
Setting the Stage Fostering Motivation in the L2 Classroom
Teacher as Facilitator • Gets students’wheels turning • Turns students toward their own abilities • Helps students channel their abilities to fruitful directions • (Brown, p. 94)
Food for Motivation “When the educational environment provides... • Optimal challenges • Rich sources of stimulation and • A context of autonomy …this motivational wellspring in learning is likely to flourish.” • (ZoltanDornyei, p. 275)
Components of Language Learning Motivation • Learning Situation Level • Course-Specific • Teacher-Specific • Group Specific • Learner Level • Personality • Need for achievement • Self-Confidence Language Level • Culture • Community • Usefulness of L2
Language Level • 1. Usefulness of L2 • Sociocultural • Cross-Cultural • Authentic Contact • Film and TV • Music • Special Guests • Pen-Friends • Discussion Groups • Cultural Field Trips • Analogies to the new • familiar • Volunteer and • job opportunities
Learner Level • 2. Self Confidence • 3. Goals • 4. Climate • Involve students • Praise and positive • feedback • Teach strategies to • Problem solve • Process New Info • Sense of achievement • and competence • Test and exams • Goals: tailoredand • attainable • Attribution • Classroom Climate: • Comfortable/Secure • Fun • Anxiety-Reducing
Learning Situation Level • 5.Teacher/Rapport • 6.Autonomy • 7. Personal • Relevance • 8.Interest • 9.Group • 10.Task • Teacher: • Congruence • Acceptance • Natural/empathy • Student Responsibility • Goal attainment • Organization • Design of Lessons • Group Culture • Task Instruction Clear • Interesting Course Content • Authentic, unusual • Visual • Vary interaction • Imagination, Suspense • Explore Resources
What Practices are really most effective in fostering motivation? 1. Usefulness of L2 2. Self Confidence 3. Goals 4. Climate 4. Teacher/Rapport 5. Autonomy 6. Personal Relevance 7. Interest 8. Group 9. Task • How would you rate these practices based on your own experience as a student?
Results of a BYU L2 Teacher-Student Study • 6. Goals • 7. Group Culture • 8. Reward • 9. Peer-modeling/Finished Product • Teacher/Rapport • Climate • Task/Self-confidence • Personal Relevance/Interest • Language Usefulness/Autonomy
To Remember • “…[T]eacherswho are unaware of what motivates students will often make assumptions about the learners’ motives.” • “Instructors should discover what motivates students, employ teaching methods and materials that appeal to leaners’ initial motivations, and… create new motivation to continue learning the language in a classroom setting and on their own” (AsheleyRuesch, 19 – 20)