LEARNING ENGLISH EXPERIENCES OF TEN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN CHINA: A QUALITATIVE STUDY

42 Thomas, who helped me select my participants, to read the findings, a peer review process (Merriam, 2009). Mrs. Thomas indicated that the results summarized what happens in China. This process is called confirmability. Many researchers believe that qualitative research results cannot be applied to other situations or generalized to a larger population. Phenomenological findings are only for the people studied. Since this study is about second-year high school students in China, their experiences may not be generalized to other populations. However, transferring or generalizing the results in qualitative research only happens as people read and learn lessons about what happened in this study. Generalizability only occurs when the findings' readers apply the results to their situation. Conclusion This chapter describes the survey design and provides the processes that happened during the study. The data collection strategies included the sampling method and the selection of participants; the data collection procedure included interviews and focus groups; a description of what happened during analysis; and how I ensured the findings were trustworthy. Participants were interviewed by phone during data collection, and the focus group took place on WeChat App. Data analysis started at the beginning of the first interview, and the collected data were coded into themes and classified. The following chapter will discuss the findings in detail and provide themes authenticated by participants’ voices.

43 CHAPTER 4 FINDINGS Introduction This study explored students' challenges when learning English in school and whether the local Chinese languages affect learning English. In addition, the study determined whether gender plays a role in learning English. With the rise of China on the world stage and the growth of China's economy, there is an increasing demand for learning English in China. Moreover, with the spread of English in China, English learners in schools and other learning environments face various problems in conversation, reading, writing, and listening. The research questions in this study are： 1. What challenges do Chinese high school students face when they learn English? 2. Are their differences in the challenges male and female students experience when learning English? 3. What effect do the local Chinese languages have on learning English as a second language? This chapter presents findings from the data analysis. First, a brief introduction of each student involved is presented. Then, the rest of the chapter discusses findings according to emergent themes.

44 Participants Ten 17-year-old sophomore students from Gong Zhu Ling No.1 High School participated in this study. There are five males and five females. All ten students live in the cities in northern China, but one student came from southern China. Only two students are unable to speak the Northeast dialect. One student, Kevin, speaks Japanese. All students indicated that memorizing the vocabulary and sentence structures is a challenge. Mike was born in the south but lived in the north of China. He speaks Mandarin. Both of his parents are college graduates. Mike has problems with English vocabulary. He thinks that learning English would impact his education. He believes mastering more than one foreign language can help him gain more knowledge through the new language, like reading more English books. John strongly resists learning English because he thinks he will hardly use English in the future except for exams. John does not believe he would go abroad or work in a foreign company. His mother graduated from high school, and his father graduated from middle school. Alice finds some English words difficult to understand and finds it hard to use some of the terms. She felt she would do better in an environment where she could practice English. His parents both graduated from high school. David stated that memorizing vocabulary is challenging for him and attributes this problem to his teachers. He believes good teachers use methods that motivate students to learn English. He said the teacher packs the English lesson with much information, but the teaching strategies are dull. His parents encourage their children to learn English at home, and they help them memorize the English vocabulary.

45 David’s father graduated from a university, and his mother graduated from high school. Jay Also finds the English vocabulary very challenging. He wishes to spend more time learning English, but the National entrance exam hinders his progress as he has to study for other subjects. His father and mother are middle school and highschool graduates, respectively. Eva’s biggest challenge is grammar. She thinks there is too much grammar to know for one to learn English. His father graduated from college, and her mother graduated from high school. Kevin’s challenge is grammar, and he also has listening problems. He thinks having an English environment could improve his English. He wishes he had more opportunities to practice English. He indicated that his teacher gives assignments to practice English at home. His parents are glad that he is learning English. However, his father and mother graduated from high school and did not know how to help him learn English. Susan finds speaking and memorizing vocabulary very challenging. Sometimes their teacher gives them assignments to record a short video to practice their English. However, she wishes the school provided more environments for speaking English. She believes such an environment would impact her learning of English. Her parents, who graduated from high school, hope that English will give her an advantage, and they always encourage her to learn English. Lucy struggles with grammar. She believes that if she could speak English in and outside class, she would improve her English. Lucy’s father graduated from middle school, and her mother had just graduated from primary school.

