A Survey on the Demotivation in English Learning Among Chinese Rural Middle School Students

Gengchun Li

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ijalt.20190504.14

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A Survey on the Demotivation in English Learning Among Chinese Rural Middle School Students

Gengchun Li

Published in International Journal of Applied Linguistics and Translation (Volume 5, Issue 4)

Received: 13 October 2019 Accepted: 7 November 2019 Published: 14 November 2019

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Abstract

Demotivation, as an emerging field of study, has received increasing attention in recent years. It has been found by many Chinese researchers that various demotivators, both external and internal, could lead to students’ decrease of motivation in learning English as a foreign language (EFL). A less researched area, however, is the demotivators in the EFL learning of Chinese rural middle school students, who account for a large proportion of the student population in middle schools in China. In the present research study, a total of 99 students in a rural middle school in Yancheng, China were randomly selected as respondents, among whom a questionnaire survey was conducted on their EFL learning motivation and demotivation. It is found by a factor analysis that the biggest factor contributing to the demotivation of these students in English learning is the lack of interest in learning, among other internal and external factors, such as decline in self-confidence, poor learning abilities, lack of learning strategies, difficulty of textbook articles, and rare use of multi-media in English classes. No significant differences were found between male and female students in their English learning demotivation. This study not only duplicates the results of previous studies, but also puts forward constructive suggestions to eliminate the phenomenon of demotivation in English learning in rural middle schools in China.

Published in	International Journal of Applied Linguistics and Translation (Volume 5, Issue 4)
DOI	10.11648/j.ijalt.20190504.14
Page(s)	72-77
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2019. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

English Learning, Demotivation, Demotivators, Rural Junior Middle School

References

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[2]	Arai, K. What ‘demotivates’ language learners?: Qualitative study on demotivational factors and learners’ reactions [J]. Bulletin of Toyo Gakuen University, 2004 (12): 39-47.
[3]	Kojima, S. English Learning Demotivation in Japanese EFL Students: Research in Demotivational Patterns from the Qualitative Research Results of Three Different Types of High Schools [D]. Hyogo, Japan: Kwansei Gakuin University, 2004.
[4]	Falout, J. & M. Maruyama A comparative study of proficiency and learner demotivation [J]. The Language Teacher, 2004, 28: 3-9.
[5]	Falout, J. & M. Falout. The other side of motivation: Learner demotivation [A]. In K. Bradford-Watts et al. (Eds.), JALT 2004 Conference Proceedings [C]. Tokyo: Jalt, 2005: 280-89.
[6]	Sakai, H. & K. Kikuchi. An analysis of demotivates in the EFL classroom [J]. System, 2009, 37 (1): 57-69.
[7]	Kim, T. Y. & H. S. Seo. Elementary school students’ foreign language learning demotivation: A mixed methods study of Korean EFL context [J]. The Asia-Pacific Education Researcher, 2012, 21 (1): 160-171.
[8]	Lamb, M. “Your mum and dad can’t teach you!”: Constraints on agency among rural learners of English in the developing world. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 2013, 34 (1): 14-29.
[9]	Hamada, Y. Different demotivators for Japanese junior high school learners [J]. Journal of Pan-Pacific Association of Applied Linguistics, 2011, 15 (1): 15-38.
[10]	Zhou, C-B. & W-B. Wang. Demotivators analysis of Chinese university EFL learners [J]. Foreign Languages in China, 2012, 9 (1): 48-55.
[11]	Tang, W-L. An analysis of demotivators in non-English major college students’ English learning [J]. Foreign Language Education, 2012, 33 (1): 70-75.
[12]	Sun, Y-M & L. Lei. An analysis of demotivators in Chinese college EFL classrooms [J]. Foreign Languages Research, 2013, (5): 57-65.
[13]	Yu, Y. Research on the demotivators of English learners in distance network education and coping strategies [J]. China Educational Technology, 2012 (9): 48-53.
[14]	Su, Q. A study on demotivation and motivational regulation of distance foreign language learners [J]. Foreign Language World, 2015 (2): 53-60.
[15]	Yu, W-Q. An analysis of factors effecting demotivation of foreign students’ Chinese learning [J]. Language Teaching and Linguistic Studies, 2013 (3): 24-31.
[16]	Li, C-L. Empirical study on negative motivation in English learning by senior secondary school pupils: Based on group interviews [J]. Teaching & Administration, 2015 (36): 20-23.
[17]	Li, P. Police learners’ demotivation to study police English [J]. Foreign Language and Literature, 2015, 31 (2): 144-150.
[18]	Li, C-L. An empirical study on the demotivators in rural middle school learners’ English learning [J]. Basic Foreign Language Education, 2016, 18 (2): 13-17.
[19]	Ye, N. A Study on Demotivation of High School EFL Learners [D]. Unpublished master thesis. Hangzhou: Zhejiang University, 2018.

