Yan Ruyu, Liu Bing, Zhang Lawrence Jun
College of Foreign Languages, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan, China.
Faculty of Education and Social Work, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
Heliyon. 2024 Sep 25;10(19):e38355. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e38355. eCollection 2024 Oct 15.
This study investigated the role of motivational regulation strategies (MRSs) in English as a foreign language (EFL) pedagogy, with a focus on Chinese university students. While prior research has explored MRSs, their specific impact on the oral proficiency of Chinese EFL learners remains under-examined. This mixed-methods research offers empirical insights, advocating for the integration of MRSs into EFL instruction to bolster students' oral proficiency. The study is bifurcated, with the first phase dedicated to cataloging MRSs' usage among Chinese university students and crafting the Speaking Strategies for Motivational Regulation Questionnaire (SSMRQ). This initial phase engaged 171 EFL students from a northern Chinese "211 project" university, employing convenience sampling. Factor analysis of participant responses culminated in a 15-item SSMRQ, spanning five dimensions: Environment Structuring (ES), Mastery Self-Talk (MST), Self-Consequating (SC), Self-Oriented Performance Self-Talk (SPST), and Externally-Oriented Performance Self-Talk (EPST). The second phase assessed the efficacy of MRSs-oriented instruction on student application of MRSs and oral English proficiency. This quasi-experimental study involved 22 consenting second-year English majors from the participating university. Data collection instruments encompassed the SSMRQ, oral English proficiency tasks, reflective journals, and semi-structured interviews. The instructional intervention spanned four weekly 30-min sessions, targeting the five MRSs' dimensions and offering feedback on oral performance. Assessments were conducted pre- and post-intervention using the SSMRQ, oral tasks, and reflective journals. Six participants, selected based on their oral English performance, were interviewed in-depth. Results suggest that the instructional intervention had a significant effect on the students' use of MRSs and their oral English proficiency. The study offers pedagogical insights into EFL speaking instruction in the higher education context, underscoring the importance of personalized teaching strategies tailored to individual learner needs. Collectively, this research introduces the SSMRQ and elucidates the pedagogical merits of MRSs-based instruction on oral English proficiency, establishing an empirical base for subsequent inquiry and pedagogical advancement in language education.
本研究调查了动机调节策略（MRSs）在外语（EFL）教学中的作用，重点关注中国大学生。虽然先前的研究已经探讨了动机调节策略，但它们对中国外语学习者口语水平的具体影响仍未得到充分研究。这项混合方法研究提供了实证见解，主张将动机调节策略融入外语教学，以提高学生的口语水平。该研究分为两个阶段，第一阶段致力于梳理中国大学生对动机调节策略的使用情况，并编制《动机调节口语策略问卷》（SSMRQ）。这一初始阶段采用便利抽样法，对来自中国北方一所 “211 工程” 大学的171名外语学生进行了调查。对参与者的回答进行因素分析，最终形成了一份包含15个条目的《动机调节口语策略问卷》，涵盖五个维度：环境构建（ES）、掌握性自我对话（MST）、自我奖惩（SC）、自我导向的表现性自我对话（SPST）和外部导向的表现性自我对话（EPST）。第二阶段评估了以动机调节策略为导向的教学对学生使用动机调节策略和英语口语水平的效果。这项准实验研究涉及来自参与大学的22名同意参与的二年级英语专业学生。数据收集工具包括《动机调节口语策略问卷》、英语口语水平任务、反思日志和半结构化访谈。教学干预为期四周，每周进行30分钟的课程，针对动机调节策略的五个维度，并提供口语表现反馈。干预前后使用《动机调节口语策略问卷》、口语任务和反思日志进行评估。根据英语口语表现挑选了六名参与者进行深入访谈。结果表明，教学干预对学生使用动机调节策略和英语口语水平有显著影响。该研究为高等教育背景下的外语口语教学提供了教学见解，强调了根据个体学习者需求定制个性化教学策略的重要性。总体而言，本研究引入了《动机调节口语策略问卷》，阐明了基于动机调节策略的教学对英语口语水平的教学优点，为后续语言教育研究和教学改进奠定了实证基础。