46 Lily thinks English and Chinese are opposite languages because of the way of expression, the pronunciation of words, and the language use. She struggles with English grammar. She would have liked to have an environment for practicing English to improve her English skills. Her father and mother are university and college graduates, respectively. Findings from Analysis The findings are organized into three sections: Challenges in learning English, The Effect of the Chinese Language on learning English, and Other Emergent Themes. Challenges in learning English English Language Skill Development. Data analysis shows that students face a variety of problems in learning English. Academic language development challenges included vocabulary, grammar, speaking, and pronunciation (Figure 4). As seen from the graph, half of the students indicated that mastering the vocabulary was the most challenging when it came to learning English. Speaking and pronunciation were rated lower than the problems with grammar. Vocabulary. Among the students interviewed, nine of ten mentioned that they could not memorize or remember the English words when they were learning because there were so many unfamiliar English words. Some English words, although spelled the same, have different meanings. Students also have problems with pronunciation.

47 Figure 4. Difficulties with Language Learning Skills The number of words in English is too large, easy to confuse word memory because of the similar composition of words. Many terms are identical, and you can easily mistake them when learning English. Mike. It is hard to memorize English words. When I was reading, the sentence could not be read smoothly. Perhaps it is because I am not familiar with the English terms. Jay. Grammar. Students also had problems with grammar. Five students discussed their challenges with grammar when learning English because of the language structure, which is different from the Chinese grammar structure. Eva’s comment below is an example of students’ feelings. I think grammar is challenging because language and culture are different. English grammar is different from Chinese grammar to a great extent and has many different ways of writing. Lucy. I think grammar is challenging because language and culture are different. English grammar is different from Chinese grammar to a great extent. We cannot learn English from the perspective of mother tongue grammar. The logical thinking of the two languages is different. Eva. 9 5 4 0 2 4 6 8 10 Vocabulary Grammar Speaking and Pronounciation Difficulties with language learning skills Vocabulary Grammar Speaking and Pronounciation

48 Speaking and Pronunciation. Four of the ten students spoke of the lack of practice listening and speaking English. Some of the students indicated that even when they can interact with others, they cannot pronounce the words correctly and do not understand English words spoken by others. Alice provides an example of the student's feelings. I sometimes have trouble understanding what people are saying when I communicate with them in English because they speak too fast, sometimes because the speaker's pronunciation is incorrect. Alice. Other Factors that Influence Language Learning. Several different themes emerged during the data analysis. These themes included methods of teaching, lack of environment for practicing English, parents’ support for learning English, the effect of the Chines language on the acquisition of the English language, gender, motivation, which is divided into integrative, instrumental, intrinsic, and extrinsic motivation, and Students’ emotions (Figure 5). Figure 5. Other Factors that Influence Language Learning Teacher’s Methods of Teaching. Four students stated that their challenges came from the teacher’s teaching methods. They stated that the teacher lectured and did not assess whether the students understood the lessons. 4 8 3 5 7 2 2 0 0 0 5 3 2 8 9 1 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 methods of teaching Lack of Environment Parents Support Effect of Chinese Language Gender Motivation Students Feelings

49 I could not keep up with the teacher's teaching ideas when I was in class. I rarely had the opportunity to answer questions, and the teacher would not explain what I did not understand. David. I often could not understand what the teacher was talking about. The teacher's ideas were not explained clearly. Jay. When the teacher says some complicated sentences, I often cannot reflect on what it means. Kevin. The knowledge of grammar is not well studied. We did not have a good foundation when learning grammar at the beginning. Kevin. As a result of the teaching methods, one student resisted learning English. The student was unsure whether his inner resistance came from the teachers’ teaching methods or the education system, which focuses on examinations. He described his problem. I am fed up with English subjects, although I love English. Maybe it is because of the teachers' teaching methods or the education system. Because although Chinese education is changing, it is still exam-oriented, and students’ scores are most important for schools and teachers. Jay. Despite students' problems in the classroom, not all students felt that the teacher’s methods hindered them from learning English. Two students thought that the teacher played an essential role in their English language learning. Here is what one of the students stated, I think my English teacher is the most important influence factor for me. Her English teaching method has had a significant influence on my English learning. David.

