English as a Vocational Passport: Japanese Medical Students and Second Language Learning Motivation
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Study Setting and Participants
2.2. Quantitative Survey: Motivation Questionnaire
2.3. Qualitative Survey (Coding)
2.4. Ethical Considerations
3. Results
3.1. Quantitative Survey Completion and Results
3.2. Qualitative Survey Completion and Analysis Results
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Reason for Learning English | Motivation Type 1 | Total Responses to Likert-Type Items (% Responses) | Mean Scores (95% CI) | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. Not Important | 2. of Little Importance | 3. of Some Importance | 4. Important | 5. Very Important | |||
It will allow me to enjoy traveling overseas more | Integrative | 0 (0.0) | 5 (4.4) | 12 (10.6) | 57 (50.4) | 39 (34.5) | 4.15 (4.00–4.30) |
I may need to read research papers or textbooks in English | Instrumental | 0 (0.0) | 3 (2.7) | 22 (19.5) | 47 (41.6) | 41 (36.3) | 4.11 (3.96–4.27) |
I may need to work with foreigners (international medical students, doctors, researchers) in Japan | Instrumental | 1 (0.9) | 4 (3.5) | 27 (23.9) | 45 (39.8) | 36 (31.9) | 3.98 (3.81–4.15) |
I may need to take care of foreign patients in the future | Instrumental | 0 (0.0) | 5 (4.4) | 29 (25.7) | 45 (39.8) | 34 (30.1) | 3.96 (3.79–4.12) |
I may need to write case reports or academic papers in English in the future | Instrumental | 1 (0.9) | 5 (4.4) | 28 (24.8) | 50 (44.2) | 29 (25.7) | 3.89 (3.73–4.06) |
I may need to attend medical/scientific conferences in the future | Instrumental | 3 (2.7) | 6 (5.3) | 31 (27.4) | 49 (43.4) | 24 (21.2) | 3.75 (3.57–3.92) |
If I have the opportunity to live abroad in the future, it will be easier to have a good social life | Integrative | 3 (2.7) | 9 (8.0) | 32 (28.3) | 41 (36.3) | 28 (24.8) | 3.73 (3.53–3.91) |
Some of my medical studies (e.g., USMLE 2, overseas clinical clerkships) may be in English | Instrumental | 2 (1.8) | 12 (10.6) | 29 (25.7) | 41 (36.3) | 29 (25.7) | 3.73 (3.53–3.93) |
It will allow me to have more foreign friends | Integrative | 2 (1.8) | 12 (10.6) | 28 (24.8) | 47 (41.6) | 24 (21.2) | 3.70 (3.51–3.88) |
It will allow me to enjoy reading English-language books better | Integrative | 1 (0.9) | 8 (7.1) | 38 (33.6) | 45 (39.8) | 21 (18.6) | 3.68 (3.52–3.84) |
It will allow me to use the Internet more smoothly | Instrumental | 0 (0.0) | 14 (12.4) | 31 (27.4) | 48 (42.5) | 20 (17.7) | 3.65 (3.48–3.83) |
It will allow me to enjoy listening to English-language movies and videos better | Integrative | 2 (1.8) | 9 (8.0) | 34 (30.1) | 51 (45.1) | 17 (15.0) | 3.64 (3.47–3.80) |
I may work abroad in the future | Instrumental | 4 (3.5) | 11 (9.7) | 35 (31.0) | 41 (36.3) | 22 (19.5) | 3.58 (3.39–3.78) |
I may want to advance up the professional ladder | Instrumental | 4 (3.5) | 17 (15.0) | 40 (35.4) | 35 (31.0) | 17 (15.0) | 3.39 (3.20–3.58) |
It will allow me to enjoy listening to English-language music better | Integrative | 6 (5.3) | 19 (16.8) | 39 (34.5) | 34 (30.1) | 15 (13.3) | 3.29 (3.09–3.49) |
I am fascinated by the Western way of life | Integrative | 5 (4.4) | 31 (27.4) | 47 (41.6) | 24 (21.2) | 6 (5.3) | 2.96 (2.78–3.13) |
Core Motivational Theme | Category (Code) | Example Motivational Statement | No. (%) of Motivational Statements |
---|---|---|---|
Vocational motivation 1 47.9% | Academic activities | “I should read many English paper in the future as a doctor. For me, the ability to read English is very important as an academic skill”. | 31 (9.2) |
Medical studies | “I want to read English books to learn a lot of medical words and diseases and treatment, so I learn English”. | 22 (6.5) | |
Obtain information | “If I cannot read English, I cannot keep abreast of what is studied around the world”. | 21 (6.3) | |
Care for foreign patients | “I’m studying English in order to communicate with patients from other countries”. | 19 (5.7) | |
Academic requirement | “I have to learn English because of test. To enter the university, many Japanese study English”. | 15 (4.5) | |
English as an auxiliary language | “We can get much more accurate information in English than in Japanese”. | 14 (4.2) | |
Work abroad | “I want to work abroad as a doctor in the future”. | 14 (4.2) | |
International collaboration | “To plan or conduct experiments in a group including overseas people, English is necessary”. | 7 (2.1) | |
Work (in general) | “I learn English because it will be useful to work”. | 6 (1.8) | |
Cachet of English | “People who can speak English get more respect from others”. | 6 (1.8) | |
Study abroad | “After I become physician, I should study abroad to learn the latest medical technology”. | 6 (1.8) | |
International posture 2 35.7% | Communicate with foreigners | “I learn English because I want to communicate with many foreigners”. | 61 (18.2) |
English as a global lingua franca (EGLF) | “English is considered as a global language and many people in the world can use English”. | 38 (11.3) | |
Broaden worldview | “To study English may enrich my life. To learn English may make my view wider”. | 21 (6.3) | |
Personal motivation 3 16.3% | Travel | “Being able to speak English is useful when I travel abroad”. | 24 (7.1) |
Media | “I like reading English books in the original language because these books are more interesting than Japanese-translated books”. | 17 (5.1) | |
Fun | “First, learning English has been fun for me since I was a child”. | 10 (3.0) | |
Personal (other) | “I learn English to make friend and girlfriend in English-speaking countries”. | 4 (1.2) | |
Total no. = 336 |
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Mathis, B.J.; Mayers, T.; Miyamasu, F. English as a Vocational Passport: Japanese Medical Students and Second Language Learning Motivation. Educ. Sci. 2022, 12, 8. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci12010008
Mathis BJ, Mayers T, Miyamasu F. English as a Vocational Passport: Japanese Medical Students and Second Language Learning Motivation. Education Sciences. 2022; 12(1):8. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci12010008
Chicago/Turabian StyleMathis, Bryan J., Thomas Mayers, and Flaminia Miyamasu. 2022. "English as a Vocational Passport: Japanese Medical Students and Second Language Learning Motivation" Education Sciences 12, no. 1: 8. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci12010008
APA StyleMathis, B. J., Mayers, T., & Miyamasu, F. (2022). English as a Vocational Passport: Japanese Medical Students and Second Language Learning Motivation. Education Sciences, 12(1), 8. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci12010008