VIET NAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE FACULTY OF EDUCATION AND FOREIGN LANGUAGES BA THESIS A SURVEY STUDY OF MOTIVATION AND LEARNING STRATEGIES OF 3rd YEAR STUDENTS IN ADVANCED TRANSLATION CLASSES AT VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE KHẢO SÁT ĐỘNG LỰC VÀ CHIẾN LƯỢC HỌC CỦA SINH VIÊN NĂM TRONG LỚP DỊCH NÂNG CAO TẠI HỌC VIỆN NÔNG NGHIỆP VIỆT NAM Student : PHAM MAI TRANG Student code : 621231 Major : ENGLISH Supervisor : PHAM HUONG LAN, M.A Hanoi – 2021 VIET NAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE FACULTY OF EDUCATION AND FOREIGN LANGUAGES BA THESIS A SURVEY STUDY OF MOTIVATION AND LEARNING STRATEGIES OF 3rd YEAR STUDENTS IN ADVANCED TRANSLATION CLASSES AT VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE KHẢO SÁT ĐỘNG LỰC VÀ CHIẾN LƯỢC HỌC CỦA SINH VIÊN NĂM TRONG LỚP DỊCH NÂNG CAO TẠI HỌC VIỆN NÔNG NGHIỆP VIỆT NAM Student : PHAM MAI TRANG Student code : 621231 Major : ENGLISH Supervisor : PHAM HUONG LAN, M.A Hanoi – 2021 CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY I, the undersigned, hereby certify my authority of the study project report entitled A survey of motivation and learning strategies of rd year students in Advanced Translation classes at Vietnam National University of Agriculture submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor in English Language Except where the reference is indicated, no other person’s work has been used without due acknowledgment in the text of the thesis Hanoi, 2021 Pham Mai Trang Approved by SUPERVISOR (Signature and full name) Date: …………………… i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS In the process of completing this research paper for my graduation thesis, I have received a great deal of support and encouragement from teachers and friends Firstly, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my supervisor Pham Huong Lan, M.A for all support of my study, for her devotion, patience, and immense knowledge Thank you for giving me valuable advice and wholehearted support during my thesis work Next, I am very grateful to the Faculty of Education and Foreign Languages teachers for helping, instructing me, and undeniable helpful lectures Especially, I would like to express my thankfulness to all the students of cohort 63 majoring in English at Vietnam National University of Agriculture for helping me complete the survey Finally, I would like to thank my family and friends who have always stood by me and supported and encouraged me to complete this report Ha Noi, June 2021 ii ABSTRACT This study investigates the level of motivation and finds out the learning strategies of 3rd-year students when studying Advanced Translation at Vietnam National University of Agriculture 120 students were given a questionnaire based on Gardner’s (1975) Attitude/Motivation Test Battery The results of the study have shown that students have a moderate level of motivation and tend to be inclined towards instrumental motivation rather than integrative motivation The research findings also show that students have a variety of strategies for learning advanced skills, particularly social strategies, which are used by the majority of students in their learning However, when studying the correlation between motivation and learning strategy, the results show that motivation has a great impact on students' learning strategies Integrative motivation revealed a positive correlation with six learning strategies However, instrumental motivation demonstrated a negative and significant correlation with some types of learning strategies iii TABLE OF CONTENTS CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii ABSTRACT iii TABLE OF CONTENTS iv LIST OF CHARTS AND TABLES vi LIST OF ACRONYMS vii PART 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 RATIONALE FOR THE STUDY 1.2 AIMS AND OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY 1.2.1 The aim of the study 1.2.2 The objectives of the study 1.3 RESEARCH QUESTION 1.4 SCOPE OF THE STUDY 1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY 1.6 DESIGN OF THE STUDY 1.7 SUMMARY PART 2: DEVELOPMENT Chapter 1: LITERATURE REVIEW 1.1 REVIEW OF THE PREVIOUS STUDIES 1.1.1 Overview of research in Vietnam context 1.1.2 Overview of research in the international context 1.2 REVIEW OF THEORETICAL BACKGROUND 1.2.1 Motivation 1.2.2 Learning strategies 12 1.2.3 The relationship between motivation and learning strategies 16 1.3 SUMMARY 16 iv Chapter 2: METHODOLOGY 18 2.1 RESEARCH GOVERNING PRINCIPLES 18 2.1.1 Research questions 18 2.1.2 Research types 18 2.1.3 Research approaches 18 2.1.4 Principles for data collection and data analysis 19 2.2 SUMMARY 21 Chapter 3: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 22 3.1 EVALUATION OF THE LEVEL OF MOTIVATION OF 3RDYEAR STUDENTS AND FINDING OUT THE TYPE OF MOTIVATION THAT STUDENTS SHOW WHEN LEARNING ADVANCED TRANSLATION 22 3.1.1 Evaluation of the level of motivation of 3rd-year students when learning Advanced Translation 22 3.1.2 The type of motivation that students show when learning Advanced Translation 23 3.2 THE KINDS OF LEARNING STRATEGIES ARE USED BY STUDENTS 25 3.3 CORRELATION BETWEEN MOTIVATION AND LEARNING STRATEGIES 30 3.4 SUMMARY 32 Part 3: CONCLUSION 34 RECAPITULATION 34 CONCLUDING REMARKS 34 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY 