英语学习者情感因素与学习成绩的关系--大学毕业设计论文.doc

大理学院毕业设计（论文）

英语学习者情感因素与学习成绩的关系
The relationship between English learners’ affective factors and academic achievements

学 院： 外国语学院
专 业： 英 语
年级班级： 2011级英本4班
学生学号： 201112341 6
学生姓名： 刘天波
指导教师： 高 维
起止日期： 2014年9月-2015年1月

制表日期： 2014 年 10 月 28 日

The relationship between English learners’ affective factors
and academic achievements

Liu Tianbo

English 2011-4

Gao Wei (lecturer)

Dec. 2, 2014

摘 要
近年来，随着教育理论的发展，外语教学的重心由以“教师为中心”向以“学生为中心”的转移。学习者的个体差异，尤其是学习者的情感因素备受关注。国内外研究大量表明，英语学习者的情感因素对其学习成绩有一定的影响，在有些情况下甚至决定英语学习的成败。然而，在实际的英语教学过程中，许多教师对于学习者的情感因素没有给予足够的关注。
本文从教育心理学和人本主义教学理念的角度出发，对情感诸因素与英语学习成绩之间的关系进行分析。分析的结果表明：情感诸因素对学习者的学习成绩有一定的影响。不同的情感因素可以引起不同学习者之间英语学习成绩的差异。同时，若干情感因素对英语学习者的成绩有较强的预测力，尤其是学习者的自我效能感、态度、自尊、兴趣、焦虑和动机。虽然性格的内外向对学习者的学业成绩整体无太大的影响，但是，在口语表达能力上，外向学习者优于内向学习者。此外，一些外界因素会对学习者的情感因素产生影响，譬如，教学方法、教师态度、学习环境和人际交流等等。情感因素只是影响学习者英语学习成绩诸多变量中的一个变量，学习者的英语学习成绩是情感因素与其他变量共同作用的结果。

关键词：情感因素；学习成绩；相关性；方法

Abstract
In recent years, with the development of education theories, the focus of foreign language teaching has shifted from “the teacher-centeredness” to “the student-centeredness”. Massive attention has been attached directly to individual differences and affective factors in particular. Studies at home and abroad demonstrate that learners’ affective factors bear an inevitable relationship to his English learning achievement, and in some cases, even determine its success or failure. However, a lot of teachers fail to pay sufficient attention to learners’ affective factors in their practical teaching of English.
This thesis is trying to make an investigation and review of the relationship between learners’ affective factors and their achievements of English language learning from the perspective of educational and humanistic teaching notion. Results from the review show that affective factors have significant influence on learners’ English learning achievements. Some variables in learner’ affects can account for the differences in English learning achievements. And also, there are several affective factors that are viewed particularly as powerful predicators of English learning achievements, such as learners’ self-efficacy, attitude, self-esteem, interest, anxiety, and motivation. Introversion and extroversion do not have much effect on the learners’ learning achievement, but extroversion is better for oral English. In addition, some external elements affect the learners’ affective states, which are teaching method, teachers’ attitude, learning circumstance, and communication. Affective factors are the variables that have important effects on the learners’ English learning achievements, but learners’ English achievement is the outcome of the interplay of affective factors and other factors.

Key words: affective factors; English achievement; correlation;
Content
Chapter1 Introduction 1
1.1 Research Background 1
1.2 The Importance of Affective Factors 1
1.3 The Main Structure of the Thesis 1
Chapter 2 Related Theories and Research 3
2.1 Humanist Psychologies 3
2.2 The Affective Filter Hypothesis 3
2.3 Related Research 4
2.3.1 Research Abroad 4
2.3.2 Related Research in China 5
Chapter3 Affective Factors 7
3.1 Self-efficacy 7
3.1.1 Definition of Self-efficacy 7
3.1.2 Classification and Functions of Self-efficacy 8
3.2 Self-esteem 9
3.2.1 Definition of Self-esteem 9
3.2.2 Classification and Function of Self-esteem 9
3.3 Attitude 10
3.3.1 Definition of Attitude 10
3.3.2 Classification and Function of Attitude 11
3.4 Interest 12
3.4.1 Definition of Interest 12
3.4.2 Classification and Function of Interest 13
3.5 Anxiety 14
3.5.1 Definition of Anxiety 14
3.5.2 The Classification and Function of Anxiety 14
Chapter4 Research methodology 16
4.1Subjects 16
4.2 Date Collection 16
4.3 Results and Discussion 17
Chapter5 Implications on Academic Achievements 19
5.1 How to Strengthen Students’ Self-efficacy 19
5.2 How to Enhance Students’ Self-esteem 20
5.3 How to Foster Students’ Positive Attitude 20
5.4 How to Cultivate Students’ Interest 21
5.5 How to Eliminate Students’ Anxiety 21
Chapter6 Conclusion 23
Notes 24
Bibliography 26
Acknowledgements 27

