Motivate Your English Language Learners to Study ESL

Rod Ellis defines motivation as referring to "the efforts which learners put into learning an L2 as a result of their need or desire to learn" (1995).

The two main types of motivation, intrinsic and extrinsic, can affect the learning process. Intrinsic motivation is task motivation that derives from an inherent interest in the learning tasks while extrinsic motivation refers to the external influences that affect the strength of learner's motivation such as that which comes from teachers and parents.

While some students have their own intrinsic motivation or external motivation, other students need to be motivated to learn. There are many things that you can do as a teacher in order to motivate students to learn. These strategies are based on various articles I have read below.

Students are more likely to want to learn when they appreciate the value of the classroom activities, and when they believe that they will succeed if they apply reasonable effort. Hence, "student motivation to learn is an acquired competence developed through general experiences but stimulated most directly through modeling, communication of expectations, and direct instruction or socialization by significant others - especially teachers and parents" (Brophy, p.40) When it comes to lower performing learners, teachers realize that such learners are accustomed to experiencing failure, hence, the teacher's task is to help them experience success.

 

Here are some strategies and tips that may motivate students and stimulate them to learn.

 

• Provide a supportive environment and establish a trusting bond. "Motivation is the feeling nurtured primarily by the teacher in the learning situation" (Ellis, 1994). Greet your students, interact with them, indicate a personal concern about them as individuals.
• Cater levels of activity to students' level - try and make sure that the learning tasks pose a reasonable challenge to the students - neither too difficult nor too easy.
• Help students recognize links between effort outcome - learning is a long term plan of effort and investment.
• Break down learning steps into digestable pieces.
• Minimize student's performance anxiety during learning activities.

Articles on Motivating Students

Brophy, J. Synthesis of Research for Motivating Students to Learn. Educational Leadership, Oct. 1987. p.40-48. (article summary)

Ellis, R. (1994) The Study of Second Language Acquisition. Oxford: Oxford University Press.