Teachers' Ability to Improve 18-year-old Students' Motivation to Learn English in a High School in Huaihua, China

In China, English language education has been a priority. Researchers have studied high school students' intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, guided by self-determination theory. In contrast, much of the relevant research in China has focused on learning English motivation among university students; more attention needs to be paid to high school students. Therefore, this paper examined the factors influencing high school students' motivation to learn English and how teachers can improve their students' motivation. The study invited four participants to conduct semi-structured interviews to gather qualitative research data. Results from the qualitative analysis indicated that most high school students had positive perceptions of English as a foreign language (EFL) but were still demotivation. The research identified eight factors influencing students' English learning: perseverance, personality, learning ability, interest in learning, teachers, parents, environment and peers. The perseverance factor was new and needed to be addressed in previous studies. Finally, two recommendations for teachers and students are presented to motivate and sustain learners' motivation to learn English.