臺灣博碩士論文加值系統

英語學習在國內已成為熱門風潮。家長紛紛讓小孩提早學習英語，政府也提早於國小三年級施行英語教學，甚至有些學校從國小一年級就開始英語教學。本研究主要探討提早學習英語及父母的社經地位是否影響國小學童的英語能力。
參加本研究的對象為504位就讀於高雄縣九所國小六年級的學生。學生的英語能力是採用台北縣九十三學年度國小六年級英語能力檢測改編卷所施測得到的分數。問卷為研究者自編，內容為受試者的基本資料及父母的參與度。本研究主要發現如下：
1. 國小六年級學童在英語能力上，尤其是聽力成績，呈現高分數的分布，並無所謂的二極化落差現象。
2. 提早學習英語對國小學童的英語能力有明顯的影響。
3. 不論國小學校是否在小學三年級之前施行英語教學，結果並不影響學生的英語能力及學童提早學習英語的熱潮。
4. 學習英語的時間長短對學童英語能力產生明顯之影響；學習英語的時間愈長，學生的英語能力就愈好。
5. 學生在外藉及本國英語老師皆有的教學下，得到最佳的英語學習效果。

6. 學生的英語學習興趣對國小學童的英語聽、説能力均有明顯的影響。
7. 學生的英語學習年限愈久，則其英語學習興趣愈高，反之亦然。
8. 父母的社經地位愈高，學生的英語能力表現愈好。
9. 父母的社經地位顯著影響學生提早學習英語。
10. 父母的參與度和學生的英語能力有明顯之關係。
11. 父母的社經地位較高，通常父母的參與度就愈高。
最後，建議英語老師多提供學生一個真實、互動良好的英語學習環境。 另外，家長應該多關心及參與學生的英語學習。

English learning is getting popular on the island, and many parents are sending their young children to learn English as early as possible. Besides, the public elementary schools started extending their English-language courses from the fifth grade to the third grade. The primary goal of this study is to examine the effect of early start and parental SES on sixth-graders’ English proficiency.
The subjects were 504 sixth-grade students from nine Elementary schools in Kaohsiung County. Students’ English proficiency was defined as the scores on the English proficiency test adapted from the one developed by the Bureau of Education in Taipei County in 2005. A questionnaire was designed by the researcher to understand the subjects’ background characteristics and parental involvement. The major findings of this study are as follows:
1. The subjects’ English proficiency test scores did not show a bimodal distribution but showed students’ high score tendency, especially students’ listening scores.
2. An early start in English learning had a significant influence on sixth-graders’ listening and reading proficiency.
3. The starting grade, either before third grade or after third grade, of formal English instruction at elementary school did not affect sixth graders’ English proficiency and the trend of children’s early start in extra English learning.
4. There was a greatly significant relation between the length of years of English learning and sixth graders’ listening and reading proficiency; that is, the longer the students have learned English, the better their English proficiency was.
5. The students who were taught by both English-speaking natives and Chinese-speaking English teachers had the best outcome in English learning.
6. Students’ interest in English learning significantly affected their English listening and reading proficiency.
7. The longer the students have learned English, the higher their interest in English learning is, and vice versa.
8. The higher the students’ SES belonged to, the higher their English proficiency was.
9. Parental SES was highly related to students’ early start in English learning.
10. There was a significant relation between parental involvement and sixth graders’ English proficiency.
11. Those families with higher SES tended to involve more in their children’s English learning.
Finally, it is suggested that English teachers should provide students with an authentic, interactive, and constructive language learning environment to raise students’ motivation. In addition, parents should pay more attention to and involve more in their children’s English learning.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Acknowledgement …………………………………………………………i
Chinese Abstract…………………………………………………………ii
Abstract ……………………………………………………………………iv
Table of Contents ………………………………………………………vi
List of Tables……………………………………………………………ix
List of Figures …………………………………………………………x

Chapter
1. INTRODUCTION
Motivation and Background ……………………………………………1
Problems of the Study …………………………………………………3
Purposes of the Study …………………………………………………4
Research Questions ………………………………………………………5
Significance of the Study ……………………………………………6
Definition of Terms………………………………………………………7
Limitations of the Study ……………………………………………7

2. LITERATURE REVIEW
Age Differences in the Acquisition of Language Skills……………9
Rate of Attainment: Short-term Studies…………………………………11
Eventual Attainment: Long-term Studies…………………………………12
Biological Explanations ………………………………………………………15
Lateralization of Language Functions……………………………………15
The Critical Period Hypothesis ……………………………………………16
Cognitive Explanations…………………………………………………………19
Affective Explanations…………………………………………………………21
Motivation and Language Learning …………………………………………23
The Influence of Family Background ………………………………………25
The Importance of the Family…………………………………………………25
SES and Learning Outcomes ……………………………………………………27
Parental Involvement in Relation to Children’s Learning………30
Parental Expectation and Children’s Learning ………………………33
Domestic Empirical Studies on English Learning………………………35

3. METHOD AND PROCEDURE
Subjects ………………………………………………………………………………39
Instruments …………………………………………………………………………40
Questionnaire………………………………………………………………………40
English Proficiency Test………………………………………………………43
Procedure ……………………………………………………………………………44
Data Analysis………………………………………………………………………45

4. RESULTS AND DICUSSION
The Discrepancy Among Sixth Graders’ English Proficiency …47
Early Start in English Learning and English Proficiency ………51
Formal English Instruction and English Proficiency ………………55
Formal English Instruction and Early Start……………………………57
The Length of Years of English Learning and English Proficiency..58
English Instructors’ Nationalities and English Proficiency ………64
Motivation and Language Learning………………………………………66
Parental SES, English Proficiency, and Early Start …………………70
Parental SES and Early Start in English Learning ……………………73
Parental Involvement and English Proficiency …………………………75
Parental SES and Parental Involvement ……………………………………78

5. CONCLUSIONS
Summary of the Major Findings …………………………………………………81
Pedagogical Implications…………………………………………………………83
Suggestions for Further Research………………………………………………85


REFERENCES ………………………………………………………………………87

Appendix A : Questionnaire………………………………………………………97
Appendix B : Chinese Questionnaire…………………………………………102
Appendix C : English Proficiency Test ……………………………………105
Appendix D : CD Script for English Proficiency Listening Test…111

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