TEFL Breckenridge Colorado

As many people know, one of the hardest parts of learning a language is finding the motivation to really keep at it. It is the responsibility of a tefl teacher it to help students stay motivated. There are many different ways to achieve this in the classroom, and some ways work better than others. This is due to differences in cultures, and perceptions of motivational teaching strategies. In order to motivate students most effectively it is important for teachers to explore this topic. In my research I found articles and studies that have explored some of the most effective ways teachers can motivate english language students in different countries and cultures. A study done in Taiwan sought to determine how effective certain motivational strategies derived from Western educational contexts would be in the classroom environments of Taiwan. The results of this study revealed that, of the list of strategies, the most universally endorsed strategies included ‘displaying motivating teacher behavior', ‘promoting learners' self-confidence', ‘creating a pleasant classroom climate' and ‘presenting tasks properly' (Cheng and Z. Dornyei, 2007). These results were compared with a similar study done in Hungary, which yielded similar results. However between the studies one motivational strategy was found ‘culturally dependent'. ‘Promoting learner autonomy' was recognized as a potentially effective motivational strategy in the Hungarian study, yet was perceived as possessing little motivational relevance by english teachers in Taiwan (Cheng and Z. Dornyei, 2007). The study also revealed that the two most underutilized strategies among english teachers were ‘making the learning tasks stimulating' and ‘familiarizing learners with related culture'. This information is very important to all english teachers, as teachers in different cultures, we must understand that cultural differences exist and be aware of strategies that are universally effective cross-culturally. An australian study based in indonesia explored both students' and english teachers perceptions of teaching strategies that impact students' motivation in learning efl The study cites and further applies Dornyei's principles for motivation teaching practices in the study. These principles and their correlating findings within the study were; 1) Generating initial motivation (Dornyei, 2009); the findings from the study in this area indicate that a non-threatening and positive learning environment in which the student- lecturer relationship is well-maintained improves the student-teachers' learning spirit as well as their sense of belonging to the classroom. 2) Maintaining and protecting motivation (Dornyei, 2009); the study indicates that clear instructions, a product of well-planned teaching, significantly affect student motivation to learn the foreign language as well as the teacher being a good model of a successful language learner. Finally, 3) Encouraging positive retrospective self-evaluation (Dornyei, 2009); the two implications drawn from the study as they relate to this principle were; varying teaching strategies and incorporating technology in classrooms (Kassing, 2011). The author of this study did a very thorough job reporting her findings as they relate to motivation in the tefl classroom. In sum, there are many things to consider when dealing with classroom motivation. One thing I learned from reviewing these studies is to be aware of cultural differences and account for that when choosing how best to motivate students. From what I read and from what I learned in my tefl course, I have come to the conclusion that promoting students' self-confidence, presenting tasks clearly, good class variation and organization, and fostering a positive classroom environment to be the most important aspects of motivating students. If or when I become a tefl teacher I will do my best to employ these strategies in my classroom. Sources Kassing, Rachmania. Perceptions of Motivational Teaching Strategies in an efl Classroom: The case of a Class in a Private University in indonesia, 2011. Cheng and Z. Dornyei. The Use of Motivational Strategies in Language Instruction: The Case of efl Teaching in Taiwan, 2007.