Analysis of Affective Factors in Senior Students.doc

毕业论文（设计）Analysis of Affective Barriers in Senior High Students English LearningAnalysis of Affective Barriers in Senior High Students English Learning11.Introduction12. Affective factors in English learning32.1 The definition of affect32.2 Krashens Affective Filter Hypothesis42.3The important functions of affective factors in English teaching62.3.1Memory function62.3.2Motive function62.3.3 Adjustment function72.4 Major affective factors in English learning72.4.1Motivation72.4.2 Anxiety92.4.3Self-confidence102.4.4Attitude103. Affective Barriers in senior high school students English learning113.1 The definition of affective barriers113.2 Disadvantages of affective barriers123.3 Causes of affective barriers133.3.1Anxiety in English learning133.3.2 Negative appraisal143.3.3 Lack of learning motivation143.3.4 Students self-attribution153.3.5 The pressure of learning difficulties154. The strategies of decreasing affective barriers164.1 The present conditions of affective education in Senior High School English teaching164.2 The strategies of affective education in Senior High School English teaching174.2.1 Fostering Students Healthy and Positive Affect Motivating students in their English learning Building good relationship between teachers and students194.2.2 Relieving negative affect in English learning Good understanding of students Readiness to solve problems worrying students Different treatment of individuals in English practice225. Conclusion22References25Net.2. 章中兰, 浅谈英语教学中消极情感的矫正,261.IntroductionNowadays, education is highly looked on as the crucial factor to ones personal success. The development of economy as well as the progress of society and basic education now is developing by leaps and bounds in China, so the reform of discipline of English is making Chinas English teaching further meet the teenagers mental development. However, a lot of problems still exist in English teaching and one of them is the issue of transforming low achievers resulted from affective barriers in English in senior high schools.In the actual process of education, many teachers think some students have no talents to study English and have lost confidence in achievers, so low achievers themselves have lost interest in English little by little. Moreover, at present, it is highly recognized that English learning takes the students, especially senior high school students too much time. However, the learners learning effects cannot meet their satisfaction. The reason why students spend much time to learn but receive less input is that the students own affective factors are neglected.As we know, language learning is not only a cognitive task, but also an affective component. In Krashens affective-filter hypothesis (1985), he suggests “Learners with high motivation and self-confidence and with low anxiety have low filter, so they obtain and let in plenty of input. Learners with low motivation, little self-confidence and high anxiety have high filter and so they receive little input and allow even in.” Krashen (Ellis, 2001) also points out the importance of motivation, anxiety and self-confidence which influence foreign language learning.The newly-issued Senior High School Curriculum Standards consists of five main teaching objectives, (language knowledge, language skills, affective attitudes, learning strategies and cultural awareness) one of which is affective education. This is exactly what lacks in many senior high schools where English teachers still tend to instill basic knowledge into the students and the students passively get knowledge so that it leads to low teaching efficiency. All of this is against the New English Curriculum Standards in Senior High Schools produced by the Ministry of Education in 2005.Actually there are many English scholars who are concerned about the study of affective problem. The aim of this paper is to analyze the affective barriers in senior high school students English learning. The author discusses the importance of this study, the theoretical base, the connotation of affective factors and how affective factors affect English learning. At the end of the thesis, some teaching strategies have been raised, including the strategies to ease the classroom atmosphere, to establish the good teacher-student relationship, to develop evaluation, and to arouse students learning interest and to improve learning method. 2. Affective factors in English learning2.1 The definition of affectThe word “affect” is the root of such words as affection, our feelings for those people who are particularly special in our lives and it has been part of the language of emotion for a long time. As usually defined, affect refers to the simple pleasant or unpleasant tone of a feeling, and it does typically not involve complex cognitive activity. The author uses the terms affect, emotions and feelings almost interchangeably, without explicitly distinctive definitions. The development of affective states involves a variety of factors, feelings both about us and about others with whom we come into contact.The mankind has various types of affect. In the present context, affect will be considered broadly as aspects of emotion, feeling, mood or attitude which condition behavior. Here I shall follow Arnold (1999) in saying that ones “affect” toward a particular thing or action or situation or experience is how that thing or that action or that situation or that experience fits in with ones needs or purposes, and its resulting effect on ones emotions.2.2 Krashens Affective Filter HypothesisAccording to Krashen, comprehension is a necessary condition, but it is not sufficient. Something, more than comprehensible input, is needed (Krashen, 1985, P.3). Stephen Krashen (1985) proposed Affective Filter Hypothesis which states in the process of second language learning, it is