Key Ideas: Factors that affect language learning - Motivation

When we talk about motivation, we mean the drive that leads people to make certain choices, to make
efforts and to keep going. A customers motivation to learn the target language, to actively participate in
learning activities and to take and create opportunities to use the language will be one of the most
powerful influences on whether or not that customer is actually successful.
We want to help our customers be successful, so we what does that mean for us?
We need to understand what is motivating our customers, what can positively or negatively affect their
desire to learn and keep learning, and we need to have a range of strategies to protect and positively
influence student motivation.
So, what do we know about student motivation? Take a look at this snapshot of different motivational
factors that may affect one of your learners at different points during his course with you.

He is having lessons with a

He has a powerful external
motive. Skill in English is a
condition for promotion in his
company. We call motivation
like this Instrumental.
group of colleagues from
different departments. Its
good for company networking.
The social side is important.
Two junior colleagues from his
department are in the group.
One of them is very good, and
quite arrogant. He HATES to
lose face in front of him.

He often holidays in Ireland He wasnt good at languages in

and has friends there. He likes school. This bothered him he
the way of life and would like likes to do well. Its better if
to fit in there better. We call people think hes not making
motivation like this Integrative. an effort than that hes stupid.

His kids learn English at school. He enjoys some class activities,

Its fun to help with homework e.g. working things out in a
and not feel stupid. Again, this small group. Then he really
instrumental motivation a gets into it especially if he is
means to an end. designated leader in the group.

He has a problem with one Class can be a high risk

teacher. Nothing they do environment. At school it was all
One teacher is great. He feels
seems relevant. He makes heads down, looking at the book.
relaxed and ready to speak out
more mistakes in those classes Now its all about speaking out.
and take risks. Everything they
and has a feeling he cant learn. He doesnt like making mistakes.
do seems relevant to his work
and to his interests.

These are just a few examples of factors that can influence the motivation to learn for ONE learner.
Another learner in another class will have a different set of initial motivations and experience a different
range of feelings during his or her course. In addition, over the sustained, long term effort which
developing skills in a foreign language will require, motivation is not constant. It ebbs and flows in complex
ways in response to various internal and external factors.
So, given how complex motivation is, what do we know? What can we do to help customers be successful?
On the left, read different aspects of motivation that we understand, based on the research in this field of
the last 50 years. On the right, read examples of what we can do to promote, sustain, increase or protect
learner motivation, and what you will be finding out about and practicing during your instructor
development program with Berlitz.
For many of our customers, learning a
language is a means to an end. They have
goals they want to achieve: being able to
talk to customers, earning a promotion,
getting a new job, passing an exam, etc.
The end goals customers have are very
important when they are planning or first
starting their course, but they may be too
long term to have an immediate
motivating effect for each lesson.
The teacher in any class has one of the
most powerful influences on motivation.
Research consistently shows that this is
true. Teacher enthusiasm and interest in
students are two powerful factors.
Learners are more motivated if their
learning goals are personal, but learners
dont always choose their goals. This
happens in adult life as well as at school.
Sometimes the company sets the goal.
The connection and sense of value a
language learner has regarding the culture
and society where the language is spoken
will often have a significant influence on
their desire to learn the language.
Believing you CAN do something is one of
the drivers for motivation. If learners feel
they can learn, they are motivated to try
and keep trying. If they dont believe in
their ability, their motivation decreases.
Learners make assumptions about their
likely future learning experiences and
successes based on their past experiences.
They may also use strategies that are good
and bad based on those experiences.
Adults hate situations where their self
worth is potentially challenged. They hate
to lose face. Language learning is full of
risky public situations as they try to
understand and use new language.
We need to design customers courses
from the beginning to help them reach
their real life goals, and that we
continually evaluate progress. You will
learn how we do this during your course.
We need to continually set sub goals
(proximal goals), create milestones,
evaluate progress and achievement and
congratulate students. You will learn how
to set motivating goals during your course.
Enthusiasm and interest are infectious. If
you are enthusiastic about lesson
activities and about students
participation, progress and success, you
will motivate your students.
The more we learn about our students,
the more we can find ways to personalize
the lessons and make them relevant. We
also need to ensure that lesson activities
are intrinsically interesting and fun.
Because English is a global language now,
this integrative motivation may not be a
big factor for all students, but encouraging
varied experiences with the target
language culture will motivate many.
The best way to give students a sense that
the CAN learn the language is to create
multiple experiences of success in every
lesson: managing a learning task;
successfully achieving a lesson goal, etc.
Regular moments of success are essential
to help students have a sense of what
they CAN do. In addition, we want to
encourage use of any learning strategies
students have used effectively in the past.
If we are asking students to take risks as
they try out and use new language, we
have to create a safe environment.
Praise, positive correction, encouraging
student collaboration all help with this.