MOTIVATING LEARNERS: MAKING LANGUAGE LEARNING MORE AFFECTIVE AND EFFECTIVE

ECIS, Lisbon

November2011

Jane Arnold

arnold@us.es

Affect refers to a wide range of

phenomena that have to do with

emotions, moods, dispositions

and preferences.

(Oatley and Jenkins)

The attitudinal climate of the classroom is a major

factor in promoting or inhibiting learning.

In classes where the affective, attitudinal aspects

are taken into consideration, students:

miss fewer days of class

have a higher self-concept

achieve more academically

cause fewer discipline problems

use more higher order thinking

(Aspy and Roebuck)

The mind without affect

isn’t really mind at all.

(Joseph LeDoux)

The dinosaurs of the future will be

those who try to live and work only

from the head.

Dr. Robert K. Cooper

TEACHING:

The art of changing the brain.

(Zull)

Success in learning depends less on

materials and tecniques and more on

what goes on inside and between the

people in the classroom. (Earl Stevick)

Success in learning depends less on

things –and more on people – and the

affective side of learning

AFFECT IN LANGUAGE LEARNING

Individual factors Relational factors

motivation

anxiety

learning styles

self-concept, self-esteem

between cultures

in the classroom

The existential competence (savoir-etre ) includes

Attitudes Motivation Values Believs Learning styles Personality factors

-self-confidence -self-esteem .....greatly affect not only the language users’/ learners’ roles in communicative acts but also their ability to learn CEFR

Technique is what the teacher uses….

until the real teacher is there. (Parker Palmer)

*****

“To know” and “to do” is part of being a good teacher….

but above all “to be”.

Lecturer

Teacher

Facilitator

knowledge of the language, of methods

….and of ways to create a psychological atmosphere conducive to high quality learning

It includes the consideration of what happens inside and between the people in the classroom.

(Adrian Underhill)

Between the people

Learning is first intermental – between

minds that interact – and only later does

it become intramental. (Vygotsky)

FACTORS THAT ENHANCE INTERGROUP ACCEPTANCE

•Learning about each other •Proximity, contact

•Interaction •Cooperation

•Satisfaction of completing whole-group tasks •Extracurricular activities

•Joint hardship •Common threat

•Intergroup competition •Teacher’s attitude, modelling

(Dörnyei and Murphey)

Teacher Confirmation

The process by which a teacher communicates to students that they are significant, valued individuals.

Research has shown an important

influence of teacher confirmation on students’ motivation and their affective and cognitive learning.

(Katherine Ellis) (K. Ellis)

Teacher confirmation and identity

Students are often striving to find out who

they are, where they fit in, whether they

can succeed…

The role of confirmation is to help individuals

discover and establish their identities and

personal significance as human beings.

(K. Ellis)

Confirming behaviour Transmit feelings of confidence in students

Give constructive feedback and praise

Smile, make eye-contact

Show interest in answering students’

questions

Take personal interest in students

Check for understanding

Listen to students

MOTIVATION

(Inmaculada León)

Inside the person

Motivation action success

(desire+energy)

Effect of motivation of

learning

The ideal self –

the attributes that I would like to have ***********

Zoltán Dörnyei (2009)

I consider the concept of the ideal self

to be the strongest and most versatile

mechanism of motivation. The image

of our ideal self can help us to

formulate goals for our future and to

reach them.

FIVE COMPONENTS OF SELF-ESTEEM

Security (I know I am safe)

Identity (I know who I am)

Belonging (I know others accept me)

Purpose (I know what I want to achieve)

Competence (I know I am capable)

(model of Robert Reasoner)

“I’m ok”

Language anxiety:

A feeling of tension and apprehension specifically associated with second language contexts, including speaking, listening and learning.

A good deal of research has suggested that anxiety causes cognitive interference in performing specific language learning tasks.

(MacIntyre and Gardner)

Anxiety inhibits learning

Input stage: With listening or

reading, the language doesn’t

“get in”.

Processing stage: limits the

cognitive work involved in

learning and thinking in the L2.

Output stage: With speaking

or writing the language doesn’t

“get out”.

(Tobías)

Using only the textbook greatly limits

your capacity to participate in

innovative and creative teaching.

Leo Van Lier

Students appreciate teachers who prepare

their classes and the use of your own

materials shows clear and tangible

evidence of preparation.

(David Block)

Multiple Intelligences. Multiple ways to learn.

cognitive

affective physical -------------------------------------------

Bodily-kinaesthetic intelligence

Learning is also in the body

Physical movement and engagement of the body and senses are essential for learning. (Caine and Caine)

The human brain and the rest of the body constitute an unseparable organism… The whole organism interacts with the environment as one unit: the interaction is neither of the body alone nor of the brain alone.

(Antonio Damasio)

I consider images

the basis of

mind.

Antonio Damasio

( Prince of Asturias

Prize for science,

2005)

The image is the great instrument of

instruction… what learners get out of any

subject is merely the images they

themselves form in regard to it.

John Dewey (1897)

In language learning

work with mental imagery can:

Increase learner’s attention, cognitive skills and

creativity

Enable them to remember what they learn

Enhance their motivation

Strengthen their self-concept

Improve their reading and listening comprehension

Provide things they want to say when they speak or

write

Paivio’s Dual Coding Theory and second language learning

It is especially important to learn the second language in association with appropriate nonverbal referents –either visible or in imagery - which represent the knowledge of the world. (Alan Paivio)

If students don’t see mental images of what they read, it will be difficult for them to get a full understanding of the text and their experience of it will be fragmented and superficial.

(Brian Tomlinson)

If teachers