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Gengchun Li. (2019). A Survey on the Demotivation in English Learning Among Chinese Rural Middle School Students. International Journal of Applied Linguistics and Translation, 5(4), 72-77. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijalt.20190504.14

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ACS Style

Gengchun Li. A Survey on the Demotivation in English Learning Among Chinese Rural Middle School Students. Int. J. Appl. Linguist. Transl. 2019, 5(4), 72-77. doi: 10.11648/j.ijalt.20190504.14

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AMA Style

Gengchun Li. A Survey on the Demotivation in English Learning Among Chinese Rural Middle School Students. Int J Appl Linguist Transl. 2019;5(4):72-77. doi: 10.11648/j.ijalt.20190504.14

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@article{10.11648/j.ijalt.20190504.14,
  author = {Gengchun Li},
  title = {A Survey on the Demotivation in English Learning Among Chinese Rural Middle School Students},
  journal = {International Journal of Applied Linguistics and Translation},
  volume = {5},
  number = {4},
  pages = {72-77},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijalt.20190504.14},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijalt.20190504.14},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijalt.20190504.14},
  abstract = {Demotivation, as an emerging field of study, has received increasing attention in recent years. It has been found by many Chinese researchers that various demotivators, both external and internal, could lead to students’ decrease of motivation in learning English as a foreign language (EFL). A less researched area, however, is the demotivators in the EFL learning of Chinese rural middle school students, who account for a large proportion of the student population in middle schools in China. In the present research study, a total of 99 students in a rural middle school in Yancheng, China were randomly selected as respondents, among whom a questionnaire survey was conducted on their EFL learning motivation and demotivation. It is found by a factor analysis that the biggest factor contributing to the demotivation of these students in English learning is the lack of interest in learning, among other internal and external factors, such as decline in self-confidence, poor learning abilities, lack of learning strategies, difficulty of textbook articles, and rare use of multi-media in English classes. No significant differences were found between male and female students in their English learning demotivation. This study not only duplicates the results of previous studies, but also puts forward constructive suggestions to eliminate the phenomenon of demotivation in English learning in rural middle schools in China.},
 year = {2019}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - A Survey on the Demotivation in English Learning Among Chinese Rural Middle School Students
AU  - Gengchun Li
Y1  - 2019/11/14
PY  - 2019
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijalt.20190504.14
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijalt.20190504.14
T2  - International Journal of Applied Linguistics and Translation
JF  - International Journal of Applied Linguistics and Translation
JO  - International Journal of Applied Linguistics and Translation
SP  - 72
EP  - 77
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2472-1271
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijalt.20190504.14
AB  - Demotivation, as an emerging field of study, has received increasing attention in recent years. It has been found by many Chinese researchers that various demotivators, both external and internal, could lead to students’ decrease of motivation in learning English as a foreign language (EFL). A less researched area, however, is the demotivators in the EFL learning of Chinese rural middle school students, who account for a large proportion of the student population in middle schools in China. In the present research study, a total of 99 students in a rural middle school in Yancheng, China were randomly selected as respondents, among whom a questionnaire survey was conducted on their EFL learning motivation and demotivation. It is found by a factor analysis that the biggest factor contributing to the demotivation of these students in English learning is the lack of interest in learning, among other internal and external factors, such as decline in self-confidence, poor learning abilities, lack of learning strategies, difficulty of textbook articles, and rare use of multi-media in English classes. No significant differences were found between male and female students in their English learning demotivation. This study not only duplicates the results of previous studies, but also puts forward constructive suggestions to eliminate the phenomenon of demotivation in English learning in rural middle schools in China.
VL  - 5
IS  - 4
ER  -