50 Lack of Environment for Practicing English. Another study finding had to do with an environment for practicing speaking English. Students associated a lack of environment for practicing listening and speaking the English Language as one of the biggest reasons they could not speak English or avoided speaking English. There were three reasons they associated with the lack of environment. The first was that teachers did not focus on the practical aspect of language learning by creating an outside environment for practice, such as assignments that would force students to practice English outside the classroom. Another reason was that the education system focused on the national entrance exam. Students felt that an environment for practicing a skill is critical because they had difficulties pronouncing English words. They did not have the opportunity to practice what they were learning. Others never interacted with Foreigners to practice speaking English. They had never heard of native speakers of English or heard foreigners who spoke English. They only listened to the pronunciation of their teachers, who did not have the appropriate accent. Most students mentioned that the English environment is the main factor that can impact them to learn English. I have a challenge with speaking English. Because I do not have a language environment around me and have never communicated with foreigners, I am confused about the pronunciation of some English words and sentences. Susan. I think the English environment factor is very important. The students around me are all learning English, and their English level is not very high. So, it is challenging to improve English through communicating with others. Therefore, the quality of the English environment can directly affect my English learning. Mike.

51 English environment is an important factor for me. Because there is no English environment where we can practice speaking or listen to English well, I feel very tired of English learning without an English environment. Lily. Parents Support. Three of the students indicated that their parents encouraged them to learn English. However, one of the students stated that his parents were eager for him to learn English, but because his parents only have secondary education, they do not have the skills to help him. My parents encouraged me to learn English because the college entrance examination needs to test English, and there is still have CET in college. Also, they hope that I have strong points in English. Susan. My parents occasionally let me speak English at home, hoping to learn English because English is a relatively important subject, whether in high school or college. David. Effect of Chinese Language on learning English. Another theme of this study was the effect of the Chinese language on English. From the interviews and the focus groups, students felt that the Chinese language hinders and sometimes helps English learning. The participants' idea was that Chinese and English are two different language systems, so the usage of the two languages is different. When the focus groups talked about this question, the students had different views on the role of the Chinese in learning a second language. Some believed the local language could help, and others felt it could hinder learning English. Those who thought the local language negatively influences the learning of English also discussed that instead of thinking in English, they think in Chinese. Unfortunately, the construction of sentences and grammar is different.

52 The Chinese language can hinder me from learning English; I often think about English in Chinese thinking. The difference in grammar also causes me to make mistakes often in writing. Mike. Chinese interferes with learning English because of the differences between Chinese and English in thinking, writing, and communication. I find myself writing English in the way Chinese is written. David. While the first language can interfere with second language learning, some students discussed how they think the Chinese language can help them learn English. The following quotes explain this finding: It should help a little. Because different languages still have a little connection. I can understand English in Chinese, which will be more convenient to learn English. Susan. I think Chinese can help English learning to a certain extent. Many languages will be related, And Chinese and English also have similarities. So, learning English will be easier to learn because of the similarities. Lily. We think Chinese can help us learn English more because we use Chinese to explain English in class, so Chinese can help us understand the meaning of English better. In terms of expression, different logical thinking of the two languages may cause the blocking effect. Kevin. Gender. Seven students believed that a person’s gender did not affect how one learns the English language. However, three students thought there was a difference between males and females in learning the English language. The following quotes represent what the students stated.

