VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES NGUYEN HAI YEN THE EFFECT OF MOCK CONFERENCES AS MEANS OF SITUATED LEARNING ON LEARNING MOTIVATION OF STUDENT INTERPRETERS học tập theo ngữ cảnh tới động lực học tập của sinh viên trong lớp học phiên dịch) M. MAJOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 8140231.01 Hanoi - 2024 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES NGUYEN HAI YEN THE EFFECT OF MOCK CONFERENCES AS MEANS OF SITUATED LEARNING ON LEARNING MOTIVATION OF STUDENT INTERPRETERS học tập theo ngữ cảnh tới động lực học tập của sinh viên trong lớp học phiên dịch) M. MAJOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 8140231. Hoang Van Van Hanoi - 2024 DECLARATION I hereby certify that the thesis entitled “THE EFFECT OF MOCK CONFERENCES AS MEANS OF SITUATED LEARNING ON LEARNING MOTIVATION OF STUDENT INTERPRETERS" was carried out and submitted in partial fulfillment of the Degree of Master of Arts at the Faculty of Post-Graduate Studies, University of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.
I also declare that this work is original and all the sources used in the paper were comprehensively documented in the Reference list. Hanoi, 2024 Student’s signature Nguyễn Hải Yến Approved by SUPERVISOR (Signature and full name) Prof. Hoàng Văn Vân Date:. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS For the accomplishment of this research study, I owe my profound indebtedness to a lot of people who have provided me with immense support and helpful guidance during the course of my thesis research, without whom this work would not have been possible.
First and foremost, I would like to convey my heartfelt appreciation to my supervisor, Prof. Hoang Van Vân, for his insightful mentorship and unwavering support, which played a crucial role in the successful completion of this research. Second, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all the professors at the Faculty of Post-Graduate Studies, University of Languages and International Studies — Vietnam National University, Hanoi for their valuable lectures that have laid a strong foundation for my study. Third, my sincere thanks go to Ms.
Nguyen Thi Dieu Thuy, a senior lecturer in the Faculty of English Language Teacher Education, ULIS - VNU. Her invaluable assistance in shaping my research plan, coupled with her passionate and intellectually sound guidance and consultation, significantly contributed to the successful completion of my entire study. Forth, I extend my profound gratitude to the students in my Interpreting class who enthusiastically participated in this action research study. Last but not least, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my cherished family members for their immense affection and assistance throughout the implementation of my thesis.
li ABSTRACT The significance of students’ motivation is paramount in the realm of interpretation education. Numerous research endeavors have been undertaken to enhance the motivation levels of learners; nonetheless, there exists a dearth of scholarly investigations pertaining to the motivation of student interpreters. Moreover, social scientists have reached a consensus regarding the efficacy of the situated learning approach, exemplified by the use of mock conferences, in fostering student motivation. However, there is a dearth of literature exploring the effectiveness of this approach in the context of interpreting training, particularly within the Vietnamese setting.
In order to explore methods of enhancing student motivation in interpreting classes, I, as the researcher and lecturer at the same time, conducted an action research study with the participation of 26 senior students in an interpreting course. The study aimed to investigate two aspects: ƒ) the students’ responses to the implementation of mock conferences as a form of situated learning in interpreting classes, and 2) the impact of mock conferences on the students' motivation levels. This mixed method research study employed three data collection instruments, including pre- and post-intervention surveys, pre- and post-intervention interviews, and a teaching journal. The findings of the study indicate that the students expressed positive responses towards the mock conferences as a situated learning approach, and the mock conferences contributed to a modest increase in the students’ academic motivation.
iii Table of Contents DECLARATION .cscssssssssssssssssssssscsscsscsscssenssnesssesessesssssssssssesssessssses il ABSTTRACCTT. cọ TH Họ. 0000500 500000900990 iii LIST OF ABBREYVIA TION. cóc cọ HH HH HH 0001 04 000 viii LIST OF TABLES.
0G 5G HH nọ TH. T00 000 009 000000908996 ix LIST OF CHARTS .010400460000900 xi LIST OF FIGURES. Statement of research problem and rationales for the study. Overarching aim Of the Study.
Research Im€fÏhO(C. Scope of the Study. Significance of the SÊUYy. Structure of the ẨÏl€SSÌS.
LITERATURE REV LEỀ. họ TH HH. The theory of situated Ïearn1nØ. Components of situated ÏeaTn1T.
