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Motivation and Foreign Language Learning - esl-online.ca

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Motivation and Foreign Language Learning

Motivation and Foreign Language Learning

Motivation is the key factor in any learning success. It is the force that drives the person to achieve more and become better. In foreign language learning scholars generally distinguish between extrinsic and intrinsic motivation. Extrinsic motivation is the result of a number of outside factors (e.g., the need to pass the exam, the possibility of future travel, the hope for a financial reward, promotion within the company etc.). Intrinsic motivation comes from within the individual. A person might be simply enjoying the learning process and/ or have an inner desire to make themselves feel better. It has been noticed that individual with intrinsic motivation are more successful learners. Even when the initial reason for starting a language course was extrinsic motivation, students’ chances for success greatly increase when they enjoy the learning process. Some other educators emphasize that it is the strength of the student motivation that matters most, as opposed to the source of its origin.

Typically the students’ motivation is affected by a number of factors, namely the society they live in and that society’s attitude to language learning; the people around them and the attitude of these people towards language learning; existence of a definite goal for language learning; the degree of natural curiosity the students possess; the students’ previous learning experiences, i. e. the success or failure they have experienced before in the language learning process.

Without any doubt it is the responsibility of the teacher to sustain motivation of their students. While students are naturally more motivated and curious at the beginning of the course or a school year, once they know the teacher maintaining the motivation level requires more effort from the teacher. Things that can sustain students’ motivation include, but are not limited to:

  • teachers need to be genuinely interested in the students and their success, listening, watching and responding to students’ needs at all times;
  • teachers need to set appropriate level of challenge so that students can achieve the results with some effort. The tasks should not be too difficult or too easy to complete as this will demotivate the students;
  • teachers should have professional attitude. The way they present themselves to the class is very important. Being prepared for the class and knowing what the teacher is doing helps to establish the trust and achieve the best results;
  • teachers have to do their best to involve students in enjoyable and engaging activities and reflect on what works best for a certain class/learners.
  • teachers should encourage students to work on their own developing effective study skills. This may be completing homework assignments, learning to discover things for themselves/knowing where to get the information in order to take charge of their learning.
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