论文总字数：31508字

摘 要

人本主义心理学的产生不仅对心理学产生了重大影响，它的出现也影响了20世纪以来的教育改革。传统的英语教学方法已经越来越不能适应信息时代的要求，动机毫无疑问地对第二外语学习有着重大的影响。人们普遍认为动机是影响第二外语学习成绩的主要因素之一。所以培养小学生学习英语动机是必要的。根据动机在英语教学过程中扮演着重要的角色，为了取得更好的学习成就，我们应该要更加注重学习英语动机的培养和研究。

本文主要探讨了人本主义视角下英语教学中小学生学习英语动机的培养，并分析了动机的定义，分类和小学生学习英语动机的培养策略。

关键词：人本主义理论；小学生；英语学习动机；策略

Contents

1. Introduction 1

2. Literature Review 1

2.1 The Theory of Humanistic Learning 2

2.2 Definition of Motivation 3

2.3 Summary 4

3. Classification of Motivation 4

3.1 The Integrative and Instrumental Motivation 4

3.2 The Internal and External Motivation 5

4. Strategies of Cultivating English Learning Motivation 5

4.1 Make Use of Multimedia in English Teaching 6

4.2 Establish a Harmonious Relationship between Teachers and Students 7

4.3 Cultivate English Learning Emotion and Strengthen Self-confidence 9

4.4 Organize Creative Activities and Pay Attention to Personality 10

5. Conclusion 11

Works Cited 12

1. Introduction

More and more facts have proven that the humanist education idea caught the soul of education in a great extent. Humanistic education theory thinks that education should be student-oriented, promote the development of students’ personality, release students’ potential, and promote students to study and work creatively. As we all know, to a large extent, the mode of student-centered education relies on students’ subjective initiative. A good learner must be an active learner. Motivation plays an important role in our daily life. No matter what he does, he has his purposes. These purposes lead people to do something what they want to do and give people the right direction. Motivation is considered as the most positive factor to promote students’ English learning. Therefore, motivation is very essential in the learning of the foreign language. English class is student-oriented; student is the master of learning. As a teacher, of course, we should appreciate for students’ participation.

As English is the compulsory subject for Chinese primary school students, their English learning motivations have been gaining considerable concerns in the primary school. To a large extend, English learning motivation has great effect on students’ language learning and activities. Although much attention, time, effort, and many resources to teaching English have been devoted, many primary students are still not interested in learning. Thus, English teachers should give more encouragement to students and take students as center. English teachers should also carry out the humanistic theory in the teaching process, so as to put students in a harmonic and understanding environment. From this perspective, cultivating primary school students’ motivation has become one of the keys to make them have progress in English learning. Motivation is to inspire students to take action on the psychological motivation. So, what about the current primary school students’ motivation? How to cultivate their motivation? This paper will concern about humanistic theory, the types of motivation, and some strategies of cultivating the English learning motivation.

2. Literature Review

Humanistic psychology thinks, motivation is the reason and power to participate in some activities. Many scholars abroad in terms of learning motivation strategies have carried out many studies. The motivation of students affects them to learn English better to a large extent. To cultivate students’ motivation for learning English is one of the main purposes of the primary school English teaching. Confucius once said: “Knowing it isn’t as good as liking it, and liking it isn’t as good as enjoying it.” This sentence emphasizes the important role in the interest in learning. Interest is always associated with pleasant feelings; people have a high degree of enthusiasm about things they are interested in, this enthusiasm can generate knowledge power. (Wang Yanjun, 2005: 89)

2.1 The Theory of Humanistic Learning

Humanism emphasizes person’s value and personality. The ideal education is “student centered” education; the purpose of education is to cultivate wisdom, unity of the all-round development of people. Humanism education thought, in relation to all aspects of the education of many factors, including a series of views about teaching is an important part of his education thoughts.

