英語畢業門檻的實施與大學英語系學生學習努力之分析

English Exit Tests and Actional Effort among University English Majors

實施英語畢業門檻之主要論點為增進英語系學生對於課程學習的動機，藉此提升學位及畢業後求職的價值。本研究以某私立大學英語系學生為對象，應用Dörnyei 和Ottó (1998）的第二外語學習動機模型，調查英語畢業門檻對於他們於課程學習上的影響。受測者分別為16位於實施英語畢業門檻之前入學的學生即20位於實施英語畢業門檻之後入學的學生，範圍則涵蓋五門英文必修課程，其中一門為輔助英語畢業門檻課程、另外四門為核心必修課程。受測者均完成量表測試他們的背景、工作習慣、和對於輔助英語畢業門檻課程的想法。經統計分析比較兩組受測者資料，結果顯示下述三項結論。一，實施英語畢業門檻之後入學的學生，在輔助英語畢業門檻課程及核心必修課程的學習上付出較少的努力。二，實施英語畢業門檻之後入學的學生，於認知上對於不同課程，輔助通過英語畢業門檻的助益，並無顯著差異。第三，實施英語畢業門檻之後入學的學生，對於輔助通過英語畢業門檻的訓練課程之接受程度，低於實施英語畢業門檻之前入學的學生。英語畢業門檻的實施使得學生更頻繁地參與測試，意味著他們於課程外更加的努力，然而，對於正規課程的學習動機卻有下降的現象。本研究探討前述發現的潛在原因，期望對改善英語畢業門檻制度並提升其對於學習的動機。

One argument in favor of English Exit Tests (EETs) is that they motivate English majors to work harder at their courses, thereby enhancing the value of their degrees and improving their job prospects. This study examines the impact of the EET on majors’ work habits. The participants include 16 who entered a private university before the EET requirement was implemented, and 20 who entered after. Using the process model of L2 motivation (Dörnyei and Ottó, 1998), it investigates participants’ expectations and individual effort in five courses, including the departmental EET Training course and four core requirements. All participants completed a survey assessing their testing background, work habits, and perceptions of the department’s EET Training course. The two groups’ responses were compared, and three conclusions were reached. First, the post-EET participants displayed lower actional effort: they did not work as hard at the test preparation course or the core requirements. Second, the post-EET participants did not differentiate between their courses in terms of expected benefit to EET readiness. Third, the post-EET participants were less accepting of the department’s EET training requirement. They made more frequent test attempts, suggesting that the EET may have led them to try harder outside of school. However, their incentives to work at school appear to have declined. Underlying causes of these findings are explored, as are ways in which the EET could be improved to make it a better motivator.