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Author Information

Gengchun Li

School of Foreign Languages, Taizhou University, Taizhou, P. R. China

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Plain Text BibTeX RIS

APA Style

Gengchun Li. (2019). A Survey on the Demotivation in English Learning Among Chinese Rural Middle School Students. International Journal of Applied Linguistics and Translation, 5(4), 72-77. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijalt.20190504.14

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ACS Style

Gengchun Li. A Survey on the Demotivation in English Learning Among Chinese Rural Middle School Students. Int. J. Appl. Linguist. Transl. 2019, 5(4), 72-77. doi: 10.11648/j.ijalt.20190504.14

Copy | Download

AMA Style

Gengchun Li. A Survey on the Demotivation in English Learning Among Chinese Rural Middle School Students. Int J Appl Linguist Transl. 2019;5(4):72-77. doi: 10.11648/j.ijalt.20190504.14

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@article{10.11648/j.ijalt.20190504.14,
  author = {Gengchun Li},
  title = {A Survey on the Demotivation in English Learning Among Chinese Rural Middle School Students},
  journal = {International Journal of Applied Linguistics and Translation},
  volume = {5},
  number = {4},
  pages = {72-77},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijalt.20190504.14},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijalt.20190504.14},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijalt.20190504.14},
  abstract = {Demotivation, as an emerging field of study, has received increasing attention in recent years. It has been found by many Chinese researchers that various demotivators, both external and internal, could lead to students’ decrease of motivation in learning English as a foreign language (EFL). A less researched area, however, is the demotivators in the EFL learning of Chinese rural middle school students, who account for a large proportion of the student population in middle schools in China. In the present research study, a total of 99 students in a rural middle school in Yancheng, China were randomly selected as respondents, among whom a questionnaire survey was conducted on their EFL learning motivation and demotivation. It is found by a factor analysis that the biggest factor contributing to the demotivation of these students in English learning is the lack of interest in learning, among other internal and external factors, such as decline in self-confidence, poor learning abilities, lack of learning strategies, difficulty of textbook articles, and rare use of multi-media in English classes. No significant differences were found between male and female students in their English learning demotivation. This study not only duplicates the results of previous studies, but also puts forward constructive suggestions to eliminate the phenomenon of demotivation in English learning in rural middle schools in China.},
 year = {2019}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - A Survey on the Demotivation in English Learning Among Chinese Rural Middle School Students
AU  - Gengchun Li
Y1  - 2019/11/14
PY  - 2019
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijalt.20190504.14
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijalt.20190504.14
T2  - International Journal of Applied Linguistics and Translation
JF  - International Journal of Applied Linguistics and Translation
JO  - International Journal of Applied Linguistics and Translation
SP  - 72
EP  - 77
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2472-1271
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijalt.20190504.14
AB  - Demotivation, as an emerging field of study, has received increasing attention in recent years. It has been found by many Chinese researchers that various demotivators, both external and internal, could lead to students’ decrease of motivation in learning English as a foreign language (EFL). A less researched area, however, is the demotivators in the EFL learning of Chinese rural middle school students, who account for a large proportion of the student population in middle schools in China. In the present research study, a total of 99 students in a rural middle school in Yancheng, China were randomly selected as respondents, among whom a questionnaire survey was conducted on their EFL learning motivation and demotivation. It is found by a factor analysis that the biggest factor contributing to the demotivation of these students in English learning is the lack of interest in learning, among other internal and external factors, such as decline in self-confidence, poor learning abilities, lack of learning strategies, difficulty of textbook articles, and rare use of multi-media in English classes. No significant differences were found between male and female students in their English learning demotivation. This study not only duplicates the results of previous studies, but also puts forward constructive suggestions to eliminate the phenomenon of demotivation in English learning in rural middle schools in China.
VL  - 5
IS  - 4
ER  -

Copy | Download