1
Chapter1 Introduction
1.1 1.1 Research Background
With the development and improvement of education theories, language researcher and language teacher are paying more attention to learners’ affective factors. However, some affective factors inhibit efficiency in the learning process, especially anxiety. Because of anxiety, the learners cannot make full use of their learning potentials. Many study about affective factor conducted by authorities, and they proved that affective factor is a vital share in the second language acquisition. Wherever at home or abroad, education in the affective factor has two defects. First of all, focus on knowledge and intelligence and cause emotional illiteracy. Secondly, ignore the correlation between emotion and cognition.
1.2 The Importance of Affective Factors
Language learning is a complex psychology process, which has been greatly affected by affective factors. Chomsky thinks that language application is not simple. It comes to lots of factors, especially affective factors.17 Douglas Brown argues that affective factors play a key role in the second language acquisition; all of the failed foreign language learning can nearly attribute to various affective problems. Affective factor is indispensable to act learning, to complete the study task, to improve the teaching quality. Based on investigation of Lindgren, good study habits and interests respectively accounted for 25% and 30% of success factors. However, without efforts and interests respectively accounted for 25% and 35%. From what has been concluded, affective factor is vital for the learners.20

1.3 The Main Structure of the Thesis
There are six main chapters in the thesis. Chapter One presents the confirmation of the research problem and the significance of the research. Chapter Two is about related theories and research which involve humanist psychology, affective filter hypothesis and research at home and abroad. In Chapter Three, the writer illustrates the main affective factors in English learning respectively. Five affective factors are mentioned in this thesis, which are self-efficacy, self-esteem, attitude, interest and anxiety. Chapter Four presents the research methodology in which subjects, data collection, results and discussion are composed. Chapter Five gives some advice about improving academic achievement from the author’s perspective. Lastly, Chapter Six is the conclusion of the whole thesis.
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1.2 The Importance of Affective Factors
Language learning is a complex psychology process, which has been greatly affected by affective factors. Chomsky thinks that language application is not simple. It comes to lots of factors, especially affective factors.17 Douglas Brown argues that affective factors play a key role in the second language acquisition; all of the failed foreign language learning can nearly attribute to various affective problems. Affective factor is indispensable to act learning, to complete the study task, to improve the teaching quality. Based on investigation of Lindgren, good study habits and interests respectively accounted for 25% and 30% of success factors. However, without efforts and interests respectively accounted for 25% and 35%. From what has been concluded, affective factor is vital for the learners.20

1.3 The Main Structure of the Thesis
There are six main chapters in the thesis. Chapter One presents the confirmation of the research problem and the significance of the research. Chapter Two is about related theories and research which involve humanist psychology, affective filter hypothesis and research at home and abroad. In Chapter Three, the writer illustrates the main affective factors in English learning respectively. Five affective factors are mentioned in this thesis, which are self-efficacy, self-esteem, attitude, interest and anxiety. Chapter Four presents the research methodology in which subjects, data collection, results and discussion are composed. Chapter Five gives some advice about improving academic achievement from the author’s perspective. Lastly, Chapter Six is the conclusion of the whole thesis.
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Chapter 2 Related Theories and Research
In order to get a better understanding of affective factors and know the degree of research about affect. This chapter will try to introduce some related theoretical knowledge and has a retrospection of the related study abroad and home.

