作者简介：周龙芹，陕西师范大学在读教育硕士，西安高级中学英语教师。从事中学英语教学工作13年。曾多次荣获全国英语教师教学技能大赛陕西赛区一、二等奖；曾被西安市教育局授予“五四青年标兵”称号；也曾多次获得西安高级中学优秀教师及优秀班主任的荣誉。2010年被国家留学基金委西部项目录取远赴英国里丁大学进修学习。
Abstract:Teaching,ingeneral,seemstohavechangedconsiderablyinChina.Classroommethods,traditionallyteacher-centered,arebecomingstudent-centered.TeachingEnglishisnoexception.However,changeisaslowprocess.Foralongtime,therollthenativeintelligenceofaninpidualplaysinteachingandlearningactivitieshasbeenconsideredsuperlative,whilefactors,otherthanintelligence,arealwaysbeenignored.SincelearningEnglishisaverycomplicatedprocessandinvolvesaseriesofactions,itshouldberealizedthatthoughthenativeintelligenceofaninpidualplaysanimportantpart,factors,otherthanintelligence,arealsoimportantinacquiringknowledge.Thispaperwillfocusonmotivationandattitudeandwillsuggestteachingmethodsformotivatingandstimulatingstudentstodeveloppositiveattitudes.OnlywhenthefactorsinEnglishlearningarewellunderstood,canteachingmethodsandcreativelearningsettingsthatengagestudentsinactiveandinteractiveactivitiesbedeveloped.Theimportanceofthesefactorsandsuggestedteachingstrategiesformotivatingandstimulatingstudentstodeveloppositiveattitudeswillalsobediscussed.ThoughnativeintelligencemaydeterminetheabilitywithwhicheachstudentcopeswithavarietyofsituationsandproblemsinlearningEnglish,thenecessaryroleofthefactorsdiscussedinthispaper,cannotbeignored.Theyareessentialelementsforstudyingpersistentlyandsuccessfully.Thispaperwilldefinethefactorsdeemednecessaryforlearninginordertoexplaintheirimportanceintransformingintentionsintolearningbehaviors.Realizingtheimportanceoffactorsinlearningsupportstheshiftinclassroomteachingstyles-fromoneofteacherperformancetooneofstudentperformance.Hopefully,itwillgenerateachangeintheteacher'srolefromoneofdominating,proficientmastertoasupporting,encouragingguidewhocreativelydesignslearningtaskstomeettheintellectual,aswellaspersonalneedsofthestudents.
Keywords:motivation;attitude;teachingmethods.
I.Introduction
Thispaperwillgiveabriefdiscussiontotwofactors,otherthanintelligence,thatpertaintolearningandinstruction.Theyaremotivationandattitude.InMarch2011,sixty-fivestudentsatXi’anSeniorHighSchoolwereinterviewedtodeterminetheirmotivationtolearnEnglish.ThestudentsprovidedthreechiefcommentsontheirmotivationtolearnEnglish.Thefindingsgivetheteacheranindicationthatmotivatingstudentsbothextrinsicallyandintrinsicallycanmakelearningmoreeffective.What’smore,thefactorsmentionedabovewillalsobediscussedfromtheaspectsoftheirdefinitionsinpsychologyandobservationinteachingpractice.Further,somemainobjectiveclassroommethodswillbesuggested.Itaimstopointoutthatintelligenceisnottheonlyingredientforexplainingstudents'behaviorintheclassroom.Factors,otherthanintelligence,haveaverystrongimpactonstudents'classroombehavioraswell.Themainobjectiveofthesuggestedclassroommethodsistopersuadestudentstoactivelyparticipateindevelopingtheirlearningpotential.
