Teach English in Huji Zhen - Suqian Shi

Motivation can be defined as a concept used to describe the factors within an individual which arouse and maintain behaviour towards a goal. In other words, it is goal-directed behaviour. Cultivating Motivation has long been a significant challenge for most English teachers as a Second Language (ESL) or as a foreign language in elsewhere. The degree of motivation can vary according to ages, purposes, English level and others. The motivation is the essential factors in learning English. Especially, those children, who are obliged to learn English due to the school required subject or their parents’ intention, can get bored easily compared to adult learners who have a purpose to master English for their life and work. First of all, teachers are required to understand and appreciate the critical role of motivation in any learning. One of the successful ways is to use “pair work” or “ Group work” effectively. Language is best learned through close collaboration and communication among students. Therefore, Those exercises allow students to participate in the lesson and mingle with other students while exchanging friendships. In fact, learners can help each other while working on different types of tasks such as writing dialogues, interviews, drawing pictures and making comments about them, play roles, and so on. Secondly, the way of seating the students in the classroom is an often essential role to determine the dynamics of the lesson. For instance, a simple change in the seating pattern can make an incredible difference to group coherence and student satisfaction, and sometimes seating can be a crucial element in the success or failure of the lesson. In some situations, we cannot control the seating pattern. If the desks are fixed to the ground or the lines, teachers could change seating regularly to allow students to mingle with each other and to improve an atmosphere. Thirdly, in order to keep motivating the children or beginners learners, it is essential to organize the lesson active and entertained. For example, using games is often preferred. In the most occasion, children do not even realize they are learning if they are enjoying the game. When we play games, it is also good to make it a competition style. However, we should keep in mind that certain ages, like under six years old, they may find the competition stressful, and it can be a negative effect. Besides, teachers should make fun of themselves and join the lesson with joy as much as or more than students do. So, teachers can give a positive atmosphere and can prepare students excited to come back to the classroom. Lastly, homework can be a tricky point for motivating students. Adults students who learn English, they are mostly busy with work that does not have time to complete homework. Therefore, it is essential to organize the lesson which can provide a right balance of practical and drilling or arrange the experience according to their goal. For the case of children or students who have time to do some homework, teachers can provide homework which is an adequate amount. It should be too difficult and should not take so much their free time. If teachers provide homework, they also should not forget to go through together. Otherwise, students will lose motivation to complete homework and improve English. The motivating student is a lifelong subject for teachers. Teachers should not forget to praise if students did well in exercise, homework, tests and some other occasions. Also, according to the students’ level and progression, teachers are required to reorganize the lesson in order to keep their concentration and motivation to learn English.