Teach English in Zhanglu Zhen - Liaocheng Shi

Motivation is defined as the need, reason or enthusiasm for doing something (Cambridge Dictionary, 2019). Motivation plays as an important influence factor in both the adult and younger students learning experience. It is said that a motivated student has a greater chance of success than the student without motivation. In the first unit it was addressed that a good teacher should be able to motivate the students. This essay will explore how motivation affects the learning experience, what can influence the students' motivation levels, and what the teacher can try do to increase motivation in the students of a classroom setting. The activity ideas presented at the end are from my experiences as an Occupational Therapist working with students individually. The level of a students' motivation for learning could have an indication on what kind of a learner he/she will be. It is important to be motivated in order to strive for and reach learning achievements. In addition, motivation is needed order to have energy to continue when learning is difficult and/or when the student does not see a progress in their learning. The more motivated learner tends to ask questions, experiment with the language and be receptive to the teachers' corrections. In addition, motivation has an impact on the students' executive skills functioning, for example: memory, concentration and understanding continuation of tasks (Dawson & Guare, 2009). When a student feels like they are learning in order to achieve a purpose or reach a goal they will have a higher level of motivation and be a more active learner. It is common that students who have made their own decision to learn will have a higher level of motivation than those students who are under some form of obligation to learn. However, it is possible that those students under obligation to learn may have something to look forward to, such as a promotion at work or class learner reward. These external motivation rewards can be used to overcome their lack of initial motivation to learn the language. For younger students, it is unlikely that they will have any motivational considerations outside that motivated by the teacher. Therefore the teachers' role in encouraging motivation is of vital importance. The teacher can find a way to link the students learning performance to the external or internal motivating factors (Dawson & Guare, 2009). In order to do this effectively, the teacher needs to understand the students and make the lessons relevant and interesting to them. Some methods to achieve this are: choosing topics of relevance, asking stimulating questions and discussions and vary the topics to prevent boredom by repetition and engage as many students as possible. After a period of time, the teacher may notice that students who previously would remain silent in the class are now initiating engagement. A teacher needs to encourage students to take responsibility for their own language learning regardless of the reasons they are studying. The teacher can do this by using English as the language of instruction and refrain from using the students' native language. It is additionally helpful that the teachers themselves will be motivated and engaged. A young student who is self-conscious or unconfident may have a lower motivation level and therefore be unwilling to experiment with the language. The teachers need to be aware at all times about how they interact with the students. A student can be sensitive to: how the teacher corrects the students work and being put 'on the spot' to produce a language response. If done in an insensitive manner, the students' anxiety may increase and therefor reduce their language learning capacity. Alternatively, the teacher should praise and encourage the students; in some cases it can be as simple as saying something positive about the students learning (Dawson & Guare, 2009). The teacher should focus on what is easy for the student instead of on what is difficult, the activities I have included below demonstrate my experience with grading students learning abilities and progress. With practice a teacher can learn to provide just the right activities and support for a student to progress effectively. This can help lower anxiety, build confidence and ultimately improve motivation. An enthusiastic, sensitive, motivated and caring teacher is much more likely to meet these requirements in the classroom and have students who enjoy and engage in their learning. Some activities I have used to help students increase their confidence and motivation: The student rates the learning tasks from 1-10 according to their experienced level of difficulty. The student may then develop a sense of his/her own capabilities over time and be aware of the progress they make as they notice certain tasks becoming more manageable. In addition, I found this useful as a tool which allowed me to be constantly aware and monitor the students perceived level of progress, and thereby enabling me to provide the right level graded tasks and support to effectively teach. Grade learning activities. Start with a lesson that is less challenging for the student and build in success so that the student experiences success right away. When planning for harder learning lessons, I still plan for student success by making the initial learning tasks achievable. Whenever possible, I measure the students learning progress by something which can be counted, eg: grades, can be turned into graph results. This is also a useful tool for when the student is struggling to see his/her progress. To conclude, a motivated student has a greater chance of success than a student without motivation. There are different elements which may affect a students' level of motivation in a classroom, such as: reasons for learning, external motivation and self-confidence. A good teacher will plan a lesson which reflects an understanding of the students and consider which learning activities are appropriate for their level and will motivate the students. Activities which I used for teaching individual student can also be adapted to use in the classroom learning setting. References: Cambridge University Press, 2019. http://dictionary.cambrdige.org/dictionary/english/motivation Dawson, P., Guare, R. (2009). Smart but Scattered. United States of America: The Guilford Press.