A Research On English Majors’ English Learning Motivation In Universities Of Chinese Medicine

Motivation plays an important role in the study of second language or foreign language learning, and it is one of the crucial factors that affect learners’ outcome. Therefore, it is meaningful to investigate learners’ motivation. In terms of English learning motivation, the research subjects mainly focus on non-English majors or English majors in universities of science and technology or comprehensive universities. Few of them focus on English learning motivation of medical students. With the development of society, and the frequent international exchange, Universities of Chinese Medicine began to set up the English major in 2002. However, the researches on students’ English learning motivation in Universities of Chinese Medicine are rare.The questionnaire in the thesis was based on Gardner’s Attitude/Motivation Test Battery(Gardner 1985) and Gao Yihong’s Motivation Questionnaire(2003), adjusted with characteristics of Traditional Chinese Medicine university. The subjects are juniors of English majors in Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine and Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine. Besides the questionnaire, 4 students chosen randomly in each university were interviewed through telephones or QQ, to get more information related to their universities. With the help of SPSS 13.0, the data are analyzed through prescriptive test, independent T sample test and correlation test. In the process of data analysis, data of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine and Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, and data of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine and Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine are compared firstly, and then both groups are combined as a whole to make comparison together.The research has found out that on the motivation types, students in Beijing University of Chinese Medicine and Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine differ a lot in the intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation, while for students in Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine and Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, they have a lot in common, and there only exist differences in their attitudes toward speaking standard English. For the students in these four universities, they agree that extrinsic motivation plays a more important role in their English learning than intrinsic motivation. As for motivation intensity, students in the four universities don’t show very high level of English learning motivation. Students in BUCM and NUCM differ in their English reading, English listening and viewing, and efforts made to learn English. While for students in GUCM and SUCM, there exists no significant difference on motivation intensity. When taking BUCM and NUCM as a whole, compared with GUCM and SUCM as a whole, they differ a lot in English speaking, English problem-solving and their effort put in to learn English. As for the influencing factors of motivation, students in BUCM and NUCM hold significantly different attitudes towards curriculum and effective teaching methods. While for students in GUCM and SUCM, they hold significantly different attitudes towards teachers’ English abilities, textbooks and English learning environment. When taking BUCM and NUCM as a whole, compared with GUCM and SUCM as a whole, they have different attitude towards the teachers’ teaching methods, teachers’ English abilities and English learning environment.As for the correlation test, extrinsic motivation of going abroad has a significant negative correlation with CET4 scores, and extrinsic motivation of attending TCM conferences has a significant negative correlation with both CET4 and CET6 scores. But for other extrinsic or intrinsic motivation, it doesn’t show obvious correlation with CET4 and CET6 scores. The motivation intensity doesn’t show obvious correlation with CET4 and CET6 scores, either. As for the influencing factors of motivation, conscientious attitude toward English learning has a significant correlation with both CET4 and CET6 scores. The proper curriculum and teachers’ effective teaching methods have a significant positive correlation with students’ CET4 scores.On the basis of the theories and the findings, this research puts forward some suggestions to improve students’ English learning motivation. The people in charge of the universities should fully understand the importance of English learning and provide enriched resources and equipment for students. Universities should not accept students who are not interested in English. And the forms of fostering students can be changed and rearranged reasonably. Teachers’ should expand their knowledge, enrich their knowledge both in English and medicine, get well-prepared for lessons, and change their ways of teaching.