Situated learning in interpreter tra1TIITE. Mock conference as a situated learning activity in interpreter training. Mock conference design: principles and procedures. Definition Of mOfIVAfIOT.- óc + 1111119 vn HH ng ey 14 2.
Classification Of TmOfIVAfIOHI. - c5 nh ng ng tr 15 2. Instrumental - integrative OVi€NtAtiONS. Intrinsic - EXtriNSiC OTI€HÍ@ẨOTILS.
Classification of motivation as proposed by Deci and Ryan (1992). Established scales to measure the level of mofivafion. Họ TH TH 00000960022 2. Research QU€SẤÏOTNS.
Justification for adopting action research approach. Potential pitfalls of action research. Measures taken to overcome those potential drawbacks of action research ¬—. Ăn HH HH kh 28 3.
ResearCh DATẨÍCÏDTIES. cv TH TH HH HH 29 3. Pre-intervention surveys and post-intervention SurV€yS. Pre-intervention interviews and post-intervention 1nterVIeWs.
While-intervention observation and teaching journals. Data COlÏ€CẨÏOTA. Data aI0AAÌYSÌS.o 5 cọ cọ Họ Họ TT 0 00096 0 43 3. Pre- intervention and pOSt-interventiOn SUHTV€WS.
Surveys on students’ motivational ÏevelL. Surveys on students’ perceptions towards the mock conferences. FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION. Answer to research question Í.
Results of the pre-intervention survey and interview. Results of the post- intervention survey and Inf€TVIỀW. Answer to research Question 2. Results of the pre-intervention SUIVEY.
Results of the post-intervention SUTV€Y. Results of the while-intervention observation (teaching journal). G0 0 HH HH ng 79 5. Using mock conferences widely in interpreting COHTS€S.
Engaging students in reflection after each mock conference when they might perform different VOLS. ng kg ven 80 5. Giving early detailed and step-by-step instructions of how to organize a mock conference following an established Procedure. Granting students with as much autonomy AS possible.
Limitations of the SẦUIY.o <5 << sọ TT 00000096 0083 REEERENCES. HH HỌC 000004000100 0090 850 I Appendix 1: PRE-INTERVENTION SURVEY l.-- 55s s=ssss<se I Appendix 2: PRE-INTERVENTION SURVEY 2.---css<essesseesse IV Appendix 3: POST-INTERVENTION SURVEY 1.5-<s<< Vill Appendix 4: POST-INTERVENTION SURVEY 2.csssssssssscsscsssescssesseees x Appendix 5: PRE - INTERVENTION INTERVIEW QUESTIONS. XIV Appendix 6: POST —- INTERVENTION INTERVIEW QUESTIONS. XV Appendix 7: TEACHING JOURNAL .cssssssssscsssscssscsscsscsscsssessnsesssseenes XVI Appendix 8: SAMPLE INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT.
XXIX vi LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AM Amotivation AMS Academic Motivation Scale EME Extrinsic motivation - external regulation EMID Extrinsic motivation - identification EMIN Extrinsic motivation - introjected regulation IMA Intrinsic motivation to accomplish things IMK Intrinsic motivation to know IMS Intrinsic motivation to experience stimulation Post Post-intervention Pre Pre-intervention Vili LIST OF TABLES Table 3. Research questions and corresponding research Instrumenfs. An extract of the teaching JOUTTiAÌ. Motivation SCOT€ COTIV€TSIONN.
G5 111112119 ng ng rưy 44 Table 4. Cronbach’s alpha coefficients for the characteristics of situated learning (pOSf-Int€rV€TLIOT SUTVY).-- Ă 1 SH TH HH ng 57 Table 4. Descriptive statistics for the students’ opinions towards mock conferences as a situated learning approach (post-intervention). Cronbach’s alpha coefficients for the students' motivational subscales (DT€-IT{CTV€TẨIOT)).
2G 0111191291119 11101011011 HH TH ng 61 Table 4. Descriptive statistics for the students’ motivational subscales (pre- INLET 2011191220077. Correlations between intrinsic - to know, intrinsic - toward accomplishment, intrinsic - to experience stimulation, extrinsic - identified, extrinsic - introjected, extrinsic - external regulation, and amofIvaftion. Cronbach’s alpha coefficients for the students' motivational Subscales(DOSf-ITf€TV€TIẨÏOT)).
