Teach English in Wuliqiao Jiedao - Shanghai Shi

Motivating StudentsMotivation can be defined as ?the driving force by which humans achieve their goals.? (www.wikipedia.org ) Motivation is an integral part of teaching students and it is also important for the teacher to have motivated students. Students need to be motivated because this will help them want to attend class and to want to achieve good results. With positive motivation, teachers can help students achieve these results and will help them want to learn the subject they are being taught. It can be difficult to motivate students through certain modules of teaching english. For example, grammar may be perceived as boring and this may be one reason why students may not feel motivated in the classroom. Another reason may be due to peer pressure. Some students, especially teenagers, feel pressure from their peers to underperform or to achieve little in the classroom and not show potential. Certain students may feel pressure due to age and this may reduce motivation. Another factor that may reduce motivation is personal problems such as family issues. Students may have problems at home and it may be difficult for them to concentrate or feel motivated during class. Also, health problems such as behavioural problems, for example ADHD (Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), may result in distracting the class and not encouraging motivation. These are all factors that a TEFL teacher (or any teacher) will have to face when teaching a class. If the right steps are used to tackle these problems, then the students should become motivated in all lessons in the future. Students may show problematic behaviour or reluctance to learn and it is the teachers? responsibility to motivate and encourage these students to learn. If it is visible that a student is problematic, then it can be helpful to talk to the student alone and to help identify the problem. The student?s lack of motivation is always solvable and by speaking to the student, this may help them to achieve more during class. There are many methods that can be used to motivate students. One popular method is to use fun activities, especially on lessons such as grammar that can be perceived as tedious. There are many activities such as games including Cluedo, Pictionary, I Spy..., Hangman and many more. TEFL has suggested using websites such as www.bogglesworldesl.com or www.puzzlemaker.com for more information on using games as part of a lesson. Other methods that can be used to encourage motivation are by encouraging students to speak and take part in activities such as role play, debate and story building. This can motivate students by choosing themes of interest and that are up to date. For example, choosing a theme about ?Spiderman? or ?Ben 10? may be a theme that will motivate young children. In some countries teaching TEFL, such as Asia, there may be limited resources but for other countries, many tools can be used to improve motivation. For example, using videos, DVDs and music can be an alternative method for motivating students. A TEFL teacher should always project positive energy when teaching because this can affect the students? energy and encourage motivation. Another method of motivating student?s, is by keeping students constantly interested and to enjoy the lesson. If a teacher shows interest, positivity and smiles, then this will help students. These factors may seem insignificant but they do help to motivate students, however subtle. Also, encouraging students to help each other or to work together will motivate them because it will make them feel worthy and part of a team. Overall, there are many factors, such as behavioural and personal, that may effect a students? motivation. However, if a teacher uses the correct tactics and stays positive, it can be enough to overcome these problems and achieve positive results with motivated students.