Understanding Motivation in Language Learning: Strategies for Language Teachers, Slides of English

Download Understanding Motivation in Language Learning: Strategies for Language Teachers and more Slides English in PDF only on Docsity! LUNAR, Vol. 1 No. 1; May 2017; ISSN 2541-6804 23 UNDERSTANDING MOTIVATION TO DEVELOP MOTIVATIONAL PLAN IN LANGUAGE CLASSROOM: A HINT FOR LANGUAGE TEACHERS Gullit Tornado Taufan ([email protected]) Universitas PGRI Banyuwangi Abstract: Motivation is considered as one of the key elements that lead to students’ success in L2 learning. Teacher’s role in building and maintaining motivating atmosphere inside the classroom is undoubtedly crucial. In this case, the teacher should understand what motivation is, how this influences students’ behavior, and what to do to help them motivated. A motivational plan can be developed to help language teacher create and maintain motivating classroom conditions. Regarding this, there are four principle aspects to take into account including: creating the basic motivational conditions, generating initial student motivation, maintaining and protecting motivation, and encouraging positive retrospective self-evaluation. Key words: Motivation, motivational plan INTRODUCTION Motivation is always seen as one of key aspects that lead to successful L2 learning. Brown (2000a: 160) includes motivation, which is considered to be the frequent term to explain success of virtually complex tasks, as one of the personality factors that contributes to the successful language learning. Successful language learning process is closely related to certain level of motivation employed by language learners. According to Santrock (2006: 414), “motivation involves the processes that energizes, directs, and sustains behavior.” Ormrod (2002: 179) provides the description of general principles of how motivation interrelates with one’s behavior, cognition, and learning, i.e. motivation that directs one’s behavior toward particular goal, increases one’s effort and persistence in doing certain activities, affects cognitive processes, determines what consequences are reinforcing and punishing, and leads to improve performance. Students’ motivation in learning is, undoubtedly, influenced by teacher’s role in motivating them. It is easy to assume that a teacher conducts classroom activities effectively by utilizing various techniques to support fun and meaningful activities because the teacher is motivated in teaching the students. Another assumption is that a learner gets high level of academic achievement because he/she is motivated to deal with any tasks, examinations, quizzes, projects, etc. LUNAR, Vol. 1 No. 1; May 2017; ISSN 2541-6804 24 Recent studies show the significant correlation between motivation and students’ achievement as well as performance (see: Ushida, 2005; Bernaus & Gardner, 2008; Barnaus, Wilson, & Gardner, 2009; Bahous, Bacha, & Nabhani, 2011; Lasagabaster, 2011; Kassing, 2011; Othman & Shuqair, 2013; Muftah & Rafik-Galea, 2013; Rehman et.al., 2014; Astuti, 2015; Agustrianti, Cahyono, & Laksmi, 2016). Undoubtedly, teacher’s role in motivating the students is a crucial part that contributes to their successful learning. Various guidelines on how to motivate students in L2 learning are proposed as well. Murtiana (2010), for instance, constructs three important aspects that language teachers should have in order to motivate students: teacher’s positive behavior, pleasant learning atmosphere, and effective teaching techniques. She suggests that those aspects should be able to help students move from extrinsic to intrinsic motivation which is considered as the one with long lasting effect. Going further, Xiao (2013), adapting Dörnyei’s framework which is presented here, goes more detailed by proposing a motivational plan breaking down the principle aspects of motivational teaching practice into 7 strategies. The motivational strategic plan can be used to help teachers to create motivating conditions in order to build and maintain supportive classroom atmosphere that will lead to students’ success in L2 learning. In short, students’ motivation in language learning, which leads to success, is influenced by teacher’s role in conducting motivating activities that help the students behave well in order to reach certain goals related to the language learning process. PERSPECTIVES OF MOTIVATION To get into deeper understanding about motivation, it is important to note that there are four different psychological perspectives that explain motivation in different ways. Those perspectives are: behavioral, humanistic, cognitive, and social (Santrock, 2006: 415; Woolfolk 2004: 374) 1. The Behavioral Perspective The behavioral perspective emphasizes external rewards and punishment as keys in determining students’ motivation (Santrock, 2006: 415). Behaviorists suggest that motivation can be increased, decreased, maintained, extinguished by its external aspects or consequences. LUNAR, Vol. 1 No. 1; May 2017; ISSN 2541-6804 27 Students’ who are extrinsically motivated may want to get good grades, money, recognition or other extrinsic values that particular activities and accomplishments bring (Ormrod, 2002: 181). It means that when individuals are extrinsically motivated in doing some activities, they do the activity because they want to achieve specific goal as the extrinsic factor that influences their effort. For example, a students may work hard for an assignment in order to obtain good grade. Many experts believe that intrinsic motivation is more important than the extrinsic one especially due to the long-term retention (Brown, 2000a: 164). However, we need to keep in mind that both intrinsic and extrinsic motivations may play their roles simultaneously. For example, a student may conduct a research on certain topic because he has big interest on it. It means that he is intrinsically motivated. However, it is also possible that he conducts the research because he knows a lot about the topic and this will bring him to easily accomplish the task to graduate from his study with high grade. 2. Integrative and Instrumental Motivation Understanding motivation in L2 learning is quite difficult since it is considered as a complex phenomenon. This involves two important factors in L2 learning including the communicative needs and learners’ attitudes towards the L2 community (Lightbown & Spada, 2013: 87). The first factor plays an important role when the learners need to speak the L2 in different social contexts and/or when they need to pursue certain goals such as professional or career ambitions so that they will perceive the value of communicating the second language. In this case, the learners will be motivated in acquiring the language proficiency. Lightbown and Spada further compare this with the learners who have favorable attitudes towards the speakers of L2, in this case the native speakers. The attitudes will drive them to the desire to have more contact with the speakers. Regarding the L2 Learning, the types of motivation that are widely accepted is integrative and instrumental motivation (Lightbown & Spada, 2013: 87; Saville-Troike, 2006: 86; Brown, 2000a: 162). The integrative and instrumental orientations were influenced by the research done by Robert Gardner and his associates (Brown, 2000: 162; Lightbrown & Spada, 2013: 87). Integrative Motivation As implied above, integrative motivation is associated with the learners’ attitudes towards the L2 community that drive the L2 learners to have more contact with the L2 speakers (Lightbown & Spada, 2013: 87). It is in line with what Saville-Troike’s (2006:86) LUNAR, Vol. 1 No. 1; May 2017; ISSN 2541-6804 28 explanation that this type of motivation is based on the L2 learners’ interest in learning the language because of the desire to learn about or associate with the users, or because of the intention to be the part or integrated in L2-using speech community. Instrumental Motivation While the integrative motivation is associated with learners’ attitudes towards L2 community that lead them to the desire to learn about or associate with the users, or because of the intention to be accepted within the L2-using speech community (Lightbown & Spada, 2013: 87; Saville-Troike, 2006: 86), instrumental motivation is closely associated with the practical value of mastering the language. For example, L2 learners learn the language because of the needs of increasing the occupational opportunities, to enhance prestige and power, to access any scientific and technical information provided in targeted language, or even simply to pass a course or to graduate from school or university (Saville-Troike, 2006: 86). Brown (2000a: 162) states that the instrumental motivation refers to learning language as a means for attaining certain goals such as better career, using the language for reading technical material, translation, and so forth. In L2 learning context, especially where English is spoken as a foreign language, it is difficult to determine which of those is more important. Different claims about the importance have been proposed. On one side, integrative motivation leads learners to achieve much better on proficiency tests in a foreign language (Gardner & Lambert, 1972; Spolsky, 1969 in Brown, 2000a: 163), while on the other side, students with instrumental motivation scored higher in the similar tests (Lukmani, 1972 in Brown, 2000a: 163). Therefore, Brown (2000a: 163) suggests that there is no single means of learning a second language learning. Since the dichotomy of integrative-instrumental motivation is closely related to socio-cultural contexts, it is important to note that learners who learn L2 in different contexts may differ in the dominant role of the motivation either the integrative or the instrumental. Having discussed the types of motivation from different dichotomies, the intersection among the four types can be seen as follows (in Brown, 2000a: 166): MOTIVATING LANGUAGE LEARNERS Regardless of the different views of which type of motivation that should be taken into account as the more, or less, important, a language teacher should focus on is whether or not the students are motivated during the classroom activities and how to motivate them. LUNAR, Vol. 1 No. 1; May 2017; ISSN 2541-6804 29 Motivation is not static but dynamic (Dörnyei in Cohen, 2010: 170). Further, motivation needs to be generated, maintained and protected, and evaluated regarding the learners’ retrospection (Dörnyei in Cohen, 2010: 170). The cycle that describes the three phases above clearly reflects teachers’ role in motivating learners. Brown (2000b: 81) suggested teachers not to be the one that transforms information to the learners only. He encouraged teachers to be facilitator. To be the facilitator, the teachers should deal with some important responsibilities and jobs including setting the stage for learning, starting the wheels turning inside the heads of the learners, turning the learners on to their abilities, helping channel the abilities in colorful directions (Brown, 2000b: 81). Four Principle Aspects of Motivational Teaching Practice Based on the cycle described earlier, Cohen (2010: 171) presented Dörnyei’s organizing framework to identify the four principle aspects of motivational teaching practice. The four principle aspects provide the guideline of what teachers’ should do to motivate the L2 learners. 1. Creating the Basic Motivational Conditions In order to create the basic motivational conditions, teachers should prepare themselves to be able to establish rapport with the students, to foster a pleasant and supportive classroom atmosphere, to develop a cohesive learner group with appropriate group norms. It is clear that the first principle is related to how to create the motivating atmosphere from the very beginning of the study. It means that the teachers should create the basic motivational conditions so that the students will be motivated to face the following semester or year. What the teachers can do dealing with this principle is conducting activity(s) that allows students to know each other so that they can build the cohesive relationship. For example, the teachers can do the ice breaking activity(s). Next, it is also important for the teachers to build the any possible agreements that will promote to cooperative classroom activities for the whole semester. In this case, the teachers can ask the students about what they wish to have as well as to get from the classroom activities. This is also possible that the teachers inform the dos and don’ts during the whole semester along with any possible consequences as the results of their participation. LUNAR, Vol. 1 No. 1; May 2017; ISSN 2541-6804 32 CONCLUSION Motivation is a very important aspect under learner variables. As the one that energizes, directs, and sustains learners’ behavior, it is important to understand how motivation plays its role especially in L2 teaching and learning. Therefore, it is important to deepen the understanding on what is motivation, how it is seen from different perspectives, what types of motivation that may energize, direct, and sustain learners’ behavior, and what to do to motivate learners in learning the L2. The thing to keep in mind is that no single type of motivation is considered as the most important one so that the other types are overlooked. There should be an agreement that L2 learners can be successful in learning when they are motivated no matter what type of motivation it is. Therefore, it is important for the teachers to play their role in motivating the students by developing their knowledge and skills in teaching. LUNAR, Vol. 1 No. 1; May 2017; ISSN 2541-6804 33 REFERENCES Agustrianti, S., Cahyono, B.Y., Laksmi, E.D. 2016. Indonesian EFL Students’ Motivation in English Learning and Their Literacy Skills across Gender. International Journal of Applied Linguistics & English Literature. 5(4): 219-227. Al Othman, F.H.M. & Suqhair, K.M. 2013. The Impact of Motivation on English Language Learning in the Gulf States. International Journal of Higher Education. 2(4): 123- 130. Astuti, S.P. 2015. Teachers’ and Students’ Perceptions of Motivational Teaching Strategies in an Indonesian High School Context, Unpublished Thesis. Bahous, R., Bacha, N.N., & Nabhani, M. 2011. Motivating Students in the EFL Classroom: A Case Study of Perspectives. English Language Teaching. 4(3): 33-43. Bernaus, M., Wilson, A., and Gardner, R.C. 2009. Teachers Motivation, Classroom Strategy Use, Students’ Motivation and Second Language Achievement. Porta Linguarum. 12:25-36. Brown, H.D. 2000a. Principles of Language Learning and Teaching (4th Edition). New York: Longman. Brown, H.D. 2000b. Teaching by Principles: An Interactive Approach to Language Pedagogy (2nd Edition). New York: Longman. Cohen, A.D. 2010. Focus on the Language Learner: Styles, Strategies, and Motivation.(Online) Retrieved April 2, 2014 from https://sites.google.com/a/umn.edu/andrewdcohen/publications/language-learner- styles-strategies Kassing, R.B. 2011. Perceptions of Motivational Teaching Strategies in an EFL Classroom: The Case of a Class in a Private University in Indonesia, Unpublished Thesis. Lagasabaster, D. 2011. English Achievement and Student Motivation in CLIL and EFL Settings. Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching. 5(1): 3-18. Lightbown, P.M. & Spada, N. (2013). How Languages are Learned (4th Edition). Oxford: Oxford University. Muftah, M. & Rafik-Galea, S. 2013. Language Learning Motivation among Malaysian Pre- University Students. English Language Teaching. 6(3): 92-103. LUNAR, Vol. 1 No. 1; May 2017; ISSN 2541-6804 34 Murtiana, R. 2010. Steps to Lift the Students’ Motivation in Learning English. LET Journal. 1 Ormrod, J.E. 2002.Essentials of Educational Psychology. Upper Saddle River: Pearson. Ryan, R.M. & Deci, E.D. 2000. Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivations: Classic Definitions and New Directions. Contemporary Educational Psychology. 5. 54-67. Santrock, J.W. 2006. Educational Psychology: Classroom Update. New York: McGraw- Hill. Saville-Troike, M. 2006. Introducing Second Language Acquisition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Ushida, E. 2005. The Role of Students’ Attitudes and Motivation in Second Language Learning in Online Language Courses. CALICO Journal. 23(1): 49-78. Woolfolk, A. 2004. Educational psychology (9th Edition.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon. Xiao, F. 2013. Motivational Strategies in Teaching English as Foreign Language – Applying Motivation Plan in TELF. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science. 4(18): 257-262.