Chapter 1 Introduction
1.1 Background of the Research
1.1.1 English Learning Situation on Xinjiang Rural Minority High School Students
Quantities of minority groups are living in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, mainly including Uygur, Kazakh, Hui, Kirgiz and so on. With the modernized and internationalized development of China, as a direct tool for communication with the outside world, English has gradually been valued. Nevertheless, Xinjiang is located in northwestern areas of China, its information jam, large rural population and the low educational quality all immeasurably result in difficulties of Xinjiang minority students’ English learning.
Besides, the language learning system of minority students is more special and complex, and their English learning belongs to the category of “trilingual learning” (Yuan 2009). Before learning English, Xinjiang minority students need to learn their own minority languages and “national common language” (Chinese), which leads to greater difficulties in their English acquisition process.
In 2018, the author worked as a voluntary English teacher for one year in Yiwu High School in rural Hami. There are various student groups in different nationalities, covering Han, Uygur, Kazakh, Hui and so on. 80% of students are minority students, 90.2% of which are village teenagers. Based on one-year English teaching experience there, it is obviously found by the author that poor English performance, low English learning interest, weak foundation of English language, and no systematic English learning methods and strategies are existing in students’ English learning.
1.2 Purposes of the Research
There are three purposes of this study:
First of all, the research plans to examine the current condition of Xinjiang rural minority high school students’ English learning motivation, and to announce the following three conclusions: the comprehensive motivation level of students’ English learning; the distinctions among English learning motivation of students in different genders, minorities and grades; and how the individual factors affect their English learning motivation.
Secondly, it desires to provide advantageous suggestions for Xinjiang rural high school students, in order to boost their English learning motivation through the following three aspects: uplifting the overall motivation level of students’ English learning; enhancing the English learning motivation of students in different genders, minorities and grades, and narrowing the gaps among them; encouraging the English learning motivation of students with negative individual factors.
Thirdly, after giving suggestions for the existing problems, the ultimate purpose is to urge Xinjiang rural English teachers to increase their English teaching level, and to benefit minority high school students through eliminating negative motivations then establishing a good attitude toward English learning. In the future, it is expected to improve English learning performance of Xinjiang rural minor