53 There should be a slight difference between English and Chinese. In most cases, it requires remembering and understanding the grammar. Girls have an easier time remembering words and learning social issues than boys. Kevin. However, during the focus group sessions, some students mentioned no differences between males and females in acquiring language skills. The following quote summarizes what they stated: There is no difference because language is one place you accumulate and understand it alone. The key to learning English lies in hard work, not because of gender differences. Lucy. There is no gender difference because language learning requires continuous knowledge accumulation. Even if their language ability is not outstanding, people can learn to be very good at English through hard work. Kevin. However, two students felt that females learn the language easier than boys because the brain functions psychologically when processing speech. There will be some differences because English is more liberal arts and most girls like liberal arts. Females tend to like languages because it is an easier subject than science. Therefore, females are more talented in English. Mike. Motivation for Learning English. Several themes emerged regarding motivation for learning. Some students had integrative motivation, and others had instrumental motivation. In addition, some students were intrinsically motivated to learn English, while some had extrinsic motivation for learning the language. Instrumental Motivation. Passing Exams in China, the National entrance exams are crucial for high school students. They have to pass the exam before they go to the university, and English is one of the subjects in the exam. All the students agreed that learning English helps them pass the national examination.

54 I study English because of exam-oriented education to pass the college entrance examination. If I do not consider going abroad, I do not think I can use English in the future. John. I love English very much because I hope that when I travel abroad, I can understand what foreigners say or read the signs on the map one day. Susan Integrative Motivation: Learning Other Cultures: Apart from the national entrance examination, some students are motivated to learn English because they want to know about other cultures. Some students would like to travel to learn about the culture, while others would like to learn about culture through movies. The following quotes from students explain these findings: I can discover the fantastic culture of different countries when learning English. Also, some words in English can express ideas better than in the Chinese language. This is very attractive to me. Mike. I like English because I am interested in the English language. My motivation for learning English is that I like American TV series and English songs. Lucy. Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation. While the other students wanted to learn English because they were interested in culture, others wanted to learn English to pass the English exams. Other students enjoyed the English classes because they were rewarded with movies. Eva had an intrinsic motivation. She explains why she like English. I'm interested in languages. I think mastering languages other than my mother tongue is an outstanding ability. And the first foreign language I have been exposed to since childhood is English. Eva.

55 On the other hand, in response to what students liked most in learning English, David seems to echo what all the students liked about the class. They were extrinsically rewarded with watching English movies in class. David explained, In class, we like the process of reading because it doesn't require too much thinking. Also, the English teacher will occasionally play a clip from an American movie to explain the knowledge points involved in the film so that we can improve our listening comprehension skills. Watching an English movie is when we like English. David. Students' Feelings About Speaking English. One of the critical findings was the information students gave about their feelings regarding learning English. Different students expressed their feelings regarding practicing English outside the classroom. Some of the students felt comfortable speaking English outside of the classroom and were prepared for the challenge, and others practiced making sure they could speak English if faced with the situation. I feel good about myself because I have not encountered many English situations. There will be some parts that I don’t understand when I face this situation. But I will concentrate and listen carefully because practice is the most effective way to improve my spoken English. Eva. I think it's OK because I can say a few simple sentences in English when I meet in English situations. When I meet English outside the class, I can understand some simple sentences, but not many. Jay. Unfortunately, some students lacked the confidence to speak English outside the classroom because they had inadequate English vocabulary. Others had difficulties constructing the sentence and took too long to put words together to form a sentence.

56 I do not feel good because I don't have an ideal language environment. In Chinese, one can guess what somebody is saying from the content. But in English, there are many new words that I didn't learn in class. Mike. When speaking in English outside of the class, I need to take a few seconds to organize language in my brain. When I hear English outside class, I do not understand some of the words. When I meet this situation, I use my mobile phone to look up the meaning of words. Alice. The above figure 6 is the conceptual framework of the findings. The need to memorize and comprehend Vocabulary and Grammar are the biggest challenges for students. The study also shows that students need an environment to practice English. In addition, teachers need to learn better teaching methods to ensure students can learn. This study clearly shows that gender does not play a role in English learning. Males and females can learn a language if they put effort into acquiring the skills. However, the study shows that females learn the language more than males. Students were divided on whether the Chinese language helps them learn English or hinders their acquisition of a language. Some said it helped them because they used translanguaging, and others indicated that they got confused with the vocabulary. The data analysis also showed that motivation is a significant factor in language learning. The study revealed that some students had instrumental motivation, and others had integrative motivation.