36 RECOMMENDATIONS 36 REFERENCES 38 v LIST OF CHARTS AND TABLES Table 3.1: Level of Motivation of 3rd-year students at Vietnam National University of Agriculture 22 Table 3.2: Integrative motivation 23 Table 3.3: Instrumental motivation 24 Table 3.4: The Comparison between Integrative and Instrumental Motivation 25 Table 3.5: The correlations between motivation and learning strategiesError! Bookma Figure 3.1: The use of memory-related strategies in learning Advanced Translation 25 Figure 3.2: The use of cognitive strategies in learning Advanced Translation 26 Figure 3.3: The use of compensation strategies in learning Advanced Translation 27 Figure 3.4: The use of metacognitive strategies in learning Advanced Translation 28 Figure 3.5: The use of social strategies in learning Advanced Translation 29 Figure 3.6: The use of affective strategies in learning Advanced Translation 30 vi LIST OF ACRONYMS M1 : Integrative Motivation M2 : Instrumental Motivation MEM : Memory-related strategies COG : Cognitive strategies COM : Compensation strategies METACOG : Metacognitive strategies SOC : Social strategies AFF : Affective strategies vii PART 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 RATIONALE FOR THE STUDY There are many factors that influence the success of learning a new language, such as intelligence, motivation, preferences, personality, learning strategy, etc Among these, motivation and learning strategies are important factors that receive the attention of many scholars around the world In the world, a large number of scholars have conducted studies on English language motivation and learning strategies For example, Brown (1994) claims that learners will be successful if they have the right motivation According to Dornyei (1994), motivation is one of the decisive factors in learning foreign languages Or Ellis (1994) claims that motivation influences the degree to which language learners persevere in learning, what kinds of actions they take, and their actual achievement, in an overview of motivation studies In 2009, Pezhman Zare proposed a review of literature on learning strategies among EFL / ESL Learners The author summarized the findings of previous studies on a good language learner in this paper, referring to the concept of a language learning strategy In Vietnam, quite a lot of research projects have also been carried out on the topic of motivation In his paper published in a scientific journal called "Foreign language mechanics and some measures to promote English learning", Nguyen Thanh Dung provided an overview of dynamics and suggested a number of measures to help promote student motivation Another article about motivation was published in 2009 by Phan Van Hoa and Le Viet Ha, namely "An investigation into the English learning motivation of upper secondary school students in Quang Nam province" At Vietnam National University of Agriculture, there are quite a few studies on motivation and learning strategies For instance, there was a student's scientific research project by Tran Thi Thu Hien and her partners in 2017 The Part 3: CONCLUSION RECAPITULATION This study investigates the motivation and learning strategies of 3rd-year English students at Vietnam National University of Agriculture As a result, the 3rd-year English language students have a moderate level of motivation and tend to have more instrumental motivation All types of learning strategies are applied by students Some strategies (social, compensation, and memory) are used by the majority of students during their studies Through the analysis of the results, it is shown that motivation and learning strategy are correlated (both positive and negative) CONCLUDING REMARKS The results of the study showed the most generalized level of motivation and strategies used by students in the process of studying Advanced Translation at Vietnam National University of Agriculture The results of motivation are given as moderate, but the majority of students tend to favor instrumental motivation This type of motivation helps students achieve goals such as getting good grades, getting a good job for the future, or meeting the need to graduate, etc Meanwhile, very few students study Advanced Translation because of their knowledge goals, stemming from passion and interest in this subject (i.e following integrative motivation trends) Therefore, it is necessary to have many solutions to attract students and help students have an interest and passion for the subject, because integrative motivation will be able to maintain the longterm success of learners and improve and improve learners' knowledge more effectively The results of the study indicate the overall types of learning strategies used in Advanced Translation by students at Vietnam National University of Agriculture Although the results of the survey suggest that students use all of 34 the types of strategies provided, Social strategies are chosen by most students Most of them like to ask the teacher questions and need the teacher's help in the process of learning Advanced Translation In fact, the amount of time in class is short and the teacher can not check and correct all the translations for each student Therefore, students should more interact with their friends to exchange good translations and combine