"Motivating young people is a fundamental part of what it is to be a teacher"
-Smith, 2001
The underlying question our reading from week two explored was: Why are some students successful at language learning while others are not? Alsayed (2003) looks at five variables, the most fundamental being motivation. When thinking about how to motivate others, whether it's our students, colleagues or staff we all face the daunting task of figuring out how. As I read the article I thought about my own motivations for learning a different language and identified a few key factors that influenced me. The first and biggest motivator was my need to integrate into the community I was in and speak with those around me. Beyond this initial motivation, and what kept me going to language classes was the atmosphere the instructor created for us. I remember deciding to sign up for more classes because of the instructors encouragement, his creation of weekly markers of what we would be able to say and understand and the fun and friendly practice exercises to help us learn useful language for day-to-day occurrences. He also shared his own experiences and struggles in learning language and these stories inspired greater persistence in many of us who could relate to his stories. These strategies for inspiring and maintaing my motivation were extremely powerful and similar to what Alsayed (2003) suggested, created for me a sense of optimism and feelings of confidence about what and how much I could learn. The instructor, to help him gauge where I was in terms of motivation created ways to check-in through daily interactive exercises and individual meetings each week. While I realize that each student will be different, holding different needs and desires, I believe as the Alsayed (2003) article notes, continually and actively finding ways to foster motivation is a key ingredient in good teaching practice.
Alsayed, M. (2003). Factors that contribute to success in learning english as a foreign language. Damascus University Journal, Vol. 19, No. 1&2. pp.21-43
-Smith, 2001
The underlying question our reading from week two explored was: Why are some students successful at language learning while others are not? Alsayed (2003) looks at five variables, the most fundamental being motivation. When thinking about how to motivate others, whether it's our students, colleagues or staff we all face the daunting task of figuring out how. As I read the article I thought about my own motivations for learning a different language and identified a few key factors that influenced me. The first and biggest motivator was my need to integrate into the community I was in and speak with those around me. Beyond this initial motivation, and what kept me going to language classes was the atmosphere the instructor created for us. I remember deciding to sign up for more classes because of the instructors encouragement, his creation of weekly markers of what we would be able to say and understand and the fun and friendly practice exercises to help us learn useful language for day-to-day occurrences. He also shared his own experiences and struggles in learning language and these stories inspired greater persistence in many of us who could relate to his stories. These strategies for inspiring and maintaing my motivation were extremely powerful and similar to what Alsayed (2003) suggested, created for me a sense of optimism and feelings of confidence about what and how much I could learn. The instructor, to help him gauge where I was in terms of motivation created ways to check-in through daily interactive exercises and individual meetings each week. While I realize that each student will be different, holding different needs and desires, I believe as the Alsayed (2003) article notes, continually and actively finding ways to foster motivation is a key ingredient in good teaching practice.
Alsayed, M. (2003). Factors that contribute to success in learning english as a foreign language. Damascus University Journal, Vol. 19, No. 1&2. pp.21-43