57 Figure 6. Conceptual Framework Conclusion The data analysis shows that students had difficulties learning the English language. Students felt that the teachers needed to use other strategies for teaching rather than teacher-centered methods. Furthermore, students believed they needed an environment outside of the classroom to practice the English language. Other findings included the effect of the Chinese language on English acquisition and student motivation for learning English.

58 CHAPTER 5 DISCUSSION Introduction This study aimed to explore the challenges students face in learning English, whether local Chinese language and culture influence students' English learning, and whether gender plays a role in English learning. This section will discuss the findings and how they fit within the literature. The findings are presented first before discussing the results, organized according to the research questions. Summary of Findings The data analysis shows that Chinese students' most common language acquisition challenges are grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation. Grammar is problematic because of the many English grammatical rules students must memorize. The English language vocabulary has a variety of spellings or homonyms that sound the same but have different meanings. In addition, pronouncing the words from the spellings is tricky. Regarding the effect of the first language on the second language, the analysis indicated that the Chinese language seemed to have had no bearing on learning English. However, the first language could positively or negatively influence learning. Students discussed pedagogical issues in terms of teachers’ English teaching strategies. Students felt that some teachers did not have appropriate methods of teaching that encouraged them to learn English. Students also pointed to the lack of an environment for practicing speaking and pronouncing English words to improve their

59 language acquisition. Other significant findings dwelt on the parents’ support, the role of gender in learning English, and students’ motivation for learning English. Question 1: What challenges do Chinese high school students face when they learn English? Every student faces different challenges when learning English. According to the analysis, each student described their problems in learning English and their reasons. Most students had difficulties with vocabulary, grammar, reading, and listening. Other challenges were those dealing with conversational elements of learning English, such as speaking and pronunciation. In addition, students felt that some of these challenges resulted from poor teaching strategies. Vocabulary Vocabulary problem is the most common challenge students face when learning English, as Snow and Kim (2007). said, “vocabulary is one of the biggest challenges in learning English” (p. 14). The challenge of memorizing vocabulary is the challenge in reading, and other aspects are also caused by students' inability to remember the terminology and new words they encounter. Some students cannot understand the central meaning of sentences when reading because they cannot remember the meaning of words. This is the same as Groth's idea that a lack of vocabulary can also lead to a decline in reading ability. (Groth et al., 2016). Therefore, it is evident that these students were having a hard time because vocabulary is essential for comprehending what is being read. Students indicated that grammar was also challenging because the English grammar rules must be memorized. Chinese and English have different ways of expressing thought, and this is why learning grammar is complicated because English

60 has many exceptions to the rule. Akinbode (2008) mentioned that English grammar rules are set differently and hard to remember. While English has a complicated sentence structure, the Chinese sentence structure is not as large as English. The Chinese break a long sentence into shorter sentences for comprehension (Ling & Sepora, 2013). Memorizing English words and grammar is challenging. Some learners memorize words without understanding their meaning (Afzal, 2019; Raximovna et al., 2020). Nevertheless, a learner cannot speak a language without memorizing the vocabulary because the learned knowledge or terms form the base for speaking the language and using the proper terminology (Sadri & Firouzi, 2017). In addition, English grammar has to be memorized and mastered before students can speak properly. Unfortunately, Chinese students face challenges because English expressions differ from Chinese ones. Ji and Liu (2018) affirmed this finding when they investigated 148 students on mastering grammar. They found that most students cannot master the knowledge system of grammar effectively, and their learning efficiency is very low. Many students did not know how to consolidate their grammar knowledge effectively. Speaking and Pronunciation If a non-native language speaker with incorrect pronunciation teaches English, the learners will learn the wrong pronunciation. However, if students work with a native speaker or have correct pronunciation, they will be influenced by correct pronunciation and learn proper pronunciation. Winterfeld (2017) indicates that native English speakers, even though they may not be trained teachers, can teach the language and pronunciation better as it is their language. People's pronunciation problems can also be partly due to the influence of their mother tongue. Mispronunciation can lead to miscommunication, and poor communication can distort