II.Motivation
“Motivationisaninternalstateorconditionthatservestoactivateorenergizebehaviorandgiveitdirection.”Inotherwords,motivationisacertainforcethatgivesaninpidualthedesiretoperformanactivity.Accordingtothedefinition,W.Huitt(April2001)furtherexplainedthedefinition:motivationisaninternalstateorconditionthatactivatesbehaviorandgivesitdirection:Motivationisadesireorwantthatenergizesanddirectsgoal-orientedbehavior;Itistheinfluenceofneedsanddesiresontheintensityanddirectionofbehavior.MotivationtolearnEnglishisoneoftheimportantfactorsthatenergizestudents'learningbehavior.“Mostmotivationtheoristsassumethatmotivationisinvolvedintheperformanceofalllearnedresponses:thatis,alearnedbehaviorwillnotunlessitisenergized."ImaginethatifastudentisnotmotivatedtowardslearningEnglishorhasn'tenoughmotivation,hisorherwilltolearnwillnotbearoused.
Ingeneral,explanationsregardingthesourcesofmotivationcanbecategorizedaseitherextrinsicorintrinsic.Inordertoascertaintheefficiencyofextrinsicorintrinsicmotivation,Sixty-fivestudentsagedaboutsixteeninGradeoneatXi’anSeniorHighSchoolwereinterviewedinMarch2011todeterminewhystudentsselecttolearnEnglish.Aftertheinterview,thecommentsfromthemwerecodifiedintothreegroups:
CommentA:Ihaveto,inordertogetahighmarkinexams.
CommentB:IlikeEnglishandIwanttoknowabouttheculturesandcustomsofEnglish-speakingcountriesbylearningitwell.
CommentC:IthinkEnglishismoreandmoreusefulinChinaasourcountryisopentotheworld.Itshouldbeakindofskillthatweneedtomasterwell.
Ascanbeseenfromtheaboveresult,themotivationreflectedinCommentAisextrinsic.ThemotivationreflectedinCommentBisintrinsic.CommentCisacombinationofthetwo.Itcombinesthestudents’desireswithsocialtrends-inthiscase-governmentpoliciesthatinitiatecooperationwithforeigncountries.Asaresult,Englishiswidelyused.MoreandmoreChinesearetakingEnglishproficiencyexamssuchastheTestofEnglishasaForeignLanguageandInternationalEnglishLanguageTestingSystem.Amongthesixty-fivestudents,mostmanifestedtheirmotivationtolearnEnglishaswhatCommentAstates.ThisisnotsurprisingsincegradesofexamsarestillconsideredmoreimportantthananyotherpurposeonforlearninginChinaatpresent.ItindicatesthatmoststudentsaremotivatedtolearnEnglishjustbecausetheyhavetotakeexamsinwhichEnglishisused.Theyhavetopushthemselvesintryingtoearnahighmark.Thisisbelievedtobeduetotheirmotivationbeingofanextrinsicnature.However,itwasfoundthatthosestudentswhochoseBorCwerethetopstudentsintheEnglishclasses.Theseresultsindicatethatstudentswhoareintrinsicallymotivatedlearnmoreeffectively.NotonlydotheydowellonexamsbuttheyalsodesiretocommunicatewithEnglish-speakingpeople.TheyshowgreaterinterestinthehistoryandcultureofEnglish-speakingcountriesandwishtovisitthosecountries.Theywishtounderstand,exploreandexperiencethecultureofthosecountriesfirsthand.Becauseoftheirdesires,theirEnglishlistening,speaking,readingandwritingskillseembetterdeveloped.Theymakerapidprogressinlearning.ThelearnerswhoareonlyextrinsicallymotivateddonotlearnEnglishoutofinterestbutforwhattheyfeelcanbetotheirbenefitfromtheirlearningexperience.Ifandwhenthisgroupofstudentsmeetswithdifficultyintheirlearning,theyareeasilyboggled.Itisgenerallyacceptedthatthelearnerswhoarebothintrinsicallyandextrinsicallymotivatedaremoreapttosucceedthanthosewhoareonlyextrinsicallymotivated.
III.Attitude
“Attitudeisacombinationofconcepts,information,andemotionsthatresultsinapredispositiontorespondfavorablyorunfavorablytowardparticularpeople,groups,ideas,eventsorobjects.”Itisnotsurprising,therefore,thatdifferentpeoplemayhavedifferentattitudestowardsthesameperson,group,idea,eventorobject.Thesameappliestolearning.Eachstudentwillnaturallybringtotheclassroomhisownnotions,sourcesofinformationandavarietyofemotions.Theseingredientsstemfrompersonalexperienceandobservationsthatwillhelpthemtoformtheirownuniqueattitudewhich,inturn,canprovetobeacriticalfactorforeithersuccessorfailure.
