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70. Motivating students Why learning to motivate is essential for ESL teachers This essay will explore the importance of motivational based teaching in an English teaching context. Specifically, the discussion will be focused on generating motivation in younger school-aged learners, below the age of 16. Understanding motivation is critical as it affects the students long-term commitment to the language and their engagement and behaviour during class. Motivation is a significant factor in students dedication to learning English. To understand this impact, is it important to break down motivational factors into two parts, intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic motivators are intangible factors that make students feel positive emotions related to happiness, fulfilment or satisfaction. Many younger students, particularly beginners in English will find intrinsic motivation in praise from their teacher. Extrinsic motivators are factors that are tied to specific value-based outcomes that do not satisfy a basic need in themselves. This value can be a physical item, such as a phone, or getting an A+ on an exam. Both these factors should be considered when designing a lesson, down to specific activities or games administered. A student would be compelled to continue their English learning efforts if their instinct and extrinsic needs are met. It is the responsibility of a teacher to determine students individual motivators. To illustrate the benefit this provides, consider the following scenario. The first teacher starts telling students they should do their English homework because English is a growing language and they need it. The second teacher asks students about why they think English is valuable and find out many students want to watch American movies without subtitles. Even though the homework is grammar, the second teacher bases the sample sentences on famous movie lines. By directly linking the homework to students long-term goals, students will feel a greater alignment to doing their homework and being fulfilled in the future. Therefore, it is paramount that teachers consider their own students interests before their own or those of society at large. The second advantage of incorporating motivational aspects into teaching is the effect it has on classroom engagement. Lack of engagement results in behavioural problems such as talking, throwing things or not paying attention, this is often the case if students are not mentally stimulated. Additionally, participation levels increase if the students feel motivated, this is key as participation and student talk time (STT) are vital in advancing a student’s English confidence and fluency. For example, if a teacher a presents a listening-based lesson and uses a video interview with a CEO explaining his business growth, young students will very quickly lose focus as they likely have minimal personal connection to the topic. If the teacher used a famous song popular among students or interview with an entertainer, students will respond more positively. Ultimately, motivation will play a role in the success of every course, lesson and activity. The two key benefits of prioritising motivational elements in the classroom are the students effort in learning English and the students engagement levels during class. An understanding of students intrinsic and extrinsic motivators are key to attaining these benefits. ESL teachers who fail to consider motivational factors in the delivery of classes will be limiting their own potential as a teacher and the students potential as an English learner.