Humanism came into being in the 1960s. In education, it does not claim objectively determine what knowledge teachers should teach. It claims that education should be from the basis of the subjective needs of students, help students to gain knowledge he likes and meaningful. Humanistic Psychologists like Maslow and Rogers, they have penetrating elaboration about learning theory. (Zhang Qingzong amp; Wu Xiyan, 2003: 42)

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory, also known as the “hierarchy theory of needs”, is one of the theories of behavior science, proposed by American psychologist Abraham Maslow in 1943 in the “theory of human motivation” thesis. The theory will be divided into five kinds, like stairs from low to high, respectively according to the level of gradual ascending: physiological needs, safety needs, love and belonging needs, respect the needs, the need for self-actualization. Maslow’s personality health thought is applied to the practice of health education. It has formed the student-centered education thoughts and pay attention to the relationship between teachers and students. Maslow thought Man is the soul of the universe; education should be people-oriented. It should respect for each person’s independent personality, protect everyone’s self-esteem, and help everyone release their potential, develop individuality and realize their own value. (Wang Shaoyong amp; Xu Shaohua, 2008: 27) American psychologist Abraham Maslow (1968) emphasized, students are main bodies and masters in the teaching process. He advocated learning must rely on the heart, the teacher can’t force students to learn, and learning activities should be choices and decisions by the students themselves. Teacher’s task is to coaching, create a good learning environment, let the students choose and decide. (Maslow, 1968: 164)

Rogers advocated the student-centered education, students as the center of the education; Schools for students, teachers for the students. He thought that the students have their knowledge potential, as long as provide a good learning environment; they will learn everything they need. (Rogers, 2006: 280) Rogers believes: the teachers themselves should be sincere, true, and not false. In a relationship with his students, the teacher is a sincere person. Teachers should respect students, cherish them, and resonate with their feelings and thoughts. Teachers should also understand the students’ ability of inner reaction, and realize students’ views of education and the learning process. Rogers thought: when learners are interested in the content of they learned, or find it related with their own purpose, their learning time can be shorten two thirds to four fifths. Obviously, humanism pays attention to the individual, respects the individual emotional needs and pays attention to mobilize students’ positive emotions. (Gong Youzhi amp; Cheng Shilu, 2004: 62)

Humanistic psychology affected the education reform since the 20^th century. Whether Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory of self-realization, or Rogers based on respect, sincerity, acceptance of the student center of education strategy, both of them told us to re-examine the potential of students, the needs and self-actualization, take the student as the center, change the traditional mode of education, cultivate the students’ English learning motivation, arouse students’ interest in learning, guide and encourage them to play, let them actively participate in learning English.

2.2 Definition of Motivation

We often say that there will be a reason before we take action. This reason is motivation. Motivation is closely linked with need. If the need is the source of the basic dynamic of the activities of the people, so motivation is the direct power of driving this activity. Motivation is the inner power to guide and maintain individual activities, and make it towards a goal. The definitions of motivation are various. Many people define the word differently in different perspectives.

According to Gardner (1985), motivation refers to the combination of desire and effort necessary to achieve a goal; it links the individual’s rationale for any activity, such as language learning, with the range of behaviors and degree of effort required to achieving such goals. (Gardner, 1985: 10)

Ellis considers motivation as “effort which learners put into learning a second language as a result of their need or desire to learn it”. (Ellis, 1994: 715)

Similarly, Wen Qiufang thinks, English learning motivation can explain simply as the reason and goal of English. (Wen Qiufang, 1996: 174)

In short, people take different views, there will be different results. Learning motivation is an inner power to promote students learning directly. It is a kind of learning needs. This need is the objective requirement of society and education on students’ learning. It reflects students’ mind. It shows as the learning intention, desire or interest, and so on. It plays a role in promoting learning.

2.3 Summary

From the literature review, it is not difficult to see that there are a lot of researches on English learning motivation from the perspective of humanistic theory. As far as I am concerned, there are just some researches，but they are only a small part of the study. How to cultivate the students’ motivation in English learning process from the humanistic perspective? In which aspect do students need more help? These questions are still unanswered and need more database analyses. Thus the essay attempts to do something to fill not the whole, but part of the gap and tries to answer some of the questions within its range.

3. Classification of Motivation

There are many different types of motivation from a different point of division. Motivation, in educational psychologist’s view, is divided into some types: the integrative and instrumental motivation; the internal and external motivation.

3.1 The Integrative and Instrumental Motivation

Integrative motivation and instrumental motivation are regard as important factors for learning foreign language. According to the goal of learning foreign language, motivation expert Gardner and Lambert divided learning motivation into two types: integrative motivation and instrumental motivation. (Pu Huihong, 2011: 62)

Integrative motivation means that the purpose of the target language is to understand and use the contacts of the target language groups. (Yao Yonghong, 2008: 110) It is clearly motivated by family, social, cultural, economic, political and other environmental factors. A person who learns a foreign language has strong interest in the language itself, and hopes that can be integrated into the target language culture. Someone who has integrated into the motivation of learning a foreign language can understand the fun; do not feel boring, and are easier to master a foreign language. For instance, someone who learns English is to immigrate to the United States, and become a member of American society.

