It has been commonly recognized that most literature courses in EFL classes at the university level fail to motivate students. This paper aims to look into problems that affect students’ motivation. The author conducts open-ended interviews on a group of senior English majors with literature course learning experience. The purpose is to find out students’ perception of some demotivational aspects which affect students in learning literature. The data show problems, concerning textbook materials, teaching methodology, and assessment. Based on the data, the author carries out an analysis to find out major causes behind the problems. The results show causes, including lack of cultural and personal relevance, lack of opportunity for interaction and creativity, and lack of a sense of achievement. Finally, based on current motivation theories and a full analysis of problems in literature courses, the author suggests some possible solutions to the problems for the reference of any literature course teacher working in a university setting.
Key words: literature course learning, English majors, motivation
Contents
Chapter 1 Introduction 1
Chapter 2 Literature Review 3
2.1 Learner motivation theories 3
2.2 Related studies on teaching of literature 3
2.3 Research questions for this interview study 5
Chapter 3 Research Methodology 6
3.1 Interview 6
3.1.1 Participants 6
3.1.2 Interview questions design 6
3.1.3 Procedures of interviews 7
3.2 Data Processing 7
Chapter 4 Results and Discussion 8
4.1 Results: Student-reported problem descriptions 8
4.1.1 Textbook materials 8
4.1.2 Teaching methodology 9
4.1.3 Literature tests 9
4.2 Discussion: Cause analysis 10
4.2.1 Lack of cultural and personal relevance 10
4.2.2 Lack of chance for interaction and creativity 12
4.2.3 Lack of a sense of achievement 12
Chapter 5 Implications and Suggestions 14
5.1 Improving teaching methods 14
5.2 Respecting and encouraging students’ ideas 16
5.3 Preparing students for literature courses 17
Chapter 6 Conclusion 19
References 20
Appendix: Excerpts of the interview transcripts 22
