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Motivation among the students is arguably just as important for a successful ESL (English as a Second Language) lesson as the content and teaching methodologies. It has been defined as a theoretical construct used to explain the initiation, direction, intensity, persistence, and quality of behaviour, especially goal-directed behaviour (Murphy and Alexander, 2000). It is indisputable that motivation to learn English plays a crucial role in students’ performance, achievements, and attendance (Kurt and Kurt, 2018). This indicates that instructors should be aware of the importance of motivation and strive to motivate their students. There are various ways that a teacher could employ to motivate their students to study English. One of the primary ways to motivate or re-motivate students to study English is to somehow keep their reason for studying English, and how it is truly beneficial in their memories. This is referred to as a primary method because this only deals with the gradual reduction of motivation solely due to time. Beyond this, the Gardner’s (2007) form of socio-educational model which presents motivation as a dynamic construct with integrative motivation at its centre is what I believe to be true. In accordance with the research interests, the focus here is on external influences, particularly on the motivation factor, the teachers. Teachers are responsible for creating the basic motivational conditions, for generating and maintaining student motivation, and for encouraging positive self-evaluation. Students who experience sensitive, responsive, and positive interactions with teachers perceive them as more supportive and are more motivated within the academic contexts of schooling (Deci & Ryan, 1985). Therefore, what can be inferred is that it is imperative that the ESL teacher keep in mind that student motivation is just as, if not more, important to their lesson as their knowledge or the plan. The role of the teacher has been stated to be of prime importance various times. As Glasser (2001) advises teachers, to quit the role of “worker” and regard themselves as “modern managers” to make the classroom environment more satisfying. Likewise, inspirational skill of teachers have been identified as “stimulating learning into an enjoyable experience through a knowledge of psychology of learning motivation and how to overcome barriers to learning confidence” There are various small steps that the teacher can take to truly motivate and in some instances, rejuvenate the students. As one of the main reasons for lack of motivation is perhaps inability to follow the lesson or a struggle to keep up. If a teacher notices that certain student is lacking in motivation because of their struggle, s/he should make appropriate measures to make said student as comfortable in the lesson as the teacher can without being biased. Another main reasons for lack of motivation could be a repetitive and mundane learning experience. If so is the case, it is entirely up to the teacher to motivate the students by making the lessons more interesting and making sure that they cater to the needs of the students in an enjoyable manner. This could be accomplished by introducing new activities in the activate stage of the lessons, having a slight sense of friendly competition in the class, and creating a fun atmosphere for the students such that it is easy for them to expand their comfort zone. More than anything, an awareness of the class and a self-awareness of the quality of the lesson is vital in order for the teacher to spot problems like lack of motivation among the students. As every problem in the class has a unique solution and no solo template can be used to fix all motivation related problems, the teacher needs to be able to adapt the methods as well as the lesson to uniquely solve the particular issues in their class. This ability to spot the presence of lack of motivation and to intuitively come up with strategies to deal with these issues is what makes a great ESL, or any teacher for that matter. As is apparent, motivation among students is key for the success of any lesson, and therefore, the duties of a teacher go much beyond just the act of imparting knowledge; it encompasses creating an ambience in the class which enables the students to truly be willing and capable of accepting this aforementioned knowledge, as motivation directly affects perspicacity. References Deci, E. and Ryan, R. (1985). The general causality orientations scale: Self-determination in personality. Journal of Research in Personality, 19(2), pp.109-134. Glasser, W. (2001). Choice theory in the classroom. Quill, Harper Collins Publishers. Murphy, P., & Alexander, P. (2000). A motivated exploration of motivation terminology. Contemporary Educational Psychology, (25), 3 - 53. Gardner, R. C. (2007). Motivation and Second Language Acquisition. Porta Linguarum. (8) 9-20. Yüncü Kurt, P. and Kurt, H. (2018). Instructional Practices that Motivate Students to Learn English. Journal of Education and Future, (14), 119 - 130.
