Ⅰ.Introduction
Motivation has been considered as a key factor in English learning. High motivation can undoubtedly arouse college students' learning interest and make English learning effective. Motivation is important and complex. In Jakobovits’s research, he shows that the mainly influential factors to English learning are: motivation which takes up 33%, aptitude which takes up 33%, intelligent which takes up 20%, and others which take up 14%(Jia Guanjie，1996：34). This paper is intended to first introduce the definition of motivation and then explains intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, following with the investigation of the features and actuality of college students' motivation. By analyzing the above-mentioned investigation, the author works out factor analyses which influence college students' English learning motivation. At last, the author suggests several effective ways to motivate college students' motivation in English learning.
Ⅱ.Theoretical Rationale
2.1 Definition of Motivation
English learning motivation is closely related to the academic achievements. The college students with intense motivation always get an excellent academic performance, and vice versa. Although there is no consensus about the precise nature of motivation, a general definition of motivation is accepted by most researchers and practitioners:” motivation is the process whereby goal-directed activity id instigated and sustained."(Pintrich&Schunk, 2017:5). Pintrich and Schunk examine this definition in depth as following:
Motivation is a process instead of a product. As a process, one does not observe motivation directly, but rather one can infer it from such behaviors as choice of tasks, effort, persistence, and verbalizations.
Motivation involves physical or mental activity. Physical activity entails effort, persistence, and other overt actions. Mental activity includes such cognitive actions as planning, rehearsing, organizing,etc.
Motivation activity is instigated and sustained. Motivational processes are extremely important to sustain action. Many chief goals are long term. A good deal of knowledge of motivation derives from the investigation of individuals' responses to the difficulties, problems, failures, and setbacks they come across in their pursuit of long term goals.(Pintrich&Schunk,2017:5)
"Motives serve three important functions: 1) energizing us (i.e., turning the key and starting the motivational engine), 2) directing us (i.e., pointing us in a particular direction), and 3) helping us to select the behavior most appropriate for achieving our goals.”(Don Hamachek, 1989：262). In a word, motivation is an inner state that arouses individual’s desire for a goal and maintains their efforts in a certain direction and time. In English learning, motivation is not only a strong desire for acquiring knowledge of English, but also an inner power that push college students forward with willingness and enthusiasm in English learning. It is like the car's engine which leads students from boredom to interest. "Gardner indicates that the motivation of foreign language learning contains four aspects: a goal本论文由英语论文网提供整理，提供论文/，英语论文/，/论文，/英语论文，/留学生论文，/英文论文，英语论文，留学生论文/相关核心关键词搜索。 ，英语论文题目 |
