活动理论视角下少数民族学生英语学习能动性研究

Ethnic Minority Students’English Learning Agency:An Activity Theory Perspective

近年来,中国少数民族学生英语学习的研究日益增多,但对于少数民族学生如何发挥能动性应对英语学习中的挑战我们了解甚少。本研究基于活动理论,采用个案研究方法,通过收集学生日志、访谈和文本资料,并结合教师访谈数据,探究了四名大学一年级维吾尔族学生英语学习能动性的表现及其影响因素。研究发现,维吾尔族学生英语学习能动性主要表现在以下方面:反思与汉族学生差距,调整英语学习方法;适应全英文授课模式和英文展示的课堂规则;借助汉语语言,利用英语学习应用软件和互联网等工具;寻求教师、同伴和其他共同体成员的帮助。研究还发现,维吾尔族学生英语学习能动性受语言水平、学习动机和英语学习经历等个体因素影响。此外,国家和学校的政策支持、教师与同伴的帮助,以及家人的情感支持等也对他们的英语学习能动性产生了影响。本研究对高校少数民族学生的英语教学具有一定启示意义。

Recent years have witnessed a growing body of research on the English learning of ethnic minority students in China,yet little is known as to how these students enact their agency to address the challenges they encounter in learning English.Through the lens of activity theory,this qualitative case study explored the manifestations and influencing factors of English learning agency of four first-year Uyghur university students.Data were collected through the students’journals,interviews,and documents,supplemented by the interview data from their teachers.The findings revealed that Uyghur students’English learning agency was manifested by reflecting on the gap btween themselves and their Han classmates and adjusting their English learning methods;adapting to the mode of all-English teaching and the rule of English presentation;using tools such as the Mandarin Chinese,English learning apps and the Internet;and seeking help from teachers,peers and other community members.The study also found that Uyghur students’agency was influenced by factors such as language proficiency,motivation,and personal learning experiences.Additionally,preferential policies of the state and the school,help from teachers and peers,and emotional support from family members also had an impact on their English learning agency.This study provides implications for the English teaching of ethnic minority students at universities.