitude, it is hard for them to concentrate attention in class and it is impossible to improve their spoken English. The establishment of high motivation is indispensable to become a good English learner and speaker. As Rod Ellis（1994.）said , “Th e clever leaner with high motivation is the most successful learner.”1.2 AnxietyAnxiety is a sense of worry, a kind of subconscious scare ( Steinberg, F. & E. Horwits, 1986: 136). Many researchers studied the effects of anxiety on the English speaking. Chen Jie（陈颉,1997:15-18）, the professor from Nanjing University, adopted the form of questionnaire, titled “Anxiety on the Students’ Learning English”. After analysis of the results, he concluded that classroom anxiety included “trait anxiety” and “environmental anxiety”. The two kinds of anxiety can enforce or reduce each other’s effects in English speaking classroom. Furthermore, they are both bad for the improvement of students’ spoken English. In this aspect, the “environmental anxiety” is sounder than the “trait anxiety”. He pointed that teachers were the main factor to cause the classroom anxiety and suggested that they should pay muchattention to their teaching attitude and behavior to create a happy and animate learning environment.Similar to Professor Chen’s view, William Littlewood（2000）claimed that if anxiety rose above a certain level, it was an obstacle to the learning process.In the English classroom, learners are often asked to perform in a state of ignorance and dependence, which may engender feelings of helplessness. They have to produce unfamiliar sounds in front of an audience. When they don’t perform adequately, they may be subjected to comment and correction. Most of them do not possess the linguistics tools to express their own individuality. In any cases, there is usually little opportunity, since the teacher dominates the interaction. In a similar way, the second language environment may cause learners to feel anxious and constrained. With their limited communicative competence, they may have difficulties in relating to others and presenting themselves adequately.However, the level of anxiety felt by learners is only partly a result of the nature of the situation itself. It is also the result of personal factors. For example, some learners become anxious more quickly than others, whatever the situation is; others may have had experiences of failure which cause them to become anxious quickly in classroom learning situation.From above, we can conclude that too much anxiety or over anxiety hinders learning process as well as the English speaking, but it seems that a certain amount of it can stimulate learner to invest more energy in their task. However, the optiona l level also depends on various factors, such as the learners’ ability and their other psychological qualities.1.3 Self-esteemSelf-esteem refers to the individual’s evaluation on himself, an attitude towards his or her ability, value, and achievement. It is originated from individual’s experience and the judge of the outside world. (McDonough, S.H, 1981)Comparatively speaking, learners with high self-esteem are full of the sense of self-confidence and self-affirmation. In English learning, they can evaluate reasonably and objectively their own English level as well as the other learning skills---listening, reading, writing, speaking and translating. A study by Adelaide Hayed (Heyde A, 1979) found that self-esteem was associated with the English speaking, and that learners with high self-esteem could have more chances to achieve speaking proficiency. Presumably, they are less likely to feel threatened when speaking or communicating in English or in an unfamiliar situation. They may also be more ready to risk making mistakes or projecting a reduced image of them.1.4 ExtroversionIt is often suggested that an extrovert learner is easier in learning foreign language learning than an introvert learner. However, when Naiman et al ( Naiman N.M. et al, 1978) investigated whether good language learner scored higher in a standard test of extroversion, their results were negative. A more positive result emerged from a study by Richard Tucker et al. ( Naiman N.M. et al, 1978), who found that success in second langua ge learning seemed to correlate with learners’scores on some traits often associated with extroversion, such as assertiveness and adventure.Irrespective of actual English learning ability, learners with an outgoing personality may enjoy certain advantages in English speaking. Their active nature may promote them to open their mouth in class or out of class. They are willing to be involved in more spoken activities and social interaction, attract more attention from their teachers and be less inhibited when asked to display their proficiency (e.g. in oral interviews). They may perform more confidently in communication situations when they using English.1.5 Self-conceptSelf-concept is defined as the integration of subjective evaluation and self- conscious ness, which is about a person’s value of existence. This kind ofself-evaluation and self-consciousness is generally based on his personal characteristics. (Cook V.J, 1978:73-89)Self-concept is an integrated psychological factor, and it determines the four previous psychological factors and is reflected in the four factors--- motivation, anxiety, self-esteem and extroversion. Self-concept plays a great role in promoting students’ motivation, in decreasing their anxiety, in increasing their self-esteem. A positive self-concept is the base