大学生英语学习动机调节策略个案调查

大学生英语学习动机调节策略个案调查［Abstract］Motivational regulation is an important aspect of Self-regulated Learning and is thought to have a great impact on English learning. However, the performance of learner is not satisfying. This study aims to provide a new leaning perspective for English learners.［Key words］motivational regulation,learning strategy,interviewI. IntroductionMotivation is the direct cause and inner motive power of English learning, but in the process of learning, students are hardly consistent in keeping high motivation all the way, especially when they face bald, insignificant stuff and materials which are hard to understand. For the sake of keeping the motivations going, they must take certain SRSs (self-regulating strategies) to adjust them.The terminology SRL (self-regulating learning) appeared firstly in the field of educational psychology, but it aroused significant notice by linguists, and the cultivating of students’regulation ability about their learning has also been considered as a crucial goal within the field of language education. Although linguists seldom use the term “SRL”, it is similar to some phrases in the field of Second Language Acquisition (SLA), for instances, “self-directed learning” (Pemberton 4),“self-direction” (Knowles18), “autonomous learning”, autonomy (Holec 3) and “self-instruction”.Ⅱ. Research Design6 undergraduates participated in the case study, including 3 high achievers (from key universities and passed CET6) and 3 low achievers (didn’t pass CET4). All the interviews were recorded by a voice recorder, and only these data which are useful was translated into English.The interviews concern the following main questions “Did you ever encounter the situation that you are unwilling to do some English tasks even if you know you must fulfill them, and why?” “Whether you will try to reg ulate your motivation when you encountered these problems?” “If yes, what will you do?” “Will you usually successfully solve these problems?”.After transcribing the entire voice recording into words, the researcher should further translate them into English for the research. Only these useful data was translated into English. The analyses were conducted according to the different learning environment they were in.Ⅲ. Findings of the StudyAlthough slightly different from each other, all of them used somestrategies to regulate motivation. An analysis of the data revealed more information on whether and how the low achievers differ from the high achievers in increasing and sustaining their motivation when they encountered motivational problems. Their differences are listed as follows according to different types of situations where they encountered motivational problems.3.1 Remembering new wordsRemembering new words is a critically important but annoying activity in learning English, and all the interviewees mentioned they ever encountered some problems. High achievers used interest-enhancement strategy to regulation motivation.… I installed software which named “Youdao Dictionary” in my computer to make plans for me. (Subject 2)Although low achievers also encountered many difficulties, they just let them taking their own ways or even gave them up.…So I dislike doing this job and seldom do it. (Subject 4)3.2 Attending English classesAll the high-proficiency interviewees will regulate their learning when they encountered motivational problems, and subject 3 mentionedshe almost never encountered problems in English classes for her English proficiency is good enough.… so I would attempt to preview it next time to avoid encountering the same problem. (Subject 1)One high achiever used task value enhancement strategy.…think how hard we can find a job without excellent English. So, I must try my best to do a good job in English classes. (Subject 2) All the low achievers encountered some motivational problems, but only the subject 6 attempted to use negative-based strategy to regulate them.… When I don’t want to do it, I’ll think of the consequence of doing that to force myself to fulfill the assignment. (Subject 6) The other two low achievers used no strategy in this learning situation.… I was accustomed to that and didn’t want to think ways to solve this problem, but only to let it take its own way. (Subject 4)3.3 Preparing examsWe found four kinds of MRSs in this situation: volitional control,interest enhancement, self-efficacy enhancement and negative-based incentive.… When I feel tired out, I’ll have a short nap on the desk. I will get double the result…. (Subject 1)Subject 1 used volitional control to adjust a suitable mental state for studying to win a better result.… A friend told me selecting some English articles in paper or magazine was also a good way to improve our English. …(Subject 2) Subject 2 took the interest enhancement strategy to make his dull reading more interesting to increase their motivation in reading.…, I’ll ask him how he can get high grade and learn from him. I can do what he can do. To urge me to be harder on study, I’ll tell myself I must persist in it otherwise I’ll fall behind. (Subject 3)Subject 3 took two MRSs to adjust his motivation: self-efficacy enhancement and negative-based incentive.… the deep reading and cloze test. When encountering this problem, I would randomly choose one of them… (Subject 4)The low achiever, subject 4, tried to use negative-based incentive and volitional control to monitor his English study.The other two low achievers (subject 5 and 6) didn’t use MRSs to adjust their motivation by regarding them to be ordinary things.If I will take a test the next week but I feel tired when I still didn’t finish my review, I’ll give it up and go back to the dormitory. (Subject 5)3.4 Doing homeworkFrom our interview, we found the importance of doing homework and after-class exercises was not recognized by the low achievers.I don’t want to do the after-class exercises because they are so dull and impractical. When encountered dull assignment, I just gave them up. (Subject 4)All the subjects in the low-proficiency group didn’t recognize the importance of doing exercises in reviewing their language points. They’ll copy them or just ignore them. To some extent, that may explain why they are the in low-proficiency. While the high achievers attempted to take some ways to tackle their motivational problems.… when I don’t want to do it, I’ll remind myself of the importance of English. (Subject 2)… told myself “I can gain much from doing these exercises, so I must finish them”. (Subject 3)Subject 2 and subject 3 respectively took task value enhancement and mastery self-talk to encourage themselves to complete the exercises.Ⅳ. ConclusionIn general, the low English achievers encountered more motivational problems than the high English achievers in the process of their English learning. Except self-reward, the high achievers used all the eight MRSs to adjust their motivation, while the low-achievers took only self-reward, negative based incentive and interest enhancement; In most cases, high achievers can be aware of their motivational problems and thought about various means to enhance and regulate their persistence to keep on working on the tasks; though the low achievers did use certain strategies to promote their study, compared with the high achievers, they cannot realize the problems in most situations where they didn’t feel like working on the tasks, let alone self-regulating them.Though this study has successfully answered many questions on MRS, there remains some limitations, which offers some insights for future studies.【References 】［1］Holec, H. 1981. Autonomy and Foreign Language Learning ［M］.Oxford: Pergamon..\[2\] Knowles, M. 1975. Self-directed Learning［M］.New York: Association Press.\[3\] Oxford, R. L. 1993. 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