Instrumental motivation regards a foreign language as a tool. Learning a foreign language well is like mastering a tool. Instrumental motivation is defined as some practical purposes of learning foreign language. (Yao Yonghong, 2008: 110) Such as, for reading the newspaper, looking for a good job, mastering a foreign language and translating. Instrumental motivation reflects the practical needs and value.

3.2 The Internal and External Motivation

According to the reason of learning foreign language, motivation experts Deci and Ryan divided learning motivation into two types: internal motivation and external motivation.

The internal motivation means that learners can feel happy and satisfied from the learning activities. (Pu Huihong, 2011: 62) The internal motivation lead learners voluntarily learn a second language. There are no rewards except the learning activity itself. Internal motivation is controlled and promoted by internal factors, such as interest, pursuit for knowledge, and so on. Internal motivation is the important factor for a second language learner, which comes from their own personal interest.

The external motivation refers to the external promotion of second language learners, simulated by some external temptations, such as high scores, the diploma, fame, etc. It is dominated by the external situation and learners have to learn second language. It must be noticed that the learner is not interested in learning a second language. These motivations come from learners’ parents, teachers, or other aspects.

In a word, internal motivation is “I want to learn”, external motivation is “want me to learn”. (Pu Huihong, 2011: 62)

4. Strategies of Cultivating English Learning Motivation

Children are curious and active. They love performance. They like new things. They are curious about a strange language. It can inspire their interest in foreign languages. Their memory is good and their thinking active. They imitate the pronunciation and intonation easier than adults. But they are lack of rational thinking, and their logical thinking ability is not strong. They love to play and participate in activities. All these are characteristics of children’s physical and mental development. Children have some advantages that other ages do not have in the English learning, such as memory, imitation, plasticity, and so on. Teachers should take student-centered in teaching. According to the characteristics of students, teachers try to stimulate their English learning motivation, preliminary build their confidence in English learning in primary school.

4.1 Make Use of Multimedia in English Teaching

We all know Rogers put forward the system of humanistic learning theory; education should be people-centered. He argues that in the student-centered education, teachers should regard the students as the center of the education; Schools for students, teachers and teaching for the students. (Rogers, 2006: 279) The ultimate purpose of foreign language teaching that is to make the learners become successful in language communication and cross-cultural communication. In order to mastering the target language and cultural knowledge, using the target language with the target language and cultural knowledge in actual communication activities, learners must acquire language in communication, as the main body of communication. In the Chinese traditional foreign language teaching, the teacher is the classroom of the controller, the students are passive receivers. But in the context of multimedia teaching, although students start to learn English, they are lack of a real language environment. Multimedia foreign language teaching can create or stimulate a real learning situation. Students can make a discussion, have role playing, play games and other means of communication through the virtual classroom.

Now we have entered the digital information age and multimedia is very favorable for students learning. Multimedia language teaching provides students with colorful learning platform. For instance, teachers can make use of multimedia to introduce the background to students in classroom. Teachers can show many pictures or video to make the teaching contents abundant. In addition to learning related to classroom learning material, students can also through the network to improve their foreign language listening, speaking, reading and writing. Multimedia language teaching has the rich expressive for students to fully understand and extend the text. It provides the image, text, voice language carrier. Diversity of multimedia language teaching has the form of lively, can maximum arouse the enthusiasm of learners, improve the students’ interest in learning English, cultivate the students’ English learning motivation and release their potential, so as to achieve the best learning effect.

Under the guidance of humanism education thought, language teaching has been shifted from the teacher as the center to take the student as the center, from the knowledge as its focus to the students’ experience and knowledge into focus. That is in order to promote the all-round development of learners. At the same time, in the multimedia language teaching, learners’ learning effect can also get the timely feedback of teachers and other learners. Although it has certain challenges for the learners, learners have a sense of achievement when they succeed, so as to arouse more strong learning motivation; If failed, learners can discusses with teachers and other learners, learners will have a second chance to meet the challenge. In this way, we can improve the students’ autonomous learning interest in English study.

