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Motivating StudentsMotivating the students is crucial to their progress when learning a new language. They need to know why they are doing what they are doing, and it?s the teacher?s responsibility to make sure that this question is answered for them in their English classes. One very important thing to do when trying to motivate students is to set a context for each lesson. Discuss a specific topic so that there is a goal in every lesson and the students feel that they are advancing in their skills and knowledge. Another very important thing is to get the students to produce the language themselves as much as possible. If they merely hear it and understand it, they will not be motivated to keep going. They need to know that they can also speak for themselves. Even the small milestones will make them look forward to new vocabulary and longer sentences, and that will help them to learn a lot. Another way to get the students motivated is by allowing them to talk about themselves?their own lives, their experiences, their tastes. Everyone likes to share, and when the students get the opportunity to practice their new language skills and do this, they will want to go on learning and finding ways to express themselves in a better way. Relevance is key when motivating students. A grade school student who is taught how to order wine at a restaurant will not benefit from that class; and an adult that has to learn about toy names will not be too impressed either. The teacher needs to make sure that the material that is being covered in the classes is relevant to the students on all levels?age, cultural background, social standing, etc. Relevant material will awaken the students? interest, and that in turn will motivate them to learn more. It will keep them alert and excited about what comes next. One last helpful pointer is for the English teacher to use ?authentic materials? in the classes. Textbooks and exercise sheets are designed for students, and they cover the exact material teaching the students with examples that fit the topic. However, with a sentence like ?Sally goes to the store,? the students don?t really connect. No one knows Sally (because she doesn?t exist) and thought it might be appropriate for the concept being taught, it?s completely unreal! The students will relate better if real-life examples are used. These can be examples from the students? lives, the teacher?s life, or the lives of people in english speaking countries. (The possibilities are limitless with authentic materials, because there are many publications ranging from world-known people to normal people?s lives.) This makes the students feel connected to someone?s reality. It is much more motivating to look at the life of a real person and learn your language through that example than to always use exercises that are developed for language purposes but are not real.* Furthermore, the things that go on in the classroom need to be dynamic and interesting in order to motivate the students. It?s not enough to simply talk about a real person, it also has to be interesting, both in content and presentation. This applies to both adults and children. It is no easier to teach adults things that they find boring than it is to do the same with children.** Motivation is key, and the teacher will play a major role in it. * http://teflbootcamp.com/tefl-skills/student-motivation-in-efl/ ** http://www.engines4ed.org/hyperbook/nodes/NODE-62-pg.html
