Learning Motivation Of Mistudents And Implications For Interpreting Teaching An Investigation In Xisu

Learning motivation is defined as a mental process or internal impetus that(1) prompts a learner’s learning behavior,(2) drives him/her to stick to the specific behavior, and(3) directs him/her to a goal. Interpreting learning motivation plays an important role in an interpreting learner’s effort, enthusiasm, initiative, and persistence in interpreting learning. On account of difficulty of interpreting learning and strong pressure the Master of Interpreting(MI) students have to bear in interpreting courses, learning motivation is of great significance to the MI students who aim at making progress in interpreting proficiency. However, despite of abundant research on learning motivation, especially on EFL(English as a Foreign Language) learning motivation, research on interpreting learning motivation is limited. On the basis of self-determination theory and attribution theory, this thesis probes into the intensity of intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation of the first-year, second-year, and third-year MI students in Xi’an International Studies University, and their attribution of success and failure in interpreting learning. Research results indicate that, on the whole, the intensity of MI students’ intrinsic motivation is higher than that of the extrinsic motivation; a proportion of MI students do not make adaptive attribution; and the intensity of intrinsic motivation of the first-year, second-year, and third-year MI students is gradually reduced. Therefore, it is indispensable to adopt measures in interpreting teaching to maintain and promote MI students’ intrinsic motivation, guide them to make adaptive attribution, assist them to select learning material, provide favorable interpreting learning environment, etc.