Мотивация в обучении английскому языку
статья по английскому языку на тему

         My experience shows that the methodological problem number one in teaching English is motivation.

         Motivated students are more eager to learn, they are willing to explore new approaches &, as a rule, their performance - both during studies & later on, in working life, is higher.

         In this report I will shortly discuss some theoretical approaches to motivation in education & will give some ideas which may increase motivation.

         The definition of “motivation” is the following: “… motivation is the influence of needs and desires on the intensity and direction of behavior “(Kleinginna, P.,Jr.;, Kleinginna A. 1981 “A categorized List of Motivation Defenitions.”)

         Motivation is essential in learning process, without a need or desire learning behavior will not occur at all.

         Am. psychologist, Abraham Maslow in a book entitled “Motivation and Personality” (1954) put forward one of the best known theories of motivation. In his theory, he presents a hierarchy of needs. His classification is given below; basic needs are at the bottom, higher needs at the top.

Physiological needs

        These were things required to sustain life like food, water, air, sleep etc. Until these needs are satisfied, Maslow believed, other needs will not motivate people.

Security needs

        They are the needs to be free from danger, physical pain and loss of a job. They include the need for clothing and shelter.

Social needs

         A human being needs to belong a group, to be liked and loved, to feel accepted by others and to develop affiliations.

Esteem needs

         After people have satisfied their social needs, they want to have self- respect and to be esteemed by others. They have a need for power, status, respect and self-confidence.

Self-actualization needs

         These are the highest needs, according to Maslow. They are desire to develop, to maximize potential and to achieve one’s goals.

Self-Actualization

Esteem Needs

Social Needs

Safety Needs

Physiological Needs 

        Maslow said that people satisfied their needs in a systematic way. When a need had been met, it stopped being a motivation factor. For example, if a person was starving, he would not be too concerned about security and social needs. But once he had enough food, he would start thinking about those other needs.

       This approach to motivation assumes that students are motivated to learn because of their own benefits that arose from their needs, such as their sense of competence, self-esteem, autonomy and self actualization. Teacher’s role is to be able to identify those motives & give students  possibility  to satisfy their needs.

       The sources of motivation are different. In general they can be extrinsic (outside the person) or intrinsic (internal to the person).

       American psychologist Carl Rogers outlined 3 attitude qualities that a teacher should have to assist learning process.

       They are empathy (seeing things from the students` view point),

                      authenticity (being yourself)

               and acceptance (of students` ideas and opinions).

       As for classroom practices, a variety of methods are used, starting from encouraging discussions to giving individual feedback. In fact, almost everything teachers do in the classroom has a motivational influence on students- either positive or negative.

       There is no one method which will be suitable for everyone. The teacher should be inspired to change and to experiment. Teachers are to motivate through enjoyable and interesting classes. We have to look for various materials for our gifted students. They need frequent changes of activity; they need activities which are exciting and stimulate their curiosity.

      I offer the following list of suggestions & activities which can be adjusted for various levels of teaching. The list is by no means exhaustive.

      1. Be enthusiastic and your class will soon become enthusiastic. Enthusiasm demonstrates that you are excited about what you have to say, and this will excite your class. How can I expect others to be interested in what I say if  I don’t show  interest in it myself with enthusiasm.

     2. Be interested in others.

Every person is interested in himself. The most beautiful sound in any language is the sound of a person’s own name.

     When we show genuine interest in someone, he will show interest in you. This is why it is so important to praise our students for good attitudes and demonstrations of character.

     I always call my students by name. Believe in them and see them as individuals. I try to create curiosity by my interest in my students. These statements and questions are very effective:” I’ve noticed some good things in you recently “, ”Do you know what I appreciate most about you? ”. When they see your interest, you will see their curiosity.

     3. Learn about your students interests.

     When you mention another person’s interests, you suddenly catch his ear, using this method with our students we create curiosity and gain attentiveness. It is not difficult to discover the interests of others- simply ask!

      Once we understand our students` interests, we’ll also understand how they are motivated.

      For example teenage students love listening to music!

Due to the fact that so much popular music is in English it can be a source for highly motivating activities.

      Teenagers really appreciate it if you make the effort to find out what they like to listen to. Lyrics can be easily found on the Internet and there are many opportunities to exploit language in songs. Having music on in the background when students are working can really change the atmosphere of a classroom. A class may vote what to listen to while working.

      By accepting teenagers’ music tastes and “tuning in” to them, the motivation levels of a class can be improved.

      Teenagers know a lot about music and will eager to tell you a lot about it.

      4. Be yourself, authentic.

Teenage students can be very curious & inquisitive. They want to know more about you & your life outside the classroom. It is a personal decision how much of yourself you want to give away & share with your students.

      I have always found that personalizing really helps to increase students` interest levels. Using photos can really help to spark interest & generate a lot of language. We can use photos describing people, families, holidays or describing places. How much more engaging it to see holiday photos from the teacher’s summer break rather than the typical desert island shots used in textbooks.

      5. Desire & Fear.

There only two motivations that a person has for doing anything: either a desire for gain or a fear of loss. Every student is curious to know what he has to gain or lose by learning or not learning, by obeying or not obeying. For example I use tokens: give or take from children according to their answers.

      6. Have Clear Realistic Aims.

Always know what you want students to learn in each lesson & tell them. Beginners need a clear, step by step approach. Don’t aim too high or go too quickly or all but the strongest will lose motivation. Keep reminding students what they know, what they are going to learn, and how well they are doing. Students need to feel they are moving forward. Use a “progress chart” to help students monitor their progress. Explain, how the content of the curriculum  will be useful to the students. Use assignments & examples  that relate to the students interests. Explain or show why learning a particular grammar rule, structure or skill is important.

     7. Look outside the classroom.

I’ve found that the most effective way to motivate students is to always relate what they are learning to real life & give any examples I can find. For example I explain my pupils of the 5th form why knowing of the English letters is important. Because the frequent question abroad is “Could you spell your name?” Or the children often say each other codes to computer games by phone. The knowing of the English letters is necessary to find quickly a word in the dictionary.

     The Internet is an obvious source of authentic English, but also advertising, tourist information, menus, filling in different blanks, writing CV, original version films etc. This should remind students that learning English can be useful in all sorts of areas of their lives. If you have students who have traveled to an English speaking country use their experiences with the class. Having pen-pals from the USA was very stimulating for my students. That familiarized them with more idiomatic English.

      8. Create & maintain curiosity.

For example I’ve found an interesting way to train -Gerund which is very difficult grammar material for students. They translate amusing & interesting sentences about love. And they see clearly the difference between English & Russian way of building sentences.

      9. Think of the future.

Explain the students will have more job opportunities with a higher level of English. Try to find some local job advertisements where English is required. This may make students think of English as more than just another subject & more as a tool to help them achieve their future goals.

     10. Encourage students to read.

Reading is the key to vocabulary extension & can greatly increase students’ contact with English. I bring them fascinating & interesting articles from newspapers & magazines, give different books to read during the summer vacations.

     11. Using objects in lessons adds interest & draws attention because they are touchable & viewable.

     12. Poetry parties & dramatization can create motivation & stimulate interest.

     13.Teach your students to be good learners.

Encourage students:

• buy a good dictionary  
• use grammar reference
• make grammar notes brightly
• do homework regularly, emphasize its importance. Don’t set homework just after the bell goes – allow time to tell students what you want them to do.

14. Show respect to the children & let them sometimes be a teacher. Give correct language examples to a group of bright students & let them teach the others. Remember childhood through your students.

      In conclusion I’d like to say that to my strong belief it is almost impossible to teach students who do not have natural curiosity & are not motivated to learn.