2.1 Humanist Psychologies
Humanism is produced in the 1960s. From the perspective of education, it refers to that teachers aid learners to acquire meaningful and favorite knowledge according to individual demands. Many humanistic psychologists hold their own ideas about study theory. For example, Maslow (1943) was extremely opposed to the conditioning learning theory of Behaviorist psychology and claimed that learning count on self.21 Teachers can not force learners to acquire; learners should choose their study activities by themselves. The obligation of a teacher is to tutor, to create good study atmosphere, to let learner make a decision, and student has an ability of self-study. It can be seen that teacher is assistant and student is master. Combs (1981) argues that educational goal is not confined to teaching student skills and knowledge; instead, students’ affection should be noticed. By doing so, perfect personality can be fostered. In the teaching process, knowledge, emotion and perseverance can not be neglected.21 Rogers (1969) puts forward systematic humanist psychology. He believes that education is student-oriented. That is to say, school sets up for student, teacher teaches for student.
2.2 The Affective Filter Hypothesis
The affective filter hypothesis proposed by Krashen (1982) asserts that foreign language learners are influenced by affection and produce different learning results.17 If learners are into foreign language, they will get more input; while they get less input, and affected seriously by emotion. Krashen also talk of that positive affection motivates learners to communicate and work hard. According Krashen’s Input Hypothesis, language acquisition must be accomplished to gain much language input. Krashen emphasized that the only way to acquire second language by understanding message or by obtaining comprehensive input; the comprehensive input refers, i+1=total-input (i refers comprehensive amount of language, 1 refers uncertain component ). But much comprehensive input is far from enough, learners’ affective factors (such as motivation, anxiety etc.) can influence comprehensive input. Evidence can be found from Krashen’s Affective Filter Hypothesis, if there is no affective factor to impact learners, a large amount of comprehensive input can be digested by learners and transformed into acquired competence. Learners’ negative affection is strong, it means the affective filter level proficiency tends to be intensive, and learners can get less comprehensive input. Language input is the premise of language acquisition, and an affective factor is the crux of language acquisition. Therefore, it is another effective way to improve academic achievements, which take full advantage of the active affection in the English learning.
2.3 Related Research
2.3.1 Research Abroad
With the rise and development of western humanistic psychology in the 1960s, affective factors have begun attracting researchers’ and teachers’ attention. From late 1970s till 1980s, language teaching experts and researchers started to seek ways to promote the foreign language teaching. Thereafter, many authorities present their renowned comments about affective factors. For instance, Stern (1983) suggests that the affective component contributes at least as much as and often more to language learning than the cognition skills represented by aptitude assessment.18 Rogers (1969) raises humanism that makes sure education is student-centered.17 Williams and Burden (1997) describe that humanism emphasizes the psychological environment and learners’ subjective aspects. Maslow (1943) puts forward his famous need hierarchy, which is consisting of five levels: physiology; safety and security; belongingness and love; esteem; and self-actualization.23 He suggests that we, human beings, have basic and necessary emotional needs. Ellis (1994) proposes a framework in his work the Study of Second Language Acquisition. The framework is made up of three variables including individual differences, strategies and affective factors. The affective factors include confidence, motivation, personality and anxiety; and it is concerned with language outcomes in terms of second language proficiency, academic achievement. Clearly, affective factor is one of the most important variables in the process of second language acquisition. Krashen （1981， 1982， 1985）， an American famous linguist, put forward the Monitor Model Theory, which is composed of five hypothesizes; here they are: Acquisition-Learning Hypothesis, Monitor Hypothesis, Natural Order Hypothesis, Input Hypothesis and Affective Filter Hypothesis. Krashen (1982) emphasized in the Monitor Hypothesis that teacher should concentrate on learners’ interaction instead of teaching grammar rules；and teachers are suppose to put attention on student and use the task-based teaching method. Krashen (1985) also mentioned in the Affective Filter Hypothesis that if teacher and learner want second language acquisition to make it work well, affective factors is very important. In the process of second language acquisition, both teacher and learner need to lessen psychological obstacle of their own. In addition, Lambert and Gardener made an investigation of Canadian students learning French for 20 years. According this long-term study, they put forward the social-psychological model (1985) and social educational model (1988) of second language learning respectively, in which they stressed the motivation and attitude of learner. And they thought that one major dimension of affecting the learners’ achievement is motivation.
These fruitful and doctorial results have been produced with the effort of distinguished scholar and researcher and so on; and these results have been applied to language learning teaching.
2.3.2 Related Research in China
A majority of famous researchers and teachers have studied affection for a long time and got much great