Motivation in Language Learning
Let me ask you a question: why estu dias inglés? Is your answer among these?
- For work or for
BUSINESS
. - To take the FCE, CAE, CPE, TOEFL, IELTS or to prepare for any other official certification.
official English certification
. - To be able to manage when traveling abroad.
- To find a better job.
- To exercise the mind.
- To get closer to other cultures.
- Because it is the lingua franca
All of these reasons are fine and there are many more but they all have one thing in common: they motivate extrinsically. Very rarely does someone answer me the above question “because I LOVE English!” and when I hear this, usually the student already has a very good level of English but is anxious for
learn more
. The above question puzzles us all and, unfortunately, there is usually no clear and concise answer to it.
This may not be an easy topic of conversation for those learning English, but it is very important, not only for the student but especially for the teacher, to bring it up at the appropriate time. It is undoubtedly true that, while the student usually has a need of a certain nature that motivates him to learn English or to begin to receive english classesIn order to maintain and increase the student’s interest and motivation beyond that need, it is the role of the teacher that is fundamental to maintain and increase the student’s interest and motivation not only within the English class, but especially in the classroom. real-life situations when the language is actually used.
Noam Chomsky, well-known linguist, philosopher and activist, once said:
“The crux of the matter is that 99% of teaching is about getting students interested in the subject matter. The remaining 1% depends on methods.”
At FunTalk we agree with this statement: the duty of a teacher is not only to teach the English language and show its use, but their role goes far beyond what they traditionally had in a classroom. Their job is to get those who want to learn English involved; it is to facilitate a friendly, supportive and relaxed environment that allows students to optimize their English learning; it is to involve them in the classroom and play an active role throughout their English study process. Thus, when the class is over, the students will go home thinking about English and will try to apply it in their daily lives and, more importantly, the teacher will have made the student look forward to and even look forward to going to their English classes every week.
Because at FunTalk we focus on offering small groups and small classes, we are able to make the courses more personalized and tailored to the specific needs of each student.
private English lessons
Because of FunTalk’s focus on small groups, we are able to make the courses more personalized and tailored to the specific needs of each student. Moreover, we strive to go beyond simply adapting to their needs and realize what a student likes and dislikes, what kind of learner they are and work with real-life scenarios to use English in
real-life contexts. This practice is not only very useful and effective, but it motivates the English learner naturally and, hopefully, turns their motivation into an intrinsic reason to learn English, rather than just having one of the reasons listed above.
Albert Einstein sums it up succinctly:
“The true art of the teacher is to awaken the joy of creativity and knowledge”.
Motivation in Language Learning
Let me ask, why are you learning English? Is any one of the following your answer?
- For work or business
- To pass the FCE, CAE, CPE, TOEFL, IELTS, or any other official examination
- To travel
- To get a better job
- It’s good for your brain
- To understand other cultures
- It’s the lingua Franca of the world
All of these are great and there are many more reasons, but they all have something in common, they are all extrinsic motivators. Rarely do I hear the answer ‘because I LOVE English!’ When I do hear this answer, their English is fantastic, but they are thirsty for more. So how can we all become intrinsically motivated to learn English? A question that baffles us all and that unfortunately doesn’t have a clear and easy answer.
This may not be an easy topic of conversation for English language learners, but one that is extremely important, not only for the student but even more so for the teacher. Without a doubt, the learner usually has a need to begin learning English, but the role of the teacher is key in maintaining and elevating their interest and motivation to continue, not only in the classroom but more importantly in real life situations, where the language is used.
The famous linguist, philosopher, and activist Noam Chomsky once said, “The truth of the matter is that about 99% of teaching is about making the students interested in the material. Then the other 1% has to do with your methods.”
Here at FunTalk, we believe the same, the teacher’s job is not just to teach and tell people how to use English, their role is much more than that of a traditional classroom. Their job is to engage students, to provide a fun, conducive, relaxing environment to optimize students’ learning, to get them involved and play an active role throughout their learning process. So when the class finishes, the students go home thinking in English and try to apply it to their everyday life, and most importantly, a teacher gives the individual the feeling to want to come back to class every week, to look forward to it.
With a focus on small groups and private classes, we are more able to personalize the classes to meet the individual needs of each student. Furthermore, we try to go above and beyond just meeting their needs, as a teacher we discover a student’s likes and dislikes, how they learn, discussing real life experiences, and using English in a real context, which is useful and practical, therefore sparking motivation within the student naturally, and hopefully turning it into an intrinsic reason to learn English and not only a reason listed above.
Albert Einstein sums it up best by saying, “It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.”