Psychologistscategorizeattitudesasnegativeorpositive.Further,sinceattitudesareobviouslylearned,theycanbechanged.Manystudentscometoschoolwithoutwell-definedideasofhowtheyshouldbehave.Byparticipatinginvariousactivitiesandobservingtheiradultsandpeers,theymayrealizethevalueofpositiveattitudesanddevelopintoproductive,outstandingstudents.Thoseyoungsters,whoseparentsandteachersdemonstratepositiveattitudestowardeducation,willmostlikelyfeelthesametowardlearning.However,ifthehomeenvironmenthasbeenonethatdoesn'tplacetoomuchimportanceoneducationandiftheschoolexperienceprovestobeunpleasant,uncomfortableand/orseempurposeless,theyoungster'sattitudetowardlearningwillmostlikelybeanegativeone.Studentswhoseteachers,perhapsespeciallytheirEnglishteachers,continuallytrytoadoptanduseeffective,meaningfulclassroomstrategiestocreateapleasantlearningatmosphere,aremorelikelytodeveloppositiveattitudestowardlearningthesubject.
Infact,manystudentsdevelopanegativeattitudetowardlearningEnglishbecauseoftheirexperienceinspendingexcessiveamountsoftimememorizingvocabularyanddullgrammaticalrulesandignoringthecommunicativenatureofEnglish.Thatistosay,theyexperiencelifeless,uninterestingandunchallengingEnglishclasses.Theirdesire,ifany,tolearnEnglishisdiminishedandnegativeattitudesaretheoutcome.Asaresult,someofthemwillprobablyearnpoorgrades.Ifstudentswhocontinuallyearnpoorgradesarepunishedoriftheyfearthattheirpoorrecordswillcausethemtobeviewedasincompetent,chancesarethattheirnegativeattitudestowardlearningEnglishwillbeintensified.Ontheotherhand,ifsuchstudentsarefrequentlyencouragedandpraisedatpropertimes,theirnegativeattitudesareapttochange,helpingthemtorealizethatpositiveattitudesleadtoeffectivelearning.
V.Suggestedteachingmethodsformotivatingstudents
ThecommonopinionamongteachersofEnglishinChinaisthatChinesestudentsseemtolackmotivation.Stipek(1988)suggeststhatthereareavarietyofreasonsforinpidualstolackmotivation.Thefollowingisadiscussionofspecificactionsteacherscantaketomotivatestudentsbothintrinsicallyandextrinsically.
1.Intrinsicmotivatingsuggestions
Beforeintroducingaparticularskillintheclassroom,thereasonforlearningthatskillshouldbediscussed.Thediscussionshouldallowthestudentstofeelthattheyhaveavoiceintheirowncurriculum.Thediscussionsshouldalsoallowstudentstosuggesttheirownreasonsforstudyingtheparticularskillthus,theeffortnecessarytomasterthatskill,willbedeemedworthwhile.ThediscussioncouldcenteronhowthestudentsthinktheyhavelearnedtheirnativelanguageandwhatskillstheyfeeltheyhavealreadyacquiredinChinese.Thisawarenessshouldmakethemmindfuloftheskillstheywillneedtomasterfortheuseofanylanguage.
Byhelpingthemtoexaminethemethodsthattheythemselveshaveunknowinglydesignedinlearningtheirownlanguage,maymakethemapplythosesamemethodstolearningEnglish.Thisawarenessmayalsomakethemappreciatewhattheyaregoingtolearnandprobablyassistthemindevelopingpositiveattitudestowardthesubject.Further,thisawarenessmayalsoprovokecuriosity,anotherimportantinternalmotivation,astohowtheydidfashiontheirownlearningsystemandinspirethemtoelaborateuponit.
SinceEnglishissocompletelydifferentfromChinese,itsnewnessmayprovidemorecuriosity.Iftheteachertakesadvantageoftheircuriositybyprovidingthemwithmeaningfulstimulation,curiositycanbemaintained.
