ABSTRACT

The main purpose of English education in China has been to teach linguistic knowledge and language skills for a long time due to the competitive pressure stemming from entrance examinations as well as the lack of professional quality of English teachers. It pays relatively little attention to or even ignores the role of students’ affective experience in the process of learning English.

-This paper analyses some key affective factors that influence students’ English learning, namely learning motivation, anxiety level and personality. The participants of this study are 70 third-year students from Loujiang Experimental Middle School in Kunshan. Results show that students have both strong intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation. However, the former is in positive correlation with English proficiency and the latter is in negative correlation. Then, nearly all the students are faced with the problem of anxiety, which has negative correlation with English proficiency. Last, there is no correlation between personality and test scores. In the end, pertinent suggestions are given according to the results of the research in order to enhance the teaching effect of English teaching in junior middle schools.

Key words: affective factors; junior middle school students; English learning

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

ABSTRACT

摘要

Chapter One  INTRODUCTION-1

Chapter Two  LITERATURE REVIEW-3

2.1 Affective Domain-3

2.1.1 Abrief introduction to affect-3

2.1.2 Key affective factors concerning English learning-4

2.1.2.1 Motivation-4

2.1.2.2 Anxiety-5

2.1.2.3 Personality-5

2.2 Studies of Affective Factors Abroad-6

2.3 Studies of Affective Factors at Home-6

Chapter Three  RESEARCH DESIGN-8

3.1 Research Questions-8

3.2 The Participants of the Survey-8

3.3 The Instruments of the Survey-9

3.3.1 Questionnaire-9

3.3.2 Interview-10

3.4 Data Analysis-10

Chapter Four  RESULTS AND DISCUSSION-12

4.1 Motivation-12

4.1.1 General description of motivation-12

4.1.2 Motivation and English proficiency-13

4.2 Anxiety-14

4.2.1 General description of anxiety-14

4.2.2 Anxiety and English proficiency-16

4.3 Personality-17

4.3.1 General description of personality-17

4.3.2 Personality and English proficiency-17

4.4 Suggestions on Affective Education in Junior Middle School-17

4.4.1 Pedagogical suggestions on English teaching-18

4.4.2 Pedagogical suggestions on English learning-18

Chapter Five  CONCLUSION-20

REFRENCES-21

APPENDIX-23