Chapter 1 Introduction
1.1 Background of the Research
Nowadays, more and more students are keen on art colleges, and the number offine arts students is increasing gradually. Compared with the students in normal highschools，senior high school fine arts students have the following features:First，the constitution of fine arts students in senior high schools is complex. Partof fine arts students do well in all the subjects in junior high schools. The reason whythey choose fine arts is that they are indeed interested in it and determine to devotethemselves to fine arts in the future. Generally speaking, these students have strongdesire and motivation in English learning. However, the number of these students isextremely limited. Actually, the majority of fine arts students do not perform well injunior high schools，therefore, they have no choice but to choose fine arts due to the lowmarks in the College Entrance Examination, or they may have no chance to study in thecolleges. In an overall view, these students have lost their self-confidence and interest inEnglish learning on account of the poor English foundation and the low scores they gotin English tests. As a consequence, they do not hold positive motivation and attitudestoward English learning but perform passively in English class, despite the Englishteachers manage to motivate their learning interest.Second, the fine arts students have different attitudes toward academic andprofessional study. Only few fine arts students pay attention to academic andprofessional courses，and they are inclined to spending more time studying academiccourses. Obviously, most of fine arts students are aware of the importance of their major.In their opinion, it is necessary for them to show more interest in fine arts rather thanother subjects. For this reason, fine arts students always spend more time on theprofessional courses, only distributing less time for English. It is generally known thatthe required English score for the art colleges is not so high. If one fine arts student gets90 scores in English (the full marks is 150)，it is out of question that he can enter intoany university in China，such as Tsinghua University and China Academy of Fine Arts.As a result, fine arts students have no motivation and interest in English learning andthe majority of them are weak in English.
……..
1.2 Significance of the Research
At present，English teachers in senior high schools always spend more timeteaching students grammar knowledge and pay little attention to cultivate fine artsstudents' language competence. Consequently, the English class is as dry as dust. It isuniversally known that fine arts students are full of imagination and creativity. What ismore, they are sensitive to new and fresh things presented in English class. Influencedby teachers' innovative teaching methods, fine arts students will inspire their efforts toexplore and reflect on what they have learned in English class.As far as we know, most of fine arts students are relatively weak in Englishlearning. Especially, they are unwilling to show any interest in English learning. Hence,it is necessary and urgent to take some effective measures to stimulate their Englishlearning. As a result, the author makes some researches of interest cultivation of Englishlearning for fine arts students, so as to deepen the theory of learning interest. By makingthis research, it is great significance for English teachers to optimize their teachingmodes and teaching philosophy; at the same time, it is useful for fine arts students tobuild up the confidence in English learning.
………
Chapter 2 Literature Review
2.1 Previous Study on the Learning Interest
In China, both Confucius and Zhu Xi emphasized the important role of interest inlearning; they believed no matter what people would do, the most essential element wasthat he must be interest in it. Visibly, great educationalists' thought and their theorieshave had strongly influenced to the later research.During the period of May fourth movement, as a result of western educationthoughts were widely spread in China, interest researches were valued in education.Liang Qichao published the earliest Chinese book on learning micxtsX-InterestEducation and Education Interest, in which he put forward the concept of interesteducation. What is more，he argued that teachers should pay attention to activatestudents' interest in learning, because the purpose of education was to enable studentsunderstand the learning interest and cultivate their interest (Xue, 2006). Tao Xingzhi(1985) advocated the unity of teaching and learning, on which he come up with thethought that students' learning interest must be taken into consideration in teachingpractice，in order to encourage students to leam actively and cheerfully. According toteaching practice, Chen Heqin (2012) proposed the theory of “living education" whichnoted the purpose of education was to foster life attitude，develop good habits, discoverinherent interest and acquire methods of knowledge. Undoubtedly，all of these greattheories embody the importance of interest in learning.
……..
2.2 The Definition of Interest and the Senior High School Fine Arts Students
According to the psychology，learning proficiency is influenced by both internaland external factors. Absolutely，learners' learning is greatly affected by intelligence.However，non-intelligence factors indeed play the crucial part of English learning.Undoubtedly, interest is one of the most significant and effective non-intelligencefactors. Interest can be seen the psychology feature of students in the process ofacquiring knowledge. Basically, interest is a critical internal driving force for students tofulfill their potential to obtain knowledge. A Comprehensive Dictionary explains thatinterest is a tendency which one should discover positive things or some activities. Thiskind of trend is developing and occurring in social practice. Dewey (1913), one of themost outstanding theorists in interest, came up with three basic characteristics ofinterest.
………
Chapter 3 Methodology........ 18
3.1 Research Questions........ 18
3.2 Research Design........ 18
3.2.1 Subjects ........18
3.2.2 Instruments ........19
3.3 Research Procedures........ 20
Chapter 4 Results and Discussions........ 36
4.1 Statistics Analysis ........36
4.1.1 Analysis of the Two Questionnaires........ 36
4.1.2 Analysis of the Pre-test and Post-test........ 41
4.2 Results of the Questionnaires and Tests........ 43
4.3 Discussions of Strategies to Cultivate........ 45
Chapter 5 Conclusion........ 49
5.1 Major Findings of the Research ........49
5.2 Limitations of the Research ........50
5.3 Recommendations for the Future Research ........50
Chapter 4 Results and Discussions
4.1 Statistics Analysis
According to data from the two questionnaires and tests, the author made a detailedstatistics analysis. Meanwhile, on the basis of the results of the experiment, somestrategies cultivating fine arts students' English learning interest are proposed. Lower average English score and poor English foundation make fine arts studentsdifferent from the ordinary students in characteristics and learning requirements. Inorder to accurately grasp current situation of fine arts students in learning English andimprove the students' learning interest, the author conducted questionnaires survey fromClass 8 and Class 9，Senior One at the first and end of the term. Questionnaires aredesigned for 20 multiple-choices, from their attitude, emotion, motivation, initiative inEnglish learning and participation in English class. The total number of the issuingquestionnaire is 109 (including 24 boys and 85 girls).
………
Conclusion
The experiment lasted four months, and the results were successful in author'sopinions. Through the experiment, the author found out many outstanding methods toimprove English teaching. Also, the author realizes if students hope to get good Englishachievements，the first and foremost is to arouse their interest in English. Compared the students of the experimental class with those in the controlled class,the author discovered that the results and achievements of the students in theexperimental class are much better than those in the controlled class. The results haveshown that it is very necessary for the teachers to stimulate the students' learninginterest in English.It is universally known that interest is the best teacher, so the students shouldrecognize the importance of English learning interest. Additionally, the experimentfound that there is a positive correlation between interest and English achievement. Inother words, learning interest influences the students' English achievement greatly. As aconsequence, it is suggested that English teachers should familiarize themselves withthe systematic related learning interest theories, and keep seeking the appropriateteaching methods to stimulate the students' interest in English learning, which is vital inEnglish teaching and learning practice. With the statistics analyses of the experimentdiscussed in the previous chapters, the author draws the following conclusions thatsituational communication approach and multi-intelligences method are more efficientin cultivating students' English learning than the traditional approaches.
…………
Reference (omitted)
