Consequently, the communicative approach is being widely used in the English classes of Chinese middle school. The application of it is based on the idea that English should be taught as a communicative tool, not merely a kind knowledge of language.
Traditionally, the teaching of English in China is dominated by a teacher-centered, book-centered, grammar-translation method and an emphasis on text memory. These traditional teaching approaches have resulted in a number of typical learning styles in China, such as dumb-English. These teaching and learning styles all neglect the importance of oral English.
On January 3rd, 2004, the Ministry of Education issued a notice concerning the distribution of Teaching Requirements for English Curriculum. In the Requirements, two main shifts are highlighted, namely, the shift of the focus of the teaching syllabus from reading to listening and speaking; and the shift of the teaching model from teacher-centered into student-centered. The revised national syllabus and the Ministry of Education makes it clear that communication is to be the main focus, so it is urgent and necessary to improve students’ oral English.
1.2 The cause for middle school students’ poor oral-English
As we all know, the current oral-English teaching process in China is far from optimistic. The purpose of English teaching in Chinese middle schools is to train the students’ skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing. But this is not the final purpose. The final purpose is to let students be able to use the language. If a student is only good at reading and writing, can we say that he is good at the language? Of course, no. If a student is good at English, he should be able to use the language, both in writing and speaking. But, now most of the students do better in reading English than in speaking it. They can read and write, but they can hardly speak in English. They can hardly express themselves with their own words. This is partially because of current examination system, and partially of the teaching method. We are not able to change the examination system, but we can improve our teaching method. Most of the teachers like to provide the students with a lot of knowledge— words, phrases, grammar, usage and so on. They focus on these things, especially on grammar. Yes, the students do need these, but many teachers forget to take the students’ non-intellective factors into consideration. So it is necessary for us to analyze the non-intellective factors for Chinese students’ poor oral English.
1.3    Meaning of the study
Generally speaking, the oral-English learning is influenced by the intelligence and non-intellective factors. In the past, when learning English, people were just aware of the importance of intelligence and always paid more attention to its development, but neglected the effect of non-intellective factors on oral-English learning of middle school students and development of their non-intellective factors.
In 1935，Alexander. W. P, the American psychologist, put forward the concept of non-intellective factor for the first time in his Intelligence, concrete and abstract. After a decade, Wechsler. D, another American psychologist, raised the concept of the intelligence of non-intellective factors, marked the birth of the concept of the non-intellective factor and the beginning of scientific study. In China, YanGuo cai’s Pay Attention to the Training of Non-intellective Factors was published in GUANGMING DAILY in 1983, which arose the wide attention and discuss of scholars and authorities.
American Educator James once said, ‘‘students’ interest, motivation, attitude, curiosity and emotion play an essential role in the development of intelligence.’’(qtd. In ). Recent years, many proposed English-teaching methods in the overseas, such as Body-Reaction Method, Natural Method and Situational Teaching Method, are especially aware of students’ non-intellective factors, stressing Interest of students is the key to learn language well. Middle school students have not long and steady attention and clear learning purpose, so it is necessary for students to develop their non-intellective factors if you want them to be absorbed in study on their own. 非智力因素对中学生英语口语学习的影响(2):http://www.youerw.com/yingyu/lunwen_9998.html