What and Why?
Of all the different factors involved in language learning, motivation is probably one of the most important. Researchers have suggested that there are two main types of motivation in language learning: 'instrumental' - which means that people study in order to use the language (e.g. in their work), and 'integrative' - which means that they study because they want to know more about a foreign language culture. With young learners, neither of these types of motivation are generally relevant. There is often very little immediate need to learn the language and it is probably unlikely that they are particularly attracted to a foreign language culture. This means that many teachers feel that they have to resort to other ways to motivate their students, using songs, games, fun activities, and texts that appeal to their interests and so on. This can be very exhausting. Many teachers, in fact, complain that they feel that they have to 'entertain' their students in order to 'make' them learn.
A contrasting view is that motivation is not something that comes from outside the students. It is something inside them, which the teacher has to try to 'open up'. Rather than trying to find endless ways to 'entertain' the students, the teacher looks for ways to bring about a deeper, more enduring sense of student involvement, through such things as open-ended tasks. Teachers who think this way start from the assumption that the vast majority of people naturally want to learn, if they are given the right conditions, and what often kills motivation is forcing things on people. They also think that people naturally want to assume responsibility for their own lives, and look for ways to support this in the language classroom. The more they are involved in deciding what they will do, the more 'ownership' and personal involvement they have.
Practical ideas
- If the students do not seem very motivated to do a particular task, ask yourself why. What is it about the situation that makes them unmotivated?
- Don't expect constant motivation! Everybody has ups and downs - there are many other things happening in the students' lives and their English classes are just a small part of it.
- If motivation seems to be a particular problem, perhaps you can discuss it with the students. Ask them what they find uninteresting about their work - perhaps it's too difficult, too easy, too similar to other work they have been doing.
- Try to think positively about all the students. Assume first that they will succeed and encourage them. If the students think that you will expect them to fail, they probably will!
- Try to set open-ended tasks which you know that all students will be able to do at their level of ability rather than setting tasks which you know will generate failure. Many of these may involve students in problem solving.
- Build in opportunities for individual students to be occasional 'experts' on something: students may have an interesting hobby or collection or have spent time overseas or perhaps you could ask a student to find out more about a certain subject and then tell the class about it.
- Give the students opportunities to take responsibility for things and to be involved in fundamental, important decisions about their work - for example, to be involved in designing tests, in the evaluation of their work, and in do it yourself tasks. Try to develop the students' autonomy.
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