61 meaning (Tsojon & Aji, 2014). So it is essential to learn English with those who have correct pronunciation. It is crucial to master correct pronunciation, as it is an integral part of communication. Gilakjani (2017) said that teaching pronunciation could improve English learners' oral expression. Therefore, the purpose of learning correct pronunciation is to have a better ability to communicate effectively. If learners do not have proper pronunciation, they cannot communicate effectively. In addition, when students interact with others in conversation, they can try the pronunciations crucial for speaking English. Some students mentioned that they usually do not understand what is said when they talk with other people who are not native speakers. They get used to the erroneous pronunciation of non-native English teachers. Need for an Environment for Practicing English One of the most important findings was the lack of opportunity to practice speaking the language. Eight students described their need for an environment for using English for communication. Sargsyan & Kurghinyan (2016) found from their research that nearly half of the 38 students in their study could speak English outside the classroom because of the two hours of Experimental English class outside of the classroom. Vygotsky's (1987) sociocultural theory indicates that language acquisition depends on social interaction with society. The participants in this study were unable to interact with others outside of the classroom. The teachers did not assign them practical assignments to speak with others outside of the classroom. Teacher’s Methods of Teaching Most students wanted better teaching strategies, while a few were satisfied with some of the teacher's methods in the class. Students who felt unable to learn the

62 English language believed teachers needed to improve their teaching methods. It was because of inappropriate teaching strategies that made their learning difficult. Students wanted more activities to engage them in conversations in and outside the classroom. Students who had problems with comprehension suggested that the teacher was unaware of students’ issues, or the students were not able to ask questions or did not inform the teacher of their lack of understanding. Furthermore, it looks like the teacher did not assess students’ comprehension of the information he taught. The teacher could have used student-centered methods where the students would be free to ask the teacher questions or get information from their peers in class. Teacher awareness of students’ problems in learning is essential. Walton-Fisette (2010) indicated that students' thoughts, feelings, and attitudes often determine their level of interest in learning. Teachers should be able to create a learning environment based on what is best for the students. Therefore, the strategies should come from discussing students’ needs during classroom participation. Mascolo (2009) agrees that using teacher-centered teaching methods for language learning reduces students' chances of using the language. Teacher-centered methods affect students' initiative and enthusiasm for language learning. Ganyaupfu (2013) also affirms that different teaching methods have different results on students' performance and teachers need to have a variety of teaching strategies to motivate students to learn. Although most students expressed their wish for better teaching methods, two students talked about the teacher’s positive influence on their English learning. One thing that stood out for one student was the American movies the teacher made them watch in class, which helped them learn new words and about American culture.

63 It is essential to point out that not all students have the same perspective about teachers’ methods. Most students felt they needed the teacher to use better teaching methods. However, two students discussed strategies the teacher used in class that helped them learn English. Although the teacher used direct teaching methods, she was able to diversify some of her methods. She asked the students to create videos or watch movies in this case. These two students may have been comfortable using their particular learning styles to acquire the English language because students have multiple intelligences (Gardner, 2011) and use different learning styles, including visual, auditory, and kinesthetic (Fleming, 2006), Question 2: Are there differences in male and female students' experiences when learning English? Although students were divided over the issue of Gender, there is enough evidence that gender does not play a role in language acquisition. Agu (2014) compared the performance results of written and oral tests between the two groups of students and concluded that gender did not play any vital role in language acquisition. Douglas and Alemanne (2007) indicate that all students, regardless of gender, can learn the language if they are determined to learn. He further states that no matter how well a course is designed, students will not learn anything unless they put reasonable effort into the learning process. There also has research supporting the role of gender in learning English. Główka (2014) shows in her study that females are open to learning other linguistic forms. They can speak a new language without using languages mixed with words from the first language. Question 3: What effect do the local Chinese languages have on learning English as a second language?

