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A newly trained or even an experienced teacher of a foreign language will always have a key question in mind as they begin to teach English: how do I get students motivated to learn English and maintain this motivation. This is a crucial concept as maintaining motivation is vital to learn any foreign language and if this motivation diminishes, then even the most remarkable or conscientious of students will not accomplish their goal of learning the language. Keeping this in mind, there are many ideas that can be used and incorporated in lessons to get even the most unresponsive student motivated to learn English. This essay will highlight some of the methods a teacher can use to motivate and maintain motivation in students. The teacher The first and most important factor in motivating students to learn comes from the teacher. A teacher who is not enthusiastic and passionate about teaching or teaching English in general will have a hard time keeping students motivated and maintaining discipline in the classroom. Therefore, the teacher needs to care and be passionate about teaching, and introduce topics to students in a fun and interactive way. Setting clear and attainable goals Students need to leave the classroom with the knowledge that they have gained something from the lesson. If they believe they have not benefited from the lesson or subsequent lessons, they may be less enthusiastic in learning English. A simple idea that will allow students to see progress is to write down the lesson plan or keep it visible to students. At the end of the lesson, review the lesson plan so students can see what they have learned, where they currently are and what will come next. This will allow students to keep track of their progress and instill in them a desire to keep going. Praise students and avoid over-correction It is essential that a teacher, after every lesson and activity, praises students for their contribution not matter how big or small, as it will go a long way in boosting the student’s confidence, especially the weaker ones. In addition, when students do make mistakes, don’t immediately correct their mistake and undermine their confidence by interrupting them every single time. Instead, praise them for their contribution and note down the common mistake being made and then do a short activity to point out and alleviate these mistakes. Vary the lesson It is well known that students who had an enjoyable class will most likely be more enthusiastic to continue to learn the subject. Therefore, it is essential to vary the lessons by using visual aids and quizzes as opposed to looking and reading at a book. Also incorporate games and competitions into the lesson to break the flow and allow students to use the new material they have learnt in a fun and interactive way among their peers. Involve students and give them a chance to shine Teachers will find it difficult to keep students focused on the lesson if you lecture at them all day. To prevent this, vary the dynamics of the lesson by involving students in the class, getting them to work in pairs or in groups and out of their seats, while ensuring the activities are engaging and relevant to the lesson. It is also crucial to give the students the opportunity to be successful and accomplish the task at hand, as it will not only boost their confidence but further motivate them to continue to learn. Give clear instructions It is essential when setting a task to be clear so students are aware of what they must be doing. If they are not sure what they are doing, they may lose confidence in the teacher’s ability to teach and their motivation to study the subject will diminish. In conclusion, there can be many factors that will determine a student’s motivation in learning a language. But once they step into the classroom, the burden is now placed on the teacher. There is a lot a teacher can do to develop and maintain motivation. The above tips can greatly help to improve and maintain motivation but the most important tip a teacher can use is ‘teach as you would like to be taught’.