many suitable strategies to increase learning efficiency The Pearson bivariate correlation was conducted to examine the relationship between types of motivation (Integrative motivation and Instrumental motivation) and the use of strategies in language learning (Memory, Cognitive, Meta-cognitive, Compensation, Social, and Affective strategies) It was found that integrative motivation was correlated positively and significantly with all six language learning strategies However, instrumental motivation demonstrated a negative and significant correlation with five learning strategies Therefore, students should be encouraged to give themselves integrative motivation because integrative motivation brings long-term success to students and enhances their learning process And it is necessary to motivate language learners to use a variety of learning strategies so that their language skills will be enhanced Moreover, developing strategies in cognitive, metacognitive, social, and affective aspects simultaneously can help build independence and autonomy in learners so that they can take control and self-study, helping to bring better efficiency In particular, understanding the relationship between motivation and learning strategies while studying Advanced Translation can help teachers provide appropriate materials and learning strategies for students to achieve the best results 35 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY Due to time constraints and the researcher's limited ability and experience as a researcher, the study had a few limitations First, the study only surveyed students in cohort 63, so the results are not representative of the next courses Second, because of the Covid 19 pandemic outbreak, there are lots of difficult problems during handing out survey questionnaires and collecting them RECOMMENDATIONS Recommendations for further study This study only investigates motivation and learning strategies in Advanced Translation classes Further research can be conducted to find out the relationship between motivation and learning strategies in other subjects Furthermore, this study only focuses on the motivation and learning strategies of Advanced Translation class of 3rd year students at Vietnam National University of Agriculture Therefore, in the future, studies will investigate the motivation and learning strategies for different courses Recommendations for students Motivation is great enough and having a specific learning strategy that is suitable for each student's ability will make the learning process easier In order to improve the quality of studying Advanced Translation, students need to promote motivation and have a clear goal Because motivation determines the level of student engagement and positive attitude Moreover, students need to have the ability to choose learning strategies that are appropriate for their ability and the requirements of the subject Recommendations for lecturers In order to promote student’s motivation, lecturers need to combine many teaching methods and build many activities to help students become more 36 interested and passionate about the subject Help students find a passion for the subject through activities and help students develop an understanding of the importance of the subject Moreover, it is necessary to apply appropriate learning strategies to help students learn effectively Recommendations for Academy In order to promote learning motivation for students, the academy can build many practical activities to practice the subject, and build an environment that helps students love and strive In addition, improve facilities and learning conditions for students Organize exchanges and make friends with other universities to create an environment where students can communicate and learn effective learning strategies 37 REFERENCES Anjomshoa, L., & Sadighi, F (2015) The importance of motivation in second language acquisition International Journal on Studies in English Language and Literature (IJSELL), 3(2), 126-137 Alizadeh, M (2016) The impact of motivation on English language learning International Journal of Research in English Education, 1(1), 11-15 Diamantatou, C., & Hawes, T (2016) Foreign Language Learning, Motivation and the Market Economy Journal of education and learning, 5(1), 95-103 Gardner, R C (1985) The attitude/motivation test battery: Technical report University of Western Ontario Hardan, A A (2013) Language learning strategies: A general overview Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 106, 1712-1726 Hoang Kim Thuy (2017) Nghiên cứu động học ngoại ngữ sinh viên chuyên ngữ trường đại học Hồng Đức Lai, H Y T (2013) The Motivation of Learners of English as a Foreign Language Revisited International Education Studies, 6(10), 90-101 Liu, J (2010) Language learning strategies and its training model International Education Studies, 3(3), 100-104 Mahadi, T S T., & Jafari, S M (2012) Motivation, its types, and its impacts in language learning International Journal of Business and Social Science, 3(24) 10 Nguyen Thanh Dung (2012) Động học ngoại ngữ số biện pháp thúc đẩy động học tiếng Anh cho sinh viên 11 Ngo, T H (2015) An investigation into students' motivation to learn English in higher education in Vietnam (Doctoral dissertation, Queensland University of Technology) 38 12 