中国大学生英西双语动机探索研究

本研究聚焦中国高校英语专业学生学习西班牙语的双外语学习动机,采用定量(Q方法)和定性(访谈)相结合的研究方法,挖掘出两类不同的动机类型--英语工具型和多元文化型。我们基于数据对两种动机类型进行了深入探讨。英语工具型动机偏向于传统的"工具型"动机,而多元文化型动机和传统的"融合型"动机有相似之处,但是超越了后者的单语主义倾向,更强调多种语言在学习者动机系统中的整体建构性。从研究中我们发现,当学生进行多语学习的时候,如有工具型倾向,那么英语的工具型动机远远大于其他目标语言,英语或许会对其他语言产生抑制作用。相反,当学生的学习动机更强调多元文化和多语互融时,英语会变成催化剂,催生出多学一门语言、丰富文化积累的动机。

This study focuses on the dual foreign language learning motivation of English majors in Chinese universities. Two different types of motivation are explored with the help of quantitative(Q method) and qualitative(interview) research methods: English instrumental-type and multicultural-type. An in-depth discussion of these two types of motivation based on the gathered data shows that English instrumental-type students tend to have traditional "instrumental-type" motives, while multicultural-type students are motivated in a similar way to those described by the traditional "integrative" motives. Integrative motives serve to help transcend monolingual tendencies and emphasize the overall constructivity of the motivation system during the learning process of multiple languages. Research also shows that when students are engaged in multilingual learning with an instrumental-like tendency, then the instrumental motivation to study English is far greater than that of other target languages, and English may inhibit their learning of other languages. On the contrary, when students put emphasis on multiculturalism and multilingualism in their motivation, English becomes a catalyst, which promotes the motivation to learn more about a language and its cultural background.