Learner Motivation

LEARNER MOTIVATION AND INTEREST IN LANGUAGE LEARNING

Motivation is an important factor in which language learners demonstrate their aptitudes and disposition for learning. If we take a look to Colombia’s reality, students are still based from their teachers on traditionalist models as I was through the years of being in high school. It seems to be the reality in each public school around the country; difficulties which interfere their process for success in language learning. Thus, in this sense, motivation is relatively “poor” as same as something not taken into account at the moment of being inside the classrooms.

For example, the input to which I was exposed to when I was a teenager in high school was not so relevant that I can say that those previous experiences did not influenced my interest and motivation in learning English successfully and meaningfully. The materials, the activities, the different presentations and models implemented (grammar translation) did not catch our interest in the language performance. So my language aptitude for the class was not significant: I did not fail, but that knowledge did not remain for long. On another hand, during my practicum I have evidenced that if we implement certain activities, games and materials we can get our students interest, so they can be motivated and their answer to the class is meaningful. So, this is the most important and influential factor in classroom success, implementing meaningful content to the class, giving them the opportunity to express freely and commit mistakes. Their language aptitude is appropriated to the class, because all the time they want to be involved in the activities and participate. Also, because the materials I design are colorful and effective. Through this, I show them that they are important to me, as I am to them every time I come inside the classroom.

In another way, as I mentioned before, my past in language learning was not a meaningful memory at all. All the exposure I was given at school was based on the Grammar translation method, so this influence affected a little bit my interest in language learning. However, after some years, and reconsidering the reality of current techniques in schools, my motivation in learning English increased for many reasons. Thus, I see that the past and the background of learners is an influential factor in learning a language. Every day at the school in my practicum, I have to face the problem of some students who argue that because of previous input and methods from teachers, even their behavior in teaching have affected the way they learn. Sometimes they have told me that when they were with their current teacher they feel uncomfortable to commit a mistake so they decide not to participate. At that moment, that is evident that the past, the experiences of those students affect their motivation, so they go to the class just because, for grades, etc.

...