Student MotivationStudent MotivationBy Natasa Bozic Grojic

When we are talking about student When we are talking about student motivation, we are really talking motivation, we are really talking

about two separate thingsabout two separate things

• Individual motivation

• Motivation of a group

When we are discussing individual When we are discussing individual motivation, we are talking aboutmotivation, we are talking about ::

• Initial motivation (the reason they started learning a language)

• Their motivation during the course (and how to keep them motivated)

• Long-term motivation

According to the students, two According to the students, two things are very importantthings are very important::

• The relationship between the teacher and the students

• The teacher’s personality

Group motivationGroup motivation

Here we are entering the field of group dynamics

Individual motivation

Initial motivation and baggage from the past

• Bad experience at the previous school

• The students are not interested in language learning

• Their idea that they have no talent for the language

• Wrong or outdated ideas about how the language should be learnt

• Wrong ideas about how well they speak the language (too modest or overconfident)

• Wrong ideas about how well other students in their class speak the language

• Wrong ideas about what the teacher should be like or how s/he should teach

What can the teacher do

• Show enthusiasm• Use ice breakers • Let them know you as

a person• Introduce the course • Introduce the book

• Create the atmosphere in which they can ask questions

• Let them know that you expect feedback

• Teach them how to learn

Motivation during the course (and how to keep it)

Personalised homework Show that you care Let them feel safe Emphasise what they are

good at Challenge them Give them choice Open-ended activities Let them assess their own

knowledge Explain the purpose of every

activity Give clear instructions

• Quality homework• Positive emotions • Humour • Interesting classes • Visual input • Bringing in their personal

interests • Feedback • Realistic goals

Grup dynamics

• Forming

• Storming

• Norming

• Performing Closing

Stages in group development:

Forming:In this stage the teacher should

• Help everyone learn all the names• Help the students to get to know each other• Encourage the students to change places as

mych as possible • Use different learning formats• Give tasks which encourage team work

• Agree with the group on norms and rules of behaviour

Storming The teacher should

• Keep the communication channel open

• Stay calm

• Listen in an active way, clarify and summarise what others are saying

• Explain to the group that this is a normal, healthy stage

Characteristics of a well-formed group

• Tolerance

• Cooperation

• Common norms

ClosingThe teacher should:

• Collect feedback

• Remind the students what they have learnt

• Help them make plans for the future

• Jeremy Harmer: How to Teach English, Longman, 1998• Zoltan Dornyei and Tim Murphy: Group Dunamics in the Language Classroom, Cambridge

University Press, 2003• Center for Excellence in Teaching: Motivating Your Students ( Module 2.4.), University of

Southern California, http://www.usc.edu/programs/cet/ • Parill Stribling, International Pacific College, New Zealand: Motivation in the ESL/EFL

Classroom> Rhetoric and Reality 16th Educational Conference Melbourne 2003• Catherine R. Stamler (2007): Learner Motivation and Persistance,

www.able.state.pa.us/fieldnotes07• Michael Rost: Generating Student Motivation, www. longman.com/worldview • Priscila Theroux (2004): Intrinsic Motivation, www.enhancelearning.ca • Dimitrios Thanasoulas: Motivation and Motivation in EFL, www.tefl.net

www.geocities.com/glossologos/• Ronald W. Luce (1990): Motivating the Unmotivated, http://honolulu.hawaii.edu• Robert Harris (1991): Some Ideas for Motivating Students, www.virtualsalt.com