December2013 2013.11.254:1PM Page46
language teaching
What to Do with the EFL Learner without Motivation? Words and photo by Dr. David Shaffer
W
henever the learning of a subject is required, there are bound to be some who have little or no interest in the subject that is being taught – and EFL in Korea is no exception. In the public schools, English is a required subject beginning in grade 3 and remains so into the tertiary level. Furthermore, parents require their children to take additional English classes outside of school and even before grade 3. When a student is placed in an environment where they are compelled to learn English for so many hours over so much time, one should not be surprised that motivation becomes an issue in the classroom. One should also not fret as there are a number of tools that the teacher can apply to increase learner motivation. Put Interest into the Lesson It is somewhat obvious that raised interest leads to raised motivation, but the teacher may unintentionally allow interest to fall or never really create the amount that could be created. The teacher needs to know what interests his or her students. Often the teacher merely makes assumptions about student interests, but the difference in student and teacher age can easily lead to mistaken assumptions. Students' interests also vary greatly with differences in student age. The students themselves need to be tapped to learn their interests. This could be done in the form of a student survey. It could also be cloaked as an oral or written class activity or given as a homework assignment. Find out who their favorite singers and actors are, what they do on weekends, what they like to eat ‌ Variety is the spice of life. It can also be the spice of the English lesson. Rather than planning a single activity to span the entire class period, plan several. Remember that the younger the student is, the shorter the attention span. Three different activities or different action phases of the same activity may work well for the high-teen, but for the young learner, a change-up in activity may be needed about every five minutes. The activities, and the teacher, should be well organized. One activity should lead into the next, 46 Gwangju News December 2013
Low motivation in EFL students is a condition that can be effectively treated.
and the teacher should be well prepared. Do not rely on the same types of activities class after class. Change things up by providing variety through new and different activities. Put Relevance into the Lesson Interest alone is often not enough. Many students need to see a connection between the English lesson of the classroom and their life outside the classroom – no connection, no motivation. Keep your students well informed. Explain your lesson and course goals to them. Let them know why you are doing what you are doing and how it may relate to their lives. It is also important to let them know how an activity, a task or a project relates to their assessment in the course. Have the students reflect on what they have done, how much their language proficiency has improved and the strategies that they have used to make the improvements they have made. In recent semesters, I have been building more and more reflective activities into my skills courses, having students keep reflective language learning journals and language learning portfolios, as well as having reflective in-class discussions on their personal language learning methods and practices. In-class activities and homework must not be perceived by the student as meaningless work. All coursework must have a language