A Study on the Influence of Learning Motivation on English Learning ---Taking Different Age Groups as an Example

Abstract

In today's society, English has become the official language of the world and is spoken by an increasing number of people. China, which is the world's most populous country, has made English a requirement for both compulsory education and college entrance exams. Having a good grasp of English is a crucial skill for study, further education, work, and life. Studying how to learn English effectively is crucial, and motivation is a significant factor that influences whether English can be learned effectively. Therefore, this study will explore the influence of motivation on English learning based on three empirical studies investigating the motivation of different age groups to learn English. The findings indicate that students' motivations for learning English vary depending on their age group. For example, lower-grade students are primarily motivated to learn English by intrinsic motivation, which is easily influenced and controlled by their parents. As a result, teachers can encourage this intrinsic motivation in their students by using cartoon illustrations in their lessons or meta-linguistic strategies. Middle school students' English learning comes mainly from extrinsic motivation rather than spontaneous formation, which requires teachers to improve students' intrinsic motivation to enhance their confidence and help them understand their position in their future career development. For elderly people, teachers need to create a comfortable classroom atmosphere and organize diverse cooperative group learning activities to motivate them to learn English from intrinsic motivation.