Motivation of Chinese Medical Students in Learning English as a Second Language: A Quantitative Study

Abstract

Within the context of internationalization, Chinese students are now expected to demonstrate high levels of English proficiency in higher education. With increasing emphasis on English proficiency, particularly in medical programs offered by Chinese institutions of higher learning, it is crucial to identify students’ motivations to learn English. However, the motivation of Chinese medical students to learn English as a second language has largely gone unexplored. This research study fills a gap in existing literature by utilizing a quantitative method to examine the motivation of 145 students from nine medicine-related majors and different academic years. A structured questionnaire, written in Chinese, was utilized to collect data on students’ demographic i nformation, self-perceived English proficiency level, motivations for learning English, and preference for teaching methods. Prior to questionnaire distribution, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 medical students to inform the questionnaire’s development. Quantitative data analysis involved calculating mean values and standard deviations for Likert scale items. Results of this study reveal a variety of motivational factors driving medical students’ English language learning, with achieving sufficient scores on standardized tests emerging as the primary factor. Furthermore, the study identifies listening comprehension as the most challenging area of English language acquisition based on survey responses. While highlighting the limitations of this study, the findings underscore the need for Chinese institutions of higher learning to better support the language needs of medical students. The study concludes by proposing some recommendations to enhance language instruction in Chinese English classrooms.