In the technological era we live in, it is becoming increasingly challenging to keep students motivated and focused. As a consequence, teachers often wonder what methods and strategies to use to ensure they have their students’ attention throughout their classes and engage them in learning. According to Harmer, success in language learning is closely linked to student (de)motivation: “People involved in language teaching often say that students who really want to learn will succeed whatever the circumstances in which they study. All teachers can think of situations in which certain ‘motivated’ students do significantly better than their peers; students frequently succeed in what appear to be unfavorable conditions; they succeed despite using methods which experts consider unsatisfactory.” (1997: 3) In other words, strongly motivated students can reach their short or long-term goals, whereas demotivated students quickly lose their concentration and are easily distracted by other activities.
Undoubtedly, motivation is at the core of student success. The higher the students’ motivation, the higher their performance level. The best scenario is when the student is capable of correctly appreciating the difficulty of the task assigned to them. In many other cases, the task assigned to the student is either devalued or overvalued. In the former case, the student is demotivated and will not find the energy to complete the task assigned by the teacher. In the latter case, the student will tend to expend too much energy on solving the task, becoming disorganized and stressed. Both cases eventually lead to failure.
Psychologists usually classify motivation into opposing, contradictory pairs: positive versus negative motivation, intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation, and cognitive versus affective motivation. Positive motivation encompasses various forms of student appraisal and encouragement, fostering a closer relationship with them and keeping them engaged in their development. On the contrary, negative motivation employs different forms of punishment, and it is more likely to lead to the opposite result, as students are more likely to refuse to do the task altogether. Student curiosity to learn new things stimulates intellectual activity and leads to cognitive motivation. When students learn to be praised by their peers, parents, or teachers, they are animated by affective motivation.
Extrinsic/External motivation refers to the external reasons triggering the learning process, while intrinsic/internal motivation relies on the student’s personal needs and desires: “Many learners have strong external reasons why they want to study (to get an exam pass, to enter university, to get a promotion, to please their parents, etc.). This is often called external motivation. Others may be studying just for rewards within the work itself (the fun of learning, setting oneself a personal challenge, etc.), often referred to as internal motivation.” (Scrivener 2011: 84) Even if both of them are effective in the educational process, intrinsic motivation is by far the most effective because the need to learn comes from the student himself.
Furthermore, Ur (2012) distinguishes between integrative and instrumental motivation and enhances the changing trend concerning their importance for language learners: “Integrative motivation refers to the desire of the learner to learn the language to integrate into the community of speakers of that language. Instrumental motivation, in contrast, refers to the need to learn the language for material or educational benefit: to get a better job, for example, or to progress to advanced study.” (10) In the past, integrative motivation was more important because the ultimate goal of learners of English was to become an integral part of their new English-speaking communities. Currently, instrumental motivation has become even more crucial due to the widespread use of English in all fields of activity. Integrative and instrumental motivation are forms of extrinsic motivation that also encompass other factors, such as the attitudes of those who have influenced the students (peers and parents) or the students’ attitudes in their previous experiences as language learners.
Unfortunately, more often than not, extrinsic motivation has far greater relevance for students than intrinsic motivation: “The consequence of such extrinsic motivators is that schools all too often teach students to play the ‘game’ of pleasing teachers and authorities rather than developing an internalized thirst for knowledge and experience.” (Brown: 78) Student-centered learning and teaching would lead to a revision of the curriculum to suit students’ needs and expectations and to allow them to set their own goals and activities to reach those goals. Accordingly, they will appreciate the chance to decide for themselves as they will be actively engaged in their development. If students understand why they are learning and are given enough time to accomplish the tasks, their self-esteem will be higher, and they will start learning for the joy of learning.
Taking everything into account, all types of motivation are important and influence the success or failure of the students. However, positive, intrinsic motivation is of utmost importance for student development. Teachers should always consider the relevance and impact of the techniques and methods they use on the students’ lives. Efficient strategies will encourage students to discover the rules on their own, cooperate, pose challenges, spark curiosity and creativity, and lead to student autonomy and independence.
References
1. Brown, Douglas H. (1994) Teaching by Principles. An Interactive Approach to Language Pedagogy. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall Regents.
2. Harmer, Jeremy (1991) The Practice of English Language Teaching. London and New York: Longman.
3. Scrivener, Jim (2019) Learning Teaching. The Essential Guide to English Language Teaching. London: Macmillan Education.
4. Ur, Penny (2012) A Course in English Language Teaching. New York: Cambridge University Press.