of the establishment of the healthy psychological quality. In English class, a student’s self-concept is corrected closely with his own psychological quality, the relationship between teachers and students, and the relationship among students. If teachers and students have good impression on a learner, he would be more self-confident, and try his best to achieve more with higher motivation.Self–image is a kind of self-concept, referring to a person’s subjective evaluation and consciousness about his learning ability, his own image impressing others. (Corder, S.P, 1975:108-201)In spoken English learning, the evaluation of self-image determines whether the previous four factors can lead to the pleasant result or not. If a student had a passive attitude towards his self-image, when using English, he would be very timid; he would perform embarrassedly and anxiously; he would keep silent or be forced to take part in the classroom speaking activities so that they lose many practice chances. However, if a student had an active self-evaluation, he would have a clear and fitting learning objective; he would seek out optimistically opportunities for going in for activities in English.We can conclude that active self-evaluation is of great importance in improving students’ English level. To a great extent, the students’ proficient learning skills rely on the proper evaluation of their self-image.2. The Application of the Five Psychological Factors in Spoken EnglishTeaching and LearningIn almost every sphere of education, there has been a growing tendency to become more “learner-centered”. We have come to realize that every person is ultimately responsible for his own learning and needs to engage his ownpsychological characteristics in the educational process. So, it is urgent for us to consider the psychological influences when teaching and learning oral English.2.1 The Psychology-Based Teaching Approach in Spoken EnglishOn the basis of the psychological factors talked in previous part, it is necessary for us to set up the “psychology-based” teaching approach. Here, “psychology” is the specialization of students’ psychology. Because the English speaking is affected by the psychological factors talked above, psychology-based teaching approach requires such principles as follows:①Student-centered classroom②Active class atmosphere③Dynamic participants④Friendly and sympathetic relationship among all the members in class.The purposes of these principles are to create a pleasant and animated learning environment, to encourage the students to turn to be the master of their own learning, to motivate their interest and learning motivation, to promote them to be engaged in the English speaking activities, to reduce their anxiety, to increase their self-esteem and to encourage them to form the positive self-evaluation. Thereby, the students are more likely to expose themselves to English to develop their potential in English speaking.Concluded from the previous states, in spoken English teaching practice, the realization of these principles are also the process to achieve the interaction of psychological factors and the English speaking. In the following part, it argues concretely that how these principles of the psychology-based teaching approach are put into teaching practice.2.2 The Practice of the Psychology-Based Teaching PrinciplesThe efforts of the students as well as of their teachers are indispensable to the achievement of the good spoken English. They are both the subjects to realize this teaching approach.2.2.1 Teacher’s ResponsibilityMany students hesitate in speaking English because they are very shy and afraid of making mistakes; the idea of “losing face” if they make a mistake is the biggest obstacle to English learning. The teacher must set up a friendly and sympathetic relationship between the students and himself so as to reduce to minimum natural reluctance and inhibition of the students in practicing speaking the language. The teacher must ask the students not to be afraid of making mistakes, because all learners make mistakes. This is not confined to language learners. We all make mistakes even if when we are speaking our mother tongue. Therefore, the teacher can never expect 100% of accuracy in spoken English. If the students make some mistakes, the teacher can correct them, but should not laugh at them. That is to say, the teacher should always encourage and praise students whenever they make an attempt in class.Many students are very impatient and anxious about their fluency in spoken English. They expect to learn English well in a very short time. The teacher should tell them that nobody can learn English well in a day or two and that there is no short-cut English learning. Learning English is just like forming a habit. People needa long time to form a habit; the same is true with English learning. Only through constant practice can the students achieve a good command of the English speaking.The teacher must be impartial to every student. In class, the teacher cannot always give the better students chances to practice and ignore the slower ones. Students with difficulties should be encouraged and treated sympathetically. Individual help should be given to them. Otherwise, the slower students will lose interest in English learning and it will make it more difficult or even less possible for them to learn English adequately.As for English teaching, the teacher should help the students to think in English. However, as a matter of a fact, with the