In short, in the multimedia language teaching, the learner’s cognitive subject function has been fully reflected. Learners regard teaching media as a cognitive tool. They take the initiative to participate in teaching activities, to participate in communication, and then found knowledge, understand knowledge, master knowledge and apply knowledge. Finally they become the master of learning.

4.2 Establish a Harmonious Relationship between Teachers and Students

Harmonious relationship between teachers and students first requires teachers to trust and respect students. The key to promote the learning attitude is the relationship between teachers and students. (Ye Haosheng, 1998: 581) Humanistic thought thinks, students are independent individuals, students’ self-realization is in self-consciousness, and they gradually establish themselves. Teachers should respect their individuality and personality; teachers should also look at students’ nature with positive and optimistic attitude. As English teachers, they should face all students, pay attention to individual differences, meet different students’ learning requirements, and make every student get sufficient development.

In foreign language teaching, teachers must establish a kind of free and relaxing classroom psychological environment. And all this must first be based on a harmonious relationship between teachers and students. A lot of facts have proven that once students like a teacher, they would be interested in the lesson he taught. This is just like an old saying: “love me, love my dog”. And then the teacher can be effectively for classroom education, and students’ learning has virtually qualitative change. English teachers should highlight the people-oriented education idea, take the democratic education as much as possible in foreign language classroom teaching, and make students become the master of learning.

In the English teaching, teachers’ behavior as one of the most important motivational factors in the classroom. Indeed, almost everything a teacher does in the classroom has a strong motivational influence. Teachers’ solid theoretical foundation, abundant academic knowledge and conscientious teaching attitude impact on students. Humanism teaching theory think, education must pay attention to emotional factors. Students’ interest in learning is an important aspect of emotional factors. Good relationship between teachers and students can effectively induce learning motivation, arouse students’ learning mood, and help students study actively into learning. At the same time it can be generated happy emotional experience in the hard work of learning activities. On the premise of respect for students, teachers can be as a friend with students. In this situation, the teachers and students emotion is easy to resonate and implement psychological communication. For children, the appropriate praise and encouragement will stimulate their enthusiasm, even a mediocre child. Students think that teachers love them, pay attention to them. They will be willing to close to teachers. For example, when a student made a mistake, teachers should fully understand the truth of the matter before criticize the student. As a teacher, not blindly blame the lack of children, but should find out the advantages of children, enlarge their advantages, and heartfelt praise them, you will find that your sincerity and praise will change a child’s life. Teachers can talk to students in the free time. Teachers can also understand students’ family, hobbies, and psychological situation by communicate with students. Let students feel kind of teachers. Therefore, the recognition and trust can promote the harmonious relationship between teachers and students. Children are naturally warm and sensitive, pure and kind, compassionate, but sometimes are hostile to peer, even damage the weak. The competition between children is fierce. Adults who lack of love and respect in the society also has a lot of negative effects on the children. So teachers should teach students to love and respect their classmates. In this way, students can get love and respect from their peer, can feel safe in the group, and can learn with pleasure. Only the teachers and students relations at such equal harmonious atmosphere, students can have full of enthusiasm for learning English.

4.3 Cultivate English Learning Emotion and Strengthen Self-confidence

American humanistic psychologist Rogers believed: the people’s cognitive activities are always accompanied with some emotional factors. When emotion factors are repressed or even be killed, people self creative potential can not develop and realize. And teachers should respect and understand student’s inner heart world. Only in this way, teachers can inspire students’ learning enthusiasm, strengthen their self-confidence. (Gong Youzhi amp; Cheng Shilu, 2004: 62) We must understand and respect the emotion of students. English teachers need to deal with the mistakes made by the primary school students’ English learning correctly. Teachers should use some words, such as “good”, “excellent!” to praise students. In addition we should constantly change teaching methods. English is invisible, intangible things. And English teaching itself is a long-term, complex and tedious process. In such a difficult process, there are some methods to let teachers willing to teach, students willing to learn: on the one hand, based on the essence of language expression, teachers can create vivid, visual scenes, make the abstract language specific and contextualized, arouse people’s desire, and deepen the understanding of knowledge and memory. On the other hand, English classroom teaching starts from listening, speaking, reading and writing training. A lot of practice has proved that training students’ listening, speaking, reading and writing in the vivid language scene can make the class vivid and diversified. Abundant teaching contents can stimulate students’ interest in learning, and attract students to participate in the training, so as to cultivate students’ ability of listening, speaking, reading and writing.

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