impossible for all input to be transmitted to Language Acquisition Device in our brains and becomes acquired competence because it is regulated by some affective factors such as motivation, self-confidence, anxiety and so on. If the Filter is up, input is prevented from passing through; if input is prevented from passing through, there can be no acquisition. If, on the other hand, the Filter is down, or low, and if the input is comprehensible, the input will reach the acquisition device and acquisition will take place. In order to schematize it, He used the model as the following to explain affective filter in second language learning:Affective filterInput Language Acquisition Device Acquired Competence Fig.1 Krashens Affective Filter Hypothesis (1985)The Affective Filter Hypothesis captures the relationship between affective variables and the process of second language acquisition by posting that acquirers vary with respect to the strength or level of their Affective Filters. The figure above shows that in the process which the input of the language reaches the language acquisition device (LAD), the affective filter is the first obstacle which the message of language input must summation across. Thats to say, the affective filter plays a role of promotion or obstruction. Those whose attitudes are not optional for second language acquisition will not only tend to seek less input, but they will also have a high or strong affective filter. Those with attitudes more conducive to second language acquisition will not only seek and obtain more open to the input, and it will strike “deeper” (Krashen, 1982, P.31).As to regards to foreign language learning, it is involved with two affective filters: one from FL teacher and the other from FL learners. As a matter of fact, language input has to go through teachers affective filter before it comes to learners part. Teachers positive affect insures right language output, while negative affect hinders it. In contrast, learners affect includes motivation, anxiety, attitudes and so on. Both of these two kinds of affect exert influence on each other. To achieve higher teaching proficiency, we must attach great importance to this point.2.3The important functions of affective factors in English teachingUnderstanding the nature of emotions and for understanding the brain systems involved in the different types of responses that are produced by emotional states, which we believe necessary for EFL teaching. Affect appears to have many functions, which are not necessarily mutually exclusive. However, we think in EFL teaching there are three main functions of affect: memory, motive and adjustment function.2.3.1Memory functionAffect may facilitate the storage of memories. Affect is important in initiating voluntary playback of the foreign language, and it plays a part on response to involuntary playback. Many people find that from time to time bits of the English language get played over in their minds. This phenomenon may be either voluntary or involuntary. Any voluntary playback that is rewarded by positive emotions and by awareness of having partially realized a driving purpose will be conducive to English learning.2.3.2Motive functionA second function of affect is motivating. For example, fear learned by stimulus-reinforcer association formation provides the motivation for actions performed to avoid noxious stimuli. Similarly, positive reinforcers elicit motivation, so that we will work to obtain the rewards. It may help to produce persistent motivation and direction of behavior by enduring for minutes or longer after a reinforcing stimulus has occurred. The affective side of feedback influences the shaping and reshaping of the networks of long-term memory. We know that the change or the stability of those networks depends on what feedback the learner receives. Feedback may be cognitive or affective, positive or negative and the source of feedback may be either external or internal. The positive external or internal affective feedback may encourage a learner to continue their interaction in class and keep on trying to finish the oral and written tasks in spite of occasional negative feedback of the external or internal cognitive variety.2.3.3 Adjustment functionThe growth of emotional competence is conducive to a more holistic development of the learner as a whole person. The purpose of EFL classroom teaching is to develop healthy learners in both cognition and affect. And only those learners can be a whole person. They can live more satisfying lives, can have a better understanding of themselves, other people and other cultures, and can have positive views of values and life.2.4 Major affective factors in English learning2.4.1MotivationSecond language acquisition or foreign language learning theory leaves no doubt about the crucial importance of a further affective variable, motivation, which is actually a cluster of factors that energize behavior and give it direction. Motivation is commonly thought of as an inner drive, impulse, emotion, or desire that moves one to a particular action. Psychologists define motivation as an internal process that activates, guides, and maintains behavior overtime. In plain language, its what gets you going, keeps you going, and determines where youre trying to go. As Crookes and Schmidt (1991:469-512) defined, motivation is the learners orientation with regard to the goal of learning a second language. There are many types of motivation according to different standards.a) Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation exists when someone works because of an inner desire to accomplish a task successfully, whether it has some external value or not. While extrinsic motivation exists when individual are motivated by an outcome that is external or functionally unrelated to the activity in which they are engaged. b) Integrative