64 The data analysis showed that the local languages did not affect the students’ acquisition of English. Furthermore, there were no differences between students from the North and those from the South, even though those from the North spoke Mandarin and one student from the South spoke quite a few dialects. Liang (2019) and Derteding (2017) explain that though the provinces are different, there is not much difference between the North and the South. They all face the same problem of using epenthetic vowels In responding to whether the Chinese language helps students learn English or hinders the acquisition of English, some of the students pointed out that it helps in some cases. Students think that translanguaging (using both English and Chinese in the same sentence) helps them make sense of sentences. In addition, translanguaging helps them to master the language quickly. Fang and Liu (2020) affirm that translanguaging is an accepted learning strategy in China because it enables students to comprehend and use English effectively. Furthermore, Shaotong (2017) states that students can fully use Chinese learning characteristics by analyzing Chinese grammar and comparing the differences between Chinese and English to improve their English learning. Other students, however, discussed how the first language (Chinese) interfered with English learning. In learning English, they often had to translate first into their language, making it difficult to progress in their acquisition of English. This finding is consistent with Mukhopadhyay (2018). His study showed that second-language assimilation is a problem for learners due to the dominance of their mother tongue. A survey by Sinha, Banerjee, Sinha, and Shastri (2009) confirms that the first language interferes with the second language because students have less exposure to the first

65 language and that students who only speak one language can pick up the English language better. Other Findings Students’ Motivation. Students had different reasons that motivated them to learn English. A significant factor Some students had instrumental motivation because they wanted to travel to use the language. Other students were driven by integrative motivation, enjoyment, and learning about the culture. Some were driven by intrinsic motivation to learn the language. In contrast, others had the extrinsic motivation to learn the language because of its reward, such as passing the language examinations or watching movies. Rabideau (2005) points out that motivation can be the driving force behind a person’s actions. These findings are in keeping with motivation theories by Gardner (2001) and Deci & Ryan (2008) regarding language learning. Gardner (2001) discusses language learning in terms of instrumental and integrative motivation. He believes integrative motivation refers to a positive attitude towards a second language and a desire to approach and acquire a language. Instrumental motivation is to learn a language for extrinsic rewards. On the contrary, some students are not motivated to learn English because they do not believe they can use it after finishing school. Looking at the student’s background, he does not have any motivation from his parents, as both his parents did not go to college. Studies show that parents with low literacy may not know how to participate in helping children to learn English (Poyraz, 2017).

66 Students’ Emotions The students discussed the concept of emotions. Some students felt comfortable speaking English outside of the classroom because they enjoyed speaking the language. They think practice can help them improve their English skills. However, some students felt uncomfortable because of inadequate English vocabulary and the problem of organizing the language before speaking. Tsiplakides and Keramida (2009) indicate that about half of language learners experience surprising anxiety levels, and speaking anxiety in a foreign language is expected. In addition, Haidara (2016) found that even if students' English vocabulary and grammar are good, they feel shy and lack confidence when speaking English. They are afraid of making mistakes. Parents’ Support. A significant finding in this study was that parents were involved in encouraging their children to learn English. Three of the students indicated that they were encouraged by their parents to spend time learning English. Parents attach learning English as critical for being employable. Thus, globally, parents want their children to learn English because it helps them improve their educational opportunities and find good jobs. As a result, parents in China are involved in their children’s acquisition of the English Language. Gao (2006) stated that parents indirectly collaborate with teachers and have other strategies for encouraging their children to learn the English language. One strategy is parent-teacher collaboration in parent-teacher communication regarding what the students are learning and supervision of students at home as they learn English (Ma, 2017). Other studies indicate that the home environment is crucial in language acquisition, especially parents’ attitudes toward learning. In his research, Zhou (2020)