interference of Chinese, many Chinese students always think in Chinese when they are learning English, thus they frequently speak Chinese English. Actually a “mind-translation” process exists when they are using the language. The following explanation shows clearly this process. When they are talking with other people in English, they always put everything they have heard into Chinese, make responses in Chinese in their mind, and finally translate back into English. This is indirect thinking, and it surely makes the process of communicating very slow. Alternatively, if they could think in English directly, they could make very quick responses. This is the purpose of learning English.In order to help students think in English, the teacher must create more chances for the students to practice English both in class and out of class. In the classroom, trying to make it a real “English world”, the teacher should speak English all the time. Furthermore, he or she had better to design various communicative speaking tasks such as dialogues, role-plays, and activities using pictures. Whichever activity is used, make sure it is in line with the students’ abilities to deal with the task. If the task is too easy, the students may think it is childish and thus lose interest. Since classroom activities are the most essential forms for students to practice their oral English and the classroom is only one small piece of the world in which we expect the learner to use the language, artificial means must be used to transform it into a variety of other pieces: the obvious means for performing this transformation is drama---imaginative play has always been a powerful educational device. By creating a dramatic situation in a classroom---in part simply by acting out dialogues, but also in part by belaboring objects and people in the room to prepare for imaginative role--playing---the teacher can expand the classroom indefinitely and provide imaginatively natural contexts for the language being used. Furthermore, the teacher can give students lots of “out of class” English activiti es such as English corner, English parties, English games and even English television programs or films if possible, which can be very effective in training students to think in English.2.2.2 Students’ DutyStudents are the decisive factor in the successful use of the psychology-based teaching approach. If a student wants to be a proficient English speaker, he must take such factors into accounts.First, they should work as an active participant. This is the basic requirement. Active participation is half done.Second, they should work hard. As early as in the 1920s, Lin Yutang (.林语堂，1998) said, “Before you can write good English, you must speak good English. Speak English after your teacher; speak English to your classmates; speak English in the class; speak elsewhere; speak what you have learned in the class; speak what you have read in the book. Speak much, speak often and you will become more and more fluent in good English speech.” This remark is still of great significance for improving our spoken EnglishThird, they should make a reasonable and objective self-evaluation neither too high nor too low. Some students hesitate to speak English, though the words have been in their mind. They are always intended to produce a “perfect” sentence to speak out with an “exquisite” grammar. However, the truth is that the time is limited for speaking. In speaking activities, if a learner wanted to express perfectly all the time, he or she would lose many chances to speak out. A learner should also make it clear that all learners make mistakes, even if when we speak our mother tongue. Concerning the intonation and pronunciation, Lady Appleyard (刘森，2000: 40-42) , chairman of the International English Speech Community, said, “It doesn’t really matter whether you speak English with an English accent, American accent, Australian or any other accent. As long as you are being heard and understood, that doesn’t matter. The thing that makes you understood is the way you plan your phrase so that the phrases are placed and delivered in the way of speakers.” Thus, it could not be necessary for English learner to spend a lot of time in practicing intonation a nd pronunciation, if he speaks English just for communication.3. ConclusionFrom the previous analysis, an English learner’s psychological quality and his oral English do interact with each other. There are five main psychological factors--- motivation, anxiety, self-esteem, self-concept and extroversion that affect the English speaking. They can hinder or promote the latter. Thereby, in the spoken English teaching and learning, teachers and students should take these factors into accounts. At the same ti me, English speaking can also affect the learners’ psychological qualities. The good spoken English may motivate the learners’ motivation, reduce their anxiety, increase their self-esteem and encourage them to form positiveself-concept. Based on this interaction, we put forward the psychology-based teaching approach. The successful utilization of this approach in spoken English teaching and learning can develop students’ oral English as well as their psychological quality. This is also the realization of the interaction of the psychological factors and the English speaking.It is also the very utmost purpose of this paper to put this interaction into spoken English teaching practice. If teachers and students made good use of this interaction, they would benefit a lot.。