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Motivation in the ClassroomThere are numerous articles, books and research papers to be found that deal with the topic of motivation as a contributing factor in the success of an EFL classroom. I have chosen this as my topic, because for me, motivation seems to be at the heart of, not simply a contributing factor, a successful classroom. I understand that this prospective may be naive, since I have not had real life teaching experience. It remains to be seen if my ideas will hold up when put to the test. For the purpose of this essay, I will begin with the definition of motivation, provided in Merriam-Webster's Learner's Dictionary: the act or process of giving someone a reason for doing something; or, from the learner's perspective: the condition of being eager to act or work. It seems that the formula for success is partnership between a motivating teacher and a motivated learner. Teachers should try to inspire students and provide them with the tools and enthusiasm required to help them discover their own motivation. I am under no illusion that this is always possible, however, I think that long term success is dependent on it. Sometimes the motivation for students is clear - there is some external reward or goal - entrance to university, employment advancement. Other students are naturally curious, willing, and have an enhanced ability to learn new things. Classrooms full of both of these types of students would certainly be a pleasure for a teacher. There are however, so many other variables that affect a student's motivation: parents, teachers, peers, past learning experiences, teaching techniques, expectations, the learning environment (classroom appearance, comfort, resources, and class size), the local education system, cultural norms and societal expectations. The challenge then is to create the basic motivational conditions for learning: generating initial motivation and sustaining or enhancing motivation. Zoltán Dörnyei has done extensive research on the topic of motivation. He has established Ten Commandments for Motivating Language Learners: 1. Set a personal example with your own behavior. 2. Create a pleasant, relaxed atmosphere in the classroom. 3. Present the task properly. 4. Develop a good relationship with the learners. 5. Increase the learner's linguistic self-confidence. 6. Make the language class interesting. 7. Promote learner autonomy. 8. Personalize the learning process. 9. Increase the learner's goal-orientedness. 10. Familiarize learners with the target language culture. Who do I think will be the most challenging students to motivate? I expect adolescents will be that group. Particularly adolescents in a public school setting, taking english class as a requirement. Some of these students may be naturally eager learners and others may have specific goals that motivate them. For others, many of the factors cited above will interfere with motivation. Peer pressure and lack of understanding about the relevance of learning english, seem chief among those reasons. How can a teacher best employ techniques that will inspire students to discover their own motivation? How can a teacher make learning english relevant to a student who sees no prospects for its use in their future? Nora M. Basurto Santos has completed a study, Transition in EFL from Secondary to Preparatory in mexican State schools that looked at the extraordinarily high rate of failure of english language proficiency among Secondary School students. The results of this study are quite disheartening, highlighting a educational system that imposed an EFL program without sensitivity to contextual conditions; that provided no developmental or training courses; that ignored teachers' views and needs in choosing curricula, and did not provide opportunities for genuine communication between ESL teachers, leaving them feeling isolated and helpless. Classroom management, lack of authentic source material and peer pressure, were seen as obstacles to the learning experience by teachers. The study also showed that students felt that their lives, experiences, cultures, and aspirations were ignored, trivialized, or denigrated by school and the curriculum; therefore they developed hostility to the institution of schooling. The failure in Mexico seems to be a system that crushes any motivation that teachers and students may have, thus resulting in a 95% failure rate for students transitioning from secondary to preparatory schools. This requires students to start from scratch, a de-motivating factor, in itself. Success in an ESL classroom depends upon motivation. It may require creativity to find it, but it certainly seems worth the effort. References - Naumoska, Aneta. "Motivation As A Contributing Factor in the Success of the EFL Classroom" (from the 5th International ELTAM - IATEFL Conference in Skopje, Macedonia, October 2008. Dörnyei, Zoltán. Motivational Strategies in the Language Classroom. Cambridge: CUP, 2001. Basurto Santos, Nora M. "Transition in EFL from Secondary to Preparatory in mexican State Schools" Universidad Veracrusana, 2010.