During my career as an English teacher, I have had to deal with motivation issues for several times. I find it very challenging when an adult student comes to me and says that he/she hates the English language and can't find any motivation to study it. If fact, what I generally do is try to explore their cultural backgrounds, I use several kinds or resources and I even explore their professional motivation because that is why they are studying English, initially because they have to. I have been successful in most cases and I believe it is important to deal with this psychological matter in the classroom in a way that the teacher can present the language as something that goes beyond a boring obligation, but as a part of a culture and a part of their routine. What about you? How do you deal with it?
Best regards
Comments
munazza
Its indeed very difficult to enhance and sustain students' motivation level in English classrooms. Learning English becomes a very tedious job for students classes become very tedious if they do not interact with target language in their real surroundings and day-to day interactions. Students may find the English classrooms artificial and irrelevant when teachers brings in tasks which are not connected with students' lives. I personally go for the use of more authentic material in my classrooms. For instance, a reading lesson may be planned out of an advertising brochures of a contextual product. Students can be taught to use various reading strategies (skimming, scanning, locating main idea and supportive details, making judgments etc) by using a piece of text which they can find at their home.
By interacting with authentic material students take notice of the printed language presented in their surroundings and they realize that the target language is not something in the teacher made-worksheet but it is existing and embedded in their daily life as well. As a teacher I feel we need to be aware of our students' context and their life style. Then we should identify the available authentic resources; magazines, newspapers, advertising brochures, product manuals, official documents of contextual organization, utility bills, governments notice board and T.V announcements in the target language, then the selected material should be used in the classrooms. Make sure the selected material does not include bad text.
Best wishes
jjbaulikki
I must admit learning English was a big challenge for me while I was in school due to motivation. I think helping students read and write about their interests is a big help
Terence Reutens
Staying motivated
Your clever way of researching the despondent learner’s background before instilling the passion for English, fascinates me.
It’s all very basic actually – the old conundrum of “as a means to an end” against “a means in itself”.
The way to a genuine English appreciation lies with the use of a correct pedagogical approach taken as all learners are unique, taking into account their current disposition towards the language.
English appreciation emanating out of love or passion has the race half won.
No two ways about it.
kinj28
I think innovative techniques helps to keep motivation or enthusiasm alive. Simple techniques like audio-visuals, day-to-day usage, small kits, drama sessions in class, small quizzes to keep up the buzz would be nice.
I remember we used to wait for such sessions where learning was fun. New concepts and methods always kept us on our toes.
Also it is necessary to take a small test at end to understand the strong and weak areas and focus the training accordingly.
claudiapardo
I totally agree with your approach, I think the first thing to do is to find out about your students' interests and generate activities around the topic. Another important factor, I believe, is fun. We do not have to forget to use games in all our lessons even with adults, if they concentrate on the game they will use the language more naturally and won´t be so conscious about making mistakes. I recently found a website with lots of useful ideas of games to use with children, adolescents and adults and I even use some of the children´s games for adult learners. There are also good song exercises in www.englishcoach.com.ar
Qaisar Masood
You have outlined the most important and worth considering points which a teacher must follow. Particularly it is of critical importance to keep ensuring the required level of interest of your students. The interest triggers the motivation. It is in my personal experience that most of the teachers exert themselves in the classroom with their prepared lectures and get contended that the "prepared" lecture was well delivered. Its not a matter of your satisfaction. Its about bringing materials with realistic and motivating context.
Your views have indeed given words to my beliefs as a teacher.
Keep serving.
Abdelillah
Hi everybody,
Motivation is a core issue in the teaching/learning process.The successful teacher is the one who manages to motivate his students.As someone said,'Teachers are not held responsible for their students'abilities but their motivation lies upon their(teachers)shoulders.'Many teachers fail to teach despite the clarity of their learning objectives,good preparation,appropriate teaching materials...This is ascribed to the fact that they know a little about their students;at most,they can call them by their names.True enough it's a little bit difficult to know more about students particularly in large classes yet there is no escape from collecting as much data as possible about the children,say,their needs,likes,dislikes,areas of interest...This will help teachers select,devise,adapt the lessons contents accordingly;therefore,there'll be more echo and involvement on the learners'part.
Kindest regards,
Abdelillah.
ASHOK RAJ
Language teaching is different from teaching other subjects. I often teach large multi level classroom. For me it is not difficult to raise interest in different language learning activities but to make them invest and sustain effort for long time is difficult. From my experiences and my friends', I have been partly successful in following ways:
-By creating students' positive attitude toward English language teaching, TL culture, its speakers, telling its values as well
-Helping in Setting the students' own language learning goals, why they are learning TL or practising particular activities, let them set themselves only facilitate or guide or help to do so
-Giving informational feedback, and create right level of challenge- neither too easy nor too difficult, as complete failure and complete success is demotivating
-Bringing variety i.e. mixing a lesson with different techiniques, materials, activities, as a particular activity maynot be motivating for all
-Using proper paralinguistic features:mime, gestures and actions
-Using appropriate classroom language, it means clear voice, correct pronunciation, suitable use of language function etc
-Enhancing group compitition
Ashok Raj Khati
Nepal