Oxford, R L (2003, October) Language learning styles and strategies: An overview Oxford: Gala 13 Purnama, N A., Rahayu, N S., & Yugafiati, R (2019) Students’ Motivation in Learning English PROJECT (Professional Journal of English Education), 2(4), 539-544 14 Phan, V H., & Lê, V H (2009) Nghiên cứu động học tiếng Anh học sinh trung học phổ thông Quảng Nam 15 Rehman, A., Bilal, H., Sheikh, A., Bibi, N., & Nawaz, A (2014) The role of motivation in learning English language for Pakistani learners International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 4(1), 254-258 16 Shi, H (2017) Learning strategies and classification in education Institute for Learning Styles Journal, 1(1), 24-36 17 Tennant, J., & Gardner, R C (2004) The computerized miniAMTB Calico Journal, 245-263 18 Vi Van Huong (2018) Chiến lược cách thức tự học từ vựng tiếng Anh hiệu cho sinh viên Trường Đại học Tây Bắc 19 Wimolmas, R (2013) A survey study of motivation in English language learning of first year undergraduate students at Sirindhorn International Institute of Technology (SIIT), Thammasat University Language Institute, Thammasat University 20 Apuke, O D (2017) Quantitative research methods: A synopsis approach Kuwait Chapter of Arabian Journal of Business and Management Review, 33(5471), 1-8 21 Khazaie, Z M., & Mesbah, Z (2014) The relationship between extrinsic vs intrinsic motivation and strategic use of language of Iranian intermediate EFL learners Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 4(1), 99 39 Appendix MOTIVATION AND LEARNING STRATEGIES OF 3rd YEAR STUDENTS IN ADVANCED TRANSLATION CLASSES AT VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE This survey questionnaire aims to investigate your motivation and learning strategies Your responses will not be used for any other purposes but research purposes I am grateful for your cooperation Thank you! Full name :………………………………… Class:…………………………… Student code: ……………………………… Here are some questions related to motivation and learning strategies Put the tick on the levels of opinion you agree with: Motivation The level of motivation: No Options Strongly disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly agree I look forward to going to class because my Advanced Translation teacher is so good 40 My Advanced Translation class is really a waste of time I don’t think my Advanced Translation teacher is very good I never feel quite sure of my translation when I translate a text in our Advanced Translation class I would rather spend more time in my Advanced Translation class and less in other classes I don’t bother checking my assignments 41 when I get them back from my Advanced Translation teacher I feel confident when asked to read my translation in my Advanced Translation class My Advanced Translation teacher is better than any of my other teachers I think my Advanced Translation class is boring 10 It worries me that other students in my class seem to translate better than I 42 Type of motivation that students show: No Options Strongly disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly agree Learning Advanced Translation is really great I feel very excited about Advanced Translation lessons Studying Advanced Translation is important because I want to be a great translator in the future I enjoy the activities of our Advanced Translation class much more than those of my other classes I hate learning Advanced Translation because it’s very difficult 43 I learn Translation to have high points I learn Advanced Translation because it is a compulsory subject I don’t like learning Translation because I don’t want to have a great job with it I really like Translation because It helps me earn lots of money 10 I learned lots of good things while studying Advanced Translation 44 Learning Strategies No Options Strongly disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly agree I enjoy learning some special words and take note them when I have a new topic to translate I study vocabulary by topic and translate many documents with that topic's vocabulary I give all my attention to doing the translation I often selftranslate many documents related to the topic which I am learning in Advanced 45 Translation class I translate and use suitable words for each context I read and selftranslate many documents at home I always check the translation when I finish a translation I use comments from my Advanced Translation teacher to improve on my translation I rely on the context of the translation to use appropriate words 10 I try new strategies to complete my 46 translation successfully 11 If it were up to me, I would spend all of my time learning Advanced Translation 12 I plan to learn as much Advanced Translation as possible 13 I pay attention when my Advanced Translation teacher’s explanation of something 14 For each translation, I ask teachers to correct them 15 When I have a problem understanding something in my Advanced 47 Translation class, I always ask my teacher for help 16 I study in groups and prepare together before going to class 17 I pay attention to teachers and take notes of important sentences 18 I exchange translation with friends and edit together 19 I set a goal to finish five translations every week 20 I give myself a present when I translate a text well THANK YOU FOR YOUR ANSWER! 48