Thestudentscanbeorganizedtoparticipateinavarietyofactivitiesandgamesmakinglearningmoreeffective.
Teacherscanalsoaidestudentstoestablishrealisticgoalsinthedevelopmentoftheirownplansofaction.
2.Tomotivateextrinsicmotivation
Teachersmustprovideclearexpectationofthestudents’achievementsinlearningEnglish.Middleschoolstudentsareeasilystimulatedbysincerecompliments.Theyfeelgoodaboutthemselveswhentheyarepraised.InteachingEnglish,encouragementfromteachersisanextrinsicmotivatinginfluence.Itisthestudents'rewardfordoingajobwell.Iftheirattemptsatlearningaregivenencouragingfeedback,iftheirachievementsareapplauded,andiftheyfeeltheyaremakingprogress,thechancesareverygoodthattheywillworkharderattheirstudies.
Whenamistakeintheclassroomhasbeenmade,itwouldbemoreproductivefortheteachertoprodthestudentincorrectingtheerrorratherthanannouncing,“youarewrong.”
3.Stimulatingstudentstodeveloppositiveattitudes
Tofosterpositiveattitudesandtomotivatelearning,inparticular,thelearningofEnglishasaforeignlanguage,anenvironmentconducivetolearningmustbecreated.Alearningsituationthathasalowaffectivefilterneedstobeprovided.Insuchsituations,thelearnerscanlearntouseEnglishinnon-threateningandfunsurroundings.Theenvironmentthatstudentsfindenjoyable,supportiveandencouragingwillresultinpositiveattitudes.
IftheteachercanalsoprovidecreativesituationsinwhichstudentsareabletospeakanyEnglishtheyknowinanaturalsetting,itwillencourageyoungsterstoexpandtheirvocabulary.Anactivitythatcouldencouragetheaboveisbyshowingtheclassapicture-perhapsofabasketballmatch-andaskthestudentsto"makeup"astory-inChinese-abouttheteams,thegame,thearenaoranythingelsetheywishtoadd.Theteacherwritesthestoryontheboard-inChinese-asthestudentsnarrateit.Afterapre-decidedperiodoftime,theteachermayaskthestudentstorepeatwhatshehaswrittenoftheirstory,inEnglish.SheshouldthenwritetheirEnglishnarrationastheydictateit-evenwithgrammaticalerrors-andatthecompletionofthetale,withhis/herguidance,thestudentsdothecorrectingasbestastheycan.Thisencouragesstudentstolearnvocabularyofobjects,games,andeventsinwhichtheyareinterestedandknowledgeable,ratherthanwordsthatmightbeconsideredtotallyunrelatedtotheirlives.Italsoencouragesthemtorealizetheimportanceofcorrectgrammarrulesinorderthattheirstoryisunderstood.
OthercommunicationsettingscanbeprovidedbydevotingaspecificdayortimeandspacetotheuseofEnglish,suchasanEnglishzonewithstorytelling,read-to-me,poetry,essayanddramacompetitioncorners.
Further,ifthestudentsareprovidedwithanetworkofpeoplewhocouldcontributetofrequentinputofEnglish,suchaspenpals,conversationpartners,Englishspeakingfilmsoffamiliarstoriesthatareinterestingtothestudents,andteachersofEnglishfromotherschools,itwouldhelptomaketheir"ears"moreintunetotheforeignlanguage.
IfthesesuggestionsareconsideredimportantforlearningEnglish,theyshouldbeinstitutedfortheencouragementoflearningthelanguage.Whatismore,theywillveryprobablybehelpfulindevelopingstudents'positiveattitudestowardlearningEnglish.
VI.Conclusion
TeachingEnglishasaforeignlanguageinChinaremainsadifficultchallengebecauseperformanceonexamsisconsideredthemostimportantpurposeforstudyingthelanguage.TohelpstudentslearnEnglishrequiresteacherswhousecreativeandinnovativetechniquestohelpstudentsdeveloptheirpotential.Onlywhenattentionispaidtofactors,otherthanintelligence,andcombinethefactorsthatarenecessaryforlearningintheclassroomcanteachingbeeffective.
作者单位：①陕西师范大学710000；②西安高级中学710001