ISSUES OF MOTIVATING STUDENTS TO LEARN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE - Scientific conference
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Рік заснування видання - 2014

ISSUES OF MOTIVATING STUDENTS TO LEARN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE

20.12.2023 12:58

[4. Pedagogical sciences]

Author: Viktoriia Leonidivna Vertegel, PhD in Pedagogy, Associate Professor, Zaporizhzhia National University; Dmytro Motornyi Tavria State Agrotechnological University


ORCID: 0000-0002-5100-3784  Viktoriia Vertegel

Nowadays the problem of learning foreign languages is getting its great importance. Knowing a foreign language is a key to become a successful competetive professional of a new generation. Therefore, it is difficult to overestimate the potential of students’ motivation in the educational process and the issue of motivating students to learn foreign languages as well. We need to admit that recently the number of students who wants to learn and master their foreign language skills has encreased dramatically.

The psychologists insist that motivation is the desire to act in service of a goal. Being the crucial element in setting and attaining our objectives, motivation is one of the driving forces behind human behavior. Motivation is what is inside a person and it includes a whole complex of qualities, understood as a system of zeal, interests, needs, motives, goals.

There are two types of motivation, extrinsic and intrinsic. The formation of extrinsic motivation may be influenced by a teacher, friends, acquaintances, the need to pass tests or exams. The intrinsic motivation represents a long and complex process when students themselves are aware of the need to learn a foreign language in order to achieve their goal [1; 2].

The reasercher Noemi Ollero in her scientific paper “The Influence of Motivation in the Foreign Language Learning Process” points out that intrinsic motivation refers to somebody internal desires to perform a particular task itself or from the sense of satisfaction in completing or even working on a task. On the other hand, extrinsic motivation refers to the external factors that lead an individual to perform something. It is related to rewards such as money or grades and these rewards provide satisfaction and pleasure that the task itself may not provide. However, intrinsic motivation does not mean that a person will not seek rewards.  It just means that such external rewards are not enough to keep a person motivated [1, p. 698].

These both types of motivation are considered crucial factors for students’ achievement in language learning, but most scientists state that intrinsically motivated students often develop show better results when learning a foreign language than extrinsically motivated ones, and without the inclusion of external rewards. Besides this, intrinsically motivated students have more advantages because here is evidence showing that intrinsic motivation can promote student learning and achievement better than extrinsic motivation [1; 3].

N. Ollero also highlights that students’ motivation in foreign language learning is affected by several factors (age, culture, personal interests, past actions, expectations, social or effective factors, environment, etc). It is obvious that keeping students motivated is not an easy task. We can increase students’ motivation to learn a foreign language through interactive and personally oriented pedagogical technologies. Even teachers’ behaviour and methodology, syllabus design, informal interactions with the students, nature of the assignments or even classroom environment are factors that affect students’predisposition, eagerness or motivation to learn a foreign language [1, p. 699].

The majority of teachers unanimously claim that it is impossible to teach a foreign language to a person who lacks motivation. If students are interested in learning and have their objectives, it is much easier for them to acquire a foreign language and enjoy the process; hence this process will be effective.

There are some ways to complete this task.

First, you yourself must be keen on your subject, if you are indifferent and bored, your students will not be enthusiastic about it either. Charismatic teachers who are passionate about what they teach are highly successful and can provide their students with fruitful learning. Teachers should and can be actors, but they should be sincere and genuine, since students can easily feel fakery. You should always try to do your best to learn something new and to acquire innovative methods in order to make your teaching both effective and exciting.

Then, you should take into account students’ interests. In each and every topic you can try to find something that is relevant to students’ sphere of expectations. Completing interesting and challenging assignments can be motivating.

And, of course, students should not be afraid of making mistakes and then been criticized – only constructive critisism can be appropriate and only in a tolerant manner; we should not bruise their feelings, that is not a point, and that is not your objective.

Thus, the process of teaching a foreign language should be interactive creativity, where the teacher is encouraging and supportive and students are active and encouraged, where everybody enjoys the process and profit from the results. Isn’t that our goal?

References:

1. Ollero, Noemi (2014). The Influence of Motivation in the Foreign Language Learning Process. FÒRUM DE RECERCA, (19), pp. 695-707. https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/92992568.pdf.

2. Тарасенко М. І. (2018). Способи підвищення мотивації студентів до вивчення іноземної мови. Педагогічні науки. Херсонський державний університет: Збірник наукових праць «Педагогічні науки», (75). https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/199587079.pdf.

3. Бойко Л. М. (2022). Підвищення мотивації студентів до вивчення іноземної мови при навчанні онлайн. Наукові записки. Серія: Педагогічні науки, (207), 104-108. https://doi.org/10.36550/2415-7988-2022-1-207-104-108.






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