Class Recommended TESOL

Motivation in the ESL ClassroomWhat is motivation and why is it important in an english as a Second Language Learners (ESL) class? Some would say that without motivation in life, very little would be accomplished. Humans need motivation, whether intrinsic or extrinsic, to accomplish daily activities. Why use all our energy to go to the gym? Perhaps we want to be healthy, thin, meet a partner, relax... There could be many different motivations that get us off that couch. Let’s take a look at what motivates students in the ESL classroom. Merriam-Webster defines motivation (For english learners) as: 1. a. the act or process of giving someone reason for doing something: the act or process of motivating someone. b. the condition of being eager to act or work: the condition of being motivated. 2. a force or influence that causes someone to do something. For the purpose of this paper, we will use definition number 2. “Teachers skills in motivating students should be seen as central to effectiveness.” Dornyei 2001:116 Motivation seems to be essential for learning. So what can teachers do to help this motivation process? Dimitrios Thanalous in his article on motivation states that a basic motivational framework should be put in place. This framework should consist of: Teacher Rapport- Teacher behavior i.e. mutual trust, building a personal relationship with students and teacher enthusiasm for material and teaching. A Supportive and Pleasant Classroom Environment- The classroom should be relaxed and students should be able to express themselves without fear of reprisal. A Cohesive Learner Group- The group should spend quality time together and build a history, share facts about each other and develop group norms. If the teacher establishes group norms and the students are not satisfied with them, they will not be accepted. Once this framework is in place, other motivational strategies may follow. In “A Review of Traditional and Current Theories of Motivation in ESL” Curtis Kelly discusses several current ideas of motivation in the ESL classroom. These include; self-efficacy (The perception of one’s own competence), attributions (These can relate to expectancy beliefs which has been shown to play a large role in motivation), social conditions (Conforming to a group, modeling others behaviors and cooperative learning) and classroom factors (teacher attitude, teaching style, curriculum, how a student is assessed). Of these, the teacher can influence many. What can the teacher do in the classroom to make sure these strategies are being used? Care- The teacher must show that she cares about the students and material being presented. As stated above, these are the foundation for a successful classroom. The teacher should get to know each students name and greet them each day. Let them know that she is happy they are there and wants to see them succeed. She should provide feedback to them in a gentle and caring way. Over time, she will learn how the students accepts feedback and tailor it for each student. The material should hold interest to the student and it is the teacher’s responsibility to bring in a variety of topics. By getting to know the students personally, she will know what their interests are find meaningful material that is relevant to their lives. Participation- This is a basic necessity when learning english. The teacher must be constantly checking to make sure students are engaged in the learning process to the best of their ability. By making students comfortable and introducing interesting topics, this will be easier to attain. Classroom Environment- Not only is it important that the students are comfortable with the teacher, it is just as important that they are comfortable with each other. They will be spending a lot of time practicing english with each other and should feel comfortable making mistakes. The teacher should spend plenty of time building and maintaining classroom cohesiveness through games, discussions, projects, debates and various other activities. Assessment- Student assessment is necessary and impacts motivation. Students need to know how they are progressing. Amy Woytech in her article on “Utilizing Assessment to Improve Student Motivation and Success, states that assessment can be very motivating to students. If goals are set and assessed, the student will be held accountable and will rise to the expectations. However, teachers should be sensitive when administering assessments and if possible should emphasize the use of them as a reference for knowledge gained as opposed to a letter on a piece of paper. For adult learners, progress must be made to maintain motivation. Adults are quite good at self-evaluation, but the teacher can help facilitate this with younger students using less stressful means (Informal assessments) like games. Rod Ellis (1994) says that, “Motivation is the feeling nurtured primarily by the teacher in the learning environment.” Therefore, it is vital that teachers recognize the role of motivation and use every strategy they can to instill it in their students. C. Ray, Graham & Walsh, Mark. June 24, 2005 Adult Education ESL Teachers Guide Domyei, Z. (2001). Teaching and Researching Motivation. england: Pearson Education Limited. Ellis, Rod. (1994). The Study of Second Language Acquisition. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Kelly, Curtis. A Review of Traditional and Current Theories of Motivation in ESL. www.osaka-gu.ac.jp Woytech, Amy. Utilizing Assessment to Improve Student Motivation and Success. Chaminade University of Honolulu. http://iteslj.org/techniques/Lile-motivation.html www.virtualsalt.com Robert Harris. October 14, 2010 Some Ideas for Motivatiing Students. www.eslfocus.com Andrew Kopecky. April 24, 2009. Using Games to Motivate your Adult ESL Students.