Motivation for Learning to Speak English among Chinese Vocational Urban Transportation Students: A Self-Determination Theory Perspective

Abstract

English proficiency has become increasingly crucial for vocational education students, particularly in specialized fields like urban transportation where international collaboration and technical documentation require strong language skills. However, limited research has examined motivation patterns among vocational students in specialized majors using comprehensive theoretical frameworks. This study investigates motivation for learning to speak English among Chinese urban transportation major students using Self-Determination Theory (SDT) as the theoretical framework. A structured questionnaire based on validated SDT instruments was administered to 277 urban transportation major students at a Chinese vocational college in Sichuan, China, with data analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-tests, ANOVA, and correlation analysis. The results revealed that external regulation was the most prominent motivational orientation (Per-item M = 3.79), followed by identified regulation (Per-item M = 3.67) and intrinsic motivation (Per-item M = 3.21), while introjected regulation showed the lowest levels (Per-item M = 2.76). Regarding basic psychological needs, relatedness demonstrated the highest satisfaction (Per-item M = 4.08), followed by autonomy (Per-item M = 3.79), with competence showing the lowest satisfaction (Per-item M = 3.48). Females scored higher than males across the four motivation types, and higher self-rated speaking proficiency aligned with stronger autonomous motivation and greater need satisfaction. The findings provide empirical insights into motivational patterns in Chinese vocational education contexts and suggest implications for English speaking instruction design.