Teach English in Tianzhuang Zhen - Heze Shi

Through my personal and professional experiences, I’ve come to understand that if a learner is going to have success in the subject at hand, it is essential that they be motivated at each step of the learning process. Over the years I’ve gained insight into how to develop and maintain motivation in different contexts. These experiences include: occasionally teaching English to professionals for career development, placement tests and interviews; tutoring young learners in various subjects; animating weekly youth groups focused on literacy and expression, and teaching English to my own children aged five & seven years. While motivation comes in large part from students themselves, the teacher has a significant role to play in the process. The more teachers convey joy in their work and in seeing students progress, the more students will be motivated and enjoy the learning process. One’s demeanour, encouragement and patience are also crucial factors. If a teacher has to repeat a part of a lesson several times, doing it calmly and in a positive manner is much more effective than succumbing to impatience or frustration, which will only discourage the student’s in his/her progress. Initially, a student needs to understand why he/she is making efforts to learn a language. Depending on one’s age, context, life situation, this reason varies and evolves. Understanding evolves from knowing why we want to start learning, to then wanting to continue making progress, to then envisioning new uses of one’s capacity. Understanding leads to burgeoning motivation. I was raised in Canada and have lived in France for over a decade. Being abroad has been an eye-opening experience for me in terms of how a large number of French people (both adults and youth) are drawn to and yet intimated or overwhelmed by English. They want to learn the language but since many haven’t had positive experiences as students, this has affected their motivation. As a native speaker, I took English for granted until I moved to France and learned firsthand about being motivated to learn another language. I wanted to participate actively in French life and culture, and therefore has to make the necessary efforts to improve my French. A related and important factor is how teachers perceive their learners. We always need to see potential, qualities and capacity in each student. Evidently, there are specific contexts and realities for each category of learners and the teacher needs to adapt to this. For example, children have a natural curiosity and joy, while youth have innate energy and intelligence. Drawing upon these qualities taps into enthusiasm and motivation. Adults possess the desire to progress and succeed- intellectually, financially and/or personally. In today’s world, learning English is also a way of wanting to belong and participate in a globalised community. English has become the most widespread form of communication; it is a ticket towards endless opportunities - personal, professional or academic – and is therefore a source of motivation for many learners. I have found it very helpful with adults to draw upon media and audio tools – images, videos, audiobooks, etc – all of these have a powerful impact on a student’s understanding of words and concepts. Examples of useful techniques in fostering motivation when working with young people have included choosing articles, stories and pieces of significance and organising related discussions and activities, and writing short scripts with young people to ac out simple dramas. The role of music in fostering expression and memorisation has also been very useful. I have learned that subject content is also key in fostering motivation and participation. Once the foundation is set and the building blocks in place, students should be exposed to meaningful materials that have value to their life and/or their environment. Their participation is much greater than on a topic that is only mildly interesting and in which they are merely passive participants. Any educational approach should be directed towards personal growth and believe that human beings have innate potential and value. These values are expressions of the inner forces that operate within each of us, and education must concern itself with these forces if it is to tap the roots of real motivation and produce meaningful impact. Therefore, if the content conveys meaning, it will have greater impact. There is a wealth of meaning enshrined in words, and when presented imaginatively and creatively in text, this motivates both younger and older learners and engenders enthusiasm. Developing the power of expression involves more than the mere acquisition of the mechanical skills of reading, writing and speech. There is an intimate connection between the words one learns and one’s evolving thought, which in turns influences the way a person expresses him/herself. Therefore, the power to express oneself - both written and verbally- which is the ultimate goal of learning a new language, becomes a constant and evolving source of motivation.