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Motivating StudentsFor my research topic I have chosen ?Motivating students? because I feel that this is one of the most important roles of the teacher as well as a crucial aspect of language teaching. To begin with there are a number of ways which a teacher can motivate their students in a classroom in order for the students to receive the most beneficial learning experiences. There are numerous aspects which have to be considered to effectively motivate our students correctly; this will vary amongst cultures, ages and personalities. I believe that every person has a different type of motive to learn english and the degree of motivation is an individual characteristic. However, to motivate students correctly and effectively, there has to be both a desire and commitment from the teacher and most importantly from the students. In my opinion, the atmosphere of a classroom is a crucial feature of obtaining effective motivation. By creating a positive and friendly environment, we assist students to make them feel like they are a member of the team and ultimately this method works to raise students? confidence to participate and engage in classroom activities. Unfortunately, there is not one single way which we can use as teachers to motivate our students. However, I believe through my experiences of teaching and a combination of different readings I have completed I will be able to mention a couple of effective strategies which I have found very useful and practical. Firstly, it is very important to know our students? level and students? needs in order for us as teachers to present and set appropriate activities and tasks to our students. Every student has different needs; therefore by determining the elements of the students? needs we become one step closer in motivating our students in an incisive way. In addition to this, it is always beneficial to attempt to keep the student?s active and one their toes as much as possible by encouraging them to speak and guess the answers which will again boost their confidence and allow them to produce language. Furthermore, another important aspect is to remember to give positive appraisals and feedback even if the work or answer is not quite adequate. This type of attitude makes them better participants and allows them to experience and learn the language in a creative way. Personally, providing visuals at some point of the lesson preferably at the beginning is an excellent way to motivate students, no matter what english level they are currently at. Furthermore, it is essential that we provide material that is appropriate for our students. The level of difficulty must be suitable in order for students to excel to the best of their abilities. Another point we have to consider especially for students who feel withdrawn from the rest of the class is to provide special activities and aim to establish a tight personal connection which will ultimately motivate and encourage their ambitions to succeed. To conclude, as mentioned previously motivation is a mutual process that involves the teacher and the students. This research only mentions a few brief aspects of motivation that should be considered and applied in the classroom. There are number of methods which can be used to engage and motivate students accurately. In my opinion, Motivating students should be treated as one the main priority in any type of learning environment because of the inspiration, self-confidence and awareness that it provides to our students.