and instrumental motivation. Robert Gardner and Wallace Lambert (1972) considered integrative motivation as the desire to achieve proficiency in a new language in order to know about the other culture, participate in the life of the community that speaks the language. Instrumental motivation may be defined as the desire to acquire a language as a means for attaining utilitarian goals such as getting a job, furthering a career, reading or translating technical materials in target language, etc integrative motivation reflects a sincere and personal interest in the people and the culture represented by that community, while instrumental motivation reflects the practical value and advantages of learning a new language.2.4.2 AnxietyAnxiety is an uncomfortable feeling in the mind, usually caused by the fear or expectations such as apprehension, tension, frustration, self-doubt, and uneasiness, etc. Scovel states (1978) “Anxiety is commonly described by psychologists as a state of apprehension, a vague fear that is only indirectly associated with an object”. Anxiety plays an important role in English learning. Every student feels some anxiety at some time while in school, but for certain students anxiety seriously inhibits learning or performance. Littlewood (1984) stresses, “In an environment where learner feel anxious or insecure, there are likely to be psychological barriers to communication. Also, if anxiety rises above a certain level, it is an obstacle to the learning process”. In English learning, anxiety refers to a learners feelings of tension and fear that is produced when he feels that his English is not sufficient enough to express himself effectively. Language anxiety is due to the learners lack of confidence, indefinite aims of learning and fear of the exposure of his weaknesses. It is one of the learners psychological hurdles in language learning.There are altogether two kinds of anxieties: facilitating anxiety and debilitating anxiety. In foreign language learning process, appropriate anxiety can help to keep learners active and smart. This is called facilitating anxiety, which is beneficial to language learning, while debilitating anxiety may impede learners mastering a foreign language successfully. Facilitating anxiety motivates the learner to fight the new learning task; it gears the learner emotionally for approval behavior. Debilitating anxiety, in contrast, motivates the learner to flee the new learning task; it stimulates the individual emotionally to avoidance behavior.2.4.3Self-confidenceKrashen (1987) argues that learners learning proficiency is associated with their personality. Among the individual differences, self-confidence is the most important one. Self-confidence is the self-believing and positive attitude to the competence of their own and level of knowledge. Learners with great self-confidence generally have great self-belief and good images, and have great chances to succeed in foreign language learning. Learners with great self-confidence dare to take risk in communication with others in target language. They are not afraid of making errors in learning. They can communicate in target language boldly without being afraid of embarrassment for the errors. While those with poor self-confidence and introversive personality will lose many chances of communication and practice in classes because they think more of losing faces and making errors in the same learning environment.2.4.4AttitudeAttitude may be defined in a number of ways but most theorists refer to the notion as some aspects of an individuals response to an object or a class of objects or situation with which it is related. As a kind of affective factor, attitude is very important to carry out a certain goal, and its also very important to the degree of success in reaching the goal. Stern (1983) identified the three primary attitudes: 1) the attitude to the community of target language and native speakers; 2) attitude to people who learn the language; and 3) the general attitude to the language and language learning. Attitude has a close relation with foreign language learning. Language learners manifest different attitudes towards the target language, target language speakers, target language culture, the social value of learning the target language and particular uses of the target language. If language learners have a negative or hostile attitude towards the language itself or the native speakers of the language, then this will absolutely influence the effect of language learning. For example, a Chinese wants to or is required to learn English. But he or she has hostility towards Englishmen and the Great Britain because they invaded our country. They, therefore, are averse to communicate with English native speakers and to get insights into anything related to this country, such as English society, culture and customs. It is obvious that such kind of attitude will definitely hinder him mastering English. Therefore, it seems intuitively clear that second language learners benefit from positive attitudes and that negative attitudes may lead to decreased motivation, input and interaction, and ultimately to unsuccessful attainment of proficiency. In a word, learners with positive attitude towards a target language, its speakers and society learn much better than those with negative attitude.3. Affective Barriers in senior high school students English learning3.1 The definition of affective barriersIn English learning, affective barriers refer to negative affective factors, such as anxiety, pressure, negative feelings, and other emotional impairments, which can interfere with learning processes. Negative affect is a dimension of an unpleasant engagement. People who feel high negative affect typically experience dissatisfaction, nervousness, and irritability, whereas those who feel low negative affect typically