Study on Generating and Maintaining Ss’ Learning Motivation of L2 Learning

Abstract

Authors of the paper firstly review the classification of learning motivation, relationship of learning motivation and learning effect, the recent motivation study in recent years and the framework for motivational strategies. On the basis of the review and the authors teaching experience, different means of generating and maintaining students’ learning motivation are raised. KEYWORD: learning motivation; generating and maintaining International Conference on Social Science, Education Management and Sports Education (SSEMSE 2015) © 2015. The authors Published by Atlantis Press 1434 which affect one’s learning. But the two factors play different roles in one’s learning. The original knowledge, affecting one’s learning as a cognitive factor, is the foundation whether one can succeed in studying new knowledge; learning motivation, as an emotional factor, helps students make efforts to learn the knowledge, actively overcome the difficulty in learning and get achievements in learning. Scientific research shows that learning motivation and learning effect are correlative: high level of learning motivation is attributive to good achievements in learning. Conversely, good achievements raise the learning motivation. 1.4 Motivation Study in recent years in China Since the 1980s, scholars in our country have begun to do the research work for motivation on the research basis of scholars abroad. Although it’s a little bit late, we sincerely see some achievements in the field. Yet with the development of modern science and technology, the study of motivation, especially strategies of generating and maintaining motivation of learning appears limited and insufficient, for example, in ShiBaolin’s (2007). In order to compensate the insufficiency, further study of generating and maintaining motivation of learning is necessary. 2 A FRAMEWORK FOR MOTIVATIONAL STRATEGIES How can we generate learners’ learning motivation? Is there any procedure for us to follow to motivate learners? Dornyei (2005:119) provide us a framework for motivational strategies based on the process-oriented model by Dornyei and Otto(1998). The key units include:  Creating the basic motivational conditions, which involves setting the scene for the effective use of motivational strategy.  Generating student motivation, corresponding roughly to the preactional phase in our model.  Maintaining and protecting motivation, corresponding to the actional phase.  Encouraging positive self-evaluation, corresponding to the postactional phase. 2.1 Creating the basic motivational conditions  Appropriate teacher behaviours and a good relationship with the students,  A pleasant and supportive atmosphere in the classroom  A cohesive learner group with appropriate group norm 2.2 Generating student motivation  Enhancing the learners’ language-related value and attitudes  increasing the learners’ ‘goal-orientedness’  Making the curriculum relevant for the learners  Creating realistic learner beliefs 2.3 Maintaining and protecting motivation  Setting ‘proximal subgoals’  Improving the quality of the learning experience  Increasing the learners’ self-confidence  Creating learner autonomy  Promoting self-motivating learner strategies 2.4 Rounding off the learning experience: encouraging positive self-evaluation  Promoting attributions to effort rather than to ability  Promoting motivational feedback  Increasing learner satisfaction and the question of rewards and grades The framework tells us which aspects we should pay special attention to and what to do in motivating learners. 3 STRATEGIES OF GENERATING AND MAINTAINING STUDENTS MOTIVATION OF ENGLISH LEARNING According to Dornyei’s framework and my own teaching experiences at the college, I mainly present strategies of generating and maintaining students motivation of English learning as the following, which may be neglected by others. 3.1 Set a personal example with your own behaviour Almost everything a teacher does in the classroom has a motivational influence on the students, which makes teacher behaviour a ‘motivational tool’. So, as a teacher, you must establish relationship of mutual trust and respect with the students and your teaching should be full of enthusiasm. 3.2 Create a pleasant, relaxed atmosphere in the classroom Learner involvement will be highest in a psychologically safe classroom climate in which the students are encouraged to express their own opinion and they needn’t worry about the embarrassment and ridicule when they make mistakes. In order to create such a situations, what should a teacher do? Firstly, the teacher should be a patient and encouraging person who supports students’ learning efforts.