-- Q11 TH HH ng 65 Table 4. Descriptive statistics for the students’ motivational subscales (post- 0n 2017190220707. Correlations between intrinsic - to know, intrinsic - toward accomplishment, intrinsic - to experience stimulation, extrinsic - identified, extrinsic - introjected, extrinsic - external regulation, and amotivation (post- STOLK) 1103018 (0))) ce 67 Table 4. Paired t-test for pre- and post-intervention results - intrinsic - to know.
Paired t-test for pre- and post-intervention results - intrinsic - toward EIue9i100E)01001050 28000778. Paired t-test for pre- and post-intervention results - intrinsic - to. Paired t-test for pre- and post-intervention results - extrinsic - external "3110010800707. Paired t-test for pre- and post-intervention results - extrinsic - 895610.
Paired t-test for pre- and post-intervention results - extrinsic - introjected 73 Table 4. Paired t-test for pre- and post-intervention results - amotivation. 74 LIST OF CHARTS Chart 4. Students’ perception towards the factor of specific contexfs.
Students’ perception towards the factor of collaborative environment. Students’ perception towards the factor of tacit language. Students’ perception towards the factor of tools and artifacts for everyday CORTILION .eeeeecceceneceseecescecescecsceceseeceaeesnecesceceseeceaeeeeaecesceceaeeceaeessaecseeceeeseneeseaeeeeees 56 XI LIST OF FIGURES Figure 3. Cyclical action research model ,.
Detected outlier in the pre-intervention SUTV€Y .---« «<< s++ss+ 44 measuring the students’ motivational state oes eseesesseeseeteeseeseseeseeeseeceeseaeens 44 Figure 3. Example of pre- and post-intervention data pertaining to students’ motivational level imported into the SPSS 20 software. Example of Cronbach’s alpha and Pearson correlation outcomes from the SPSS 20 SOÍTWAT. LH HH TH HH HH 46 Figure 3.
Example of paired t-test outcomes from the SPSS 20 software. Example of post-intervention data pertaining to students’ perceptions towards mock conferences imported into the SPSS 20 software. Example of Cronbach’s alpha and descriptive statistics outcomes from the SPSS 20 software. Process of analyzing data from the interVieWS.
cc seeeeeeeseereeeees 51 xH CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION This chapter serves as an introductory overview of the entire research, guiding readers from a broad perspective to a more focused area of study. The chapter establishes the context and significance of the study by presenting a concise summary of current background knowledge of the topic and articulating the objectives of the research. The research problem, rationale, objectives, significance, and structure of the study will be sequentially presented.
Statement of research problem and rationales for the study Within the realm of interpretation education, a recurring obstacle that demands attention is the task of maintaining and augmenting students' motivation during their training. Student interpreters frequently encounter a challenging and difficult academic program, encompassing the acquisition of both linguistic competence and the intricate cognitive abilities essential for successful interpretation. Sustaining elevated levels of motivation is crucial for achieving success in this arduous undertaking. Dornyei (1998) posits that the presence of suitable motivation is crucial in facilitating students’ success in their training, since motivation plays a pivotal part in the process of learning.
Nevertheless, as an educator specializing in interpretation training, I have encountered the challenge of diminishing motivation among my students, a factor that might impede my students’ advancement and ultimately influence their professional trajectories. Scholars widely agree that the implementation of a situated learning strategy has a positive impact on students’ motivation levels when they are faced with real- world situations (Bos and Shami, 2006; Wishart et al. Furthermore, Jerez (2006, as referenced in Li, 2015) and Prieto et al. (2010) all concur that being exposed to professional experiences in a specific context leads to favorable learning outcomes and increased levels of motivation, especially when interpreting is a highly situated job.
Mock conferences are examples of situated learning strategy and provide a range of advantages that surpass those offered by typical teaching approaches in interpreting courses. According to Kurz (1989), conventional educational programs frequently rely on multimedia resources, which may restrict students’ opportunities for engaging in oral communication and encountering diverse linguistic contexts. In contrast, mock conferences offer a structured environment for students to get practical experience, fostering their enthusiasm and independence (Lin, Davis, & Liao, 2004). Lim (2003) asserts that this strategy additionally enhances the acquisition of skills, motivation, and market preparedness by eliminating linguistic barriers commonly seen in conventional classroom environments.