67 found that parents' educational level plays a role in a student’s language acquisition. In the present study, students whose parents did not attain a higher education level wanted their child to learn English but did not know how to help him learn English. The other students did not discuss how they are encouraged to learn English. Conclusion Chinese students face different challenges when learning English, especially vocabulary and grammar. In addition, students lack appropriate environments for practicing grammar and English pronunciation. Furthermore, some of the difficulties students face in learning English come from Teachers’ lack of experience and inappropriate teaching strategies. In China, teachers are more familiar with teachercentered methods, which do not encourage active learning. Gender plays a role in the acquisition of English. Some students thought that females were better at learning English. However, other students believed that all students could learn English if they put much effort into learning. This depends on what motivates them. However, the study shows that some students have integrative motivation while others have instrumental motivation. Furthermore, this study indicates that students believe that the first language can either hinder or promote the learning of English.

68 CHAPTER 6 CONCLUSION Overview of the Main Findings Students face many challenges when learning English, but the most challenging issues are remembering vocabulary and grammar. The students interviewed also faced problems with the teacher’s teaching methods, which did not help them learn the language. Most students discussed the lack of an environment for practicing the English language. Some of the students were supported at home by their parents. For some students, the Chinese language hindered students from learning English, while others believed that translanguaging was a good strategy for learning English. Students were either instrumentally or integratively motivated to learn the English language. Limitations of the Study The data collection process was a problem during the Covid Pandemic. The plan was to do all interviews face-to-face because the researcher controls the process and environment. However, it was unclear whether the participants were alone during the WeChat phone interviews and focus groups or whether some were providing answers to the participants behind the scenes. Since the students were interviewed in Chinese, it is possible that some important language nuances were lost in translating the data into English. Recommendations

69 Recommendations for the School Chinese high school students face various challenges and problems when learning English, and the challenges faced by each student are also different. Schools should regularly train teachers in professional knowledge and skills to improve their professional knowledge and teaching level. Teachers should be trained to improve their teaching strategies. They should formulate corresponding teaching plans and strategies according to the challenges faced by students. In addition, teachers should pay attention to students' motivations and formulate different learning activities and tasks according to each student's different learning motivations to increase students' interest in learning English. When formulating teaching plans and strategies, the teachers should also pay attention to the gender of students and develop different methods according to other students. In addition, teachers should also be more student-centered in teaching and provide students with more opportunities to answer questions in the classroom. Schools must provide opportunities for students to use English outside of the classroom. Therefore, assignments for students to communicate in English with society would help students improve their English proficiency. Teachers should also recommend relevant books according to students' needs to improve students vocabulary or recommend some English videos and programs to improve students' English pronunciation. Parents play a role in encouraging students to learn. Therefore they must be trained and given strategies for supporting and encouraging their children to learn and practice English at home. Future Research

70 For a phenomenological study, the 10 participants from one classroom were adequate for this type of research. However, the participants' experiences in this study only came from one class. Comparing students' experiences from different levels of education would provide important information that the government could use to improve the English curriculum and the strategies for teaching and learning English. Therefore, it would be pragmatic to conduct a multiple case study with various participants, including students and teachers. Their perspectives would add to the literature on language acquisition. Conclusion This study explored students' experiences when learning English in school. In addition, the study also set out to investigate whether gender and the local Chinese languages and culture affected the learning of English. The findings are based on a phenomenological study of English learning conducted on ten students of Gongzhuling No. 1 Middle School in China. The findings show that students face various challenges when learning English, including grammar and vocabulary, listening, speaking, and pronunciation problems. Gender does not play a role in language acquisition. Chinese mother tongue has both positive and negative effects on English learning. Therefore, it is hoped that the Ministry of Education can carry out curriculum reforms and revise curriculum standards according to the problems faced by students. In addition, schools can help teachers improve their professional knowledge and teaching strategies for better English language learning outcomes.

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