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Motivation in the classroomThe most important part of an english language lesson is motivation and it is essential to keep motivation high at all times. There are many wonderful ways teachers can keep motivation high, these can include lesson planning, tasks, activities, resources, student participation and how the teacher behaves. By creating interesting, engaging and relevant lessons, teachers will be able to hold the attention of their students, and students will be better equipped to retain their knowledge. Utilizing the vast array of available resources for creating tasks and activities can keep lessons varied and thus keeping the attention and motivation of the students. Teachers that bring in visual aids, authentic reading texts, games and different materials from the course books, will enjoy a determined and happy class. It is also beneficial to include factors from the students own ?world? in lessons, as it brings english into their lives. Behavior is an issue that will affect motivation also, whether it be the behavior of the teacher, class or someone outside the school, it can have either a negative or positive impact on motivation. When teachers behave in a manner that is enthusiastic, fun, reassuring, encouraging and approachable, the atmosphere in the class will largely reflect that. The same can be said for the opposite and for the misbehavior of students ? having negative effects on the class and possibly altering other students motivation to learn. Effective teachers will have solutions ready for behavioral issues, and should be able to deal with these things swiftly and without losing the attention of the class. ?Most children, as they work through their years of school do, in fact, find areas of study they genuinely enjoy. But these areas are different for different people.?° The same can be said for adults and it is an important factor when considering classroom motivation. Of course not every student enjoys the same tasks, materials or lessons as the rest of the class, but by keeping this in mind and having various different methods and materials available, teachers have a better chance of keeping the focus and enthusiasm of their class. To complicate the matter further, lesson plans and materials are not the only ways motivation can be different among students. According to Wikipedia*, psychologists have determined that there are two types of motivation: intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic motivation refers to motivation that comes from within the individual, meaning they have personal goals and ideals and will try to achieve these for their own benefit or pleasure. Extrinsic motivation is concerned with external factors; pressure, rewards or prizes and even fear. In the classroom situation both types of motivation can be found ? and not only in adult classes, but with younger learners too. It is important for the teacher to gain an understanding of which kind of motivation students have, and for what reasons, in order to shape the lessons and encourage students. While there are many different factors that can differentiate an effective lesson from a disastrous one, it has to be said that motivation within students is the key ingredient to keeping students happy, focused and achieving. *http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motivation °http://www.engines4ed.org/hyperbook/nodes/NODE-62-pg.html
