There is nothing like an authentic motivation to raise the learning ratio of language learners. Well-motivated ESL students learn faster, r...
There is nothing like an authentic motivation to raise the learning ratio of language learners. Well-motivated ESL students learn faster, retain lessons better, discover opportunities to apply the principles of the lesson more frequently and express themselves more fluently in English compared to students lacking adequate motivation.
Beginners are naturally curious and are often forced to explore and commit to their surroundings. However, as people get older, this natural curiosity decreases substantially, so that many students in a conventional classroom environment find it difficult to concentrate on the lesson.
As demonstrated in countless studies, motivation in very young children is almost always very high. This allows cognitive, associative, assimilative and imitative learning at an incomparable rate. At this stage, language learning is among the areas where children exhibit unusual affinity and learning speed. However, as children grow, the intrinsic motivation to learn new skills is eroded by different external stimuli. Bullying, fear of being excluded by peers when an attempt fails, and excessive parental restrictions are just some of the factors that can hamper young students & # 39; Learning rates Finally, the learning experience, a process that previously generated pure emotion among young children, becomes something more associated with boredom in a four-corner classroom. Given this scenario, the intrinsic motivation to learn among many adults is understandably low and unconsciously underestimated in favor of externally induced motivation (learn something to help pay the bills, being the most prominent).
That said, motivation, regardless of its origin, is essential to overcome the challenges associated with language learning. The more motivated ESL students are, the better they will be to absorb and apply the principles of the lesson. Therefore, it is important for ESL educators not only to know the nature and properties of motivation, but also to adopt an approach that helps motivate students to learn English.
Nature of motivation
To motivate language students more effectively, ESL educators must first fully understand the concept of motivation. Different students participate in ESL lessons differently. On the one hand, the desire to participate in classroom dynamics differs from one student to another, and each has their own motives or objectives to get involved in the learning process.
Cognitive experts believe that students can be motivated in at least three fundamental ways:
1. Intrinsically motivated: students who are intrinsically motivated engage in a learning interaction for their own good. Intrinsically motivated students genuinely enjoy the learning interaction and feel some form of achievement once the learning process is complete.
2. Extrinsically motivated: students who are extrinsically motivated participate in a learning interaction primarily as a result, or in the search, of an external factor. Commonly, this factor is a variant of the reward-punishment principle. This is clearly stated in animal training, where rewards (such as food or tangible expressions of affection / affirmation) and punishment (lashes, electric shocks and confinement) are used to incite an animal to perform an activity or task. designed by His human trainer. In human students, rewards include high marks or acceptance in a state university, while punishments include fear of reprisals from parents.
3. Motivated to learn: students motivated to learn are encouraged to participate in a learning interaction through a combination of intrinsic and extrinsic factors. In general, students who are motivated to learn are more mature in terms of their awareness of the value of learning something and tend to continue learning regardless of whether a subject causes personal enjoyment or not. In an investigation, being "motivated to learn" implies a deep participation and a strong commitment to learn a specific topic.
Methods to establish and increase motivation
As competent ESL educators know, knowing the nature of motivation in the context of language learning is only half the trip. It would be a great thing to teach in a classroom full of intrinsically motivated students, but in fact it is a rare and improbable thing. A language teacher is much more likely to have a class where the roots and level of motivation vary among students. Almost always, there will also be students whose progress in learning is hampered by a serious deficiency in motivation. Therefore, to help students complete the learning journey, ESL educators must adopt the right approaches to increase student motivation.
Before continuing with the specific approach, it is imperative that ESL educators understand that their own motivation and energy inevitably affect those of their students. First, how motivated and committed is the ESL teacher to instruct language learners? Does the ESL educator really understand what she is trying to impart? Situations in which ESL teachers are not properly motivated eventually translate negatively into student learning progress. Simply put, if a language teacher lacks commitment or is unmotivated, students will have less motivation to learn. Second, commitment without the right skills is inappropriate. ESL educators must enter classrooms equipped with the appropriate teaching skills, tools and resources to become effective sharers of new knowledge. Finally, language teachers should be aware of the specific needs of their students to involve them in a more meaningful way. Taking advantage of students' cultural, political and economic backgrounds will help second language teachers design relevant lesson plans and achieve more positive learning outcomes.
Once ESL educators have fully appreciated and prepared their roles in learning dynamics, they can proceed to apply the different approaches. The techniques are quite simple and any ESL teacher who has been dedicated to the profession for some time can easily adopt and customize according to the needs of specific classes. If you are an ESL educator, following these basic guidelines will help you better motivate your students.
1. Exude your own emotion on the subject. There is nothing like learning from a teacher who is really excited about the lesson and exhibits this enthusiasm in class. Energy is contagious and demonstrating positive energy will accelerate the learning rate in any class.
2. Make each individual lesson relevant to the students. Depending on class size and other factors, you may want to consider students who have the lowest level of motivation and align their lessons to be more relevant to these students. If this is not plausible, making the lesson meaningful for the greatest number of students is the safest course.
3. Avoid assigning homework and assignments that are irrelevant to students & # 39; personal lives (that is, outside the classroom). As much as possible, assign tasks that excite them or attract their interest.
4. Be proactive in building relationships with challenged students. Investigate your weaknesses and identify the factors that prevent your learning. Determine the nuances that inspire and excite. Based on the information you have collected, create learning bridges that hinder difficulties and help you appreciate the lessons.
5. Practice variety and rhythm in teaching approaches. The use of computers, rich media and group dynamics should be interspersed with out-of-class commitments and traditional teaching methods.
6. Don't be frugal in the use of humor. Studies have shown that people learn more in relaxed and positive environments than in stressful environments.
7. Encourage students to talk more in class.
8. Create scenarios for collaborative learning.
9. Never skimp on praise and positive comments. Demonstrably recognizing students' efforts and achievements will help reinforce their motivation to learn.
10. Regularly gather students' comments and opinions on how they think and can improve the learning process.
conclusion
For ESL educators, the most important contribution to motivate students is to show them that you are really motivated in the lesson and that you really care about your progress in learning. Once this has been established, you can proceed with the application of the different guidelines that encourage language learners to participate more and participate more in classroom activities. Meeting students & # 39; Specific backgrounds, needs and learning difficulties will help ESL teachers align lesson plans and methodologies so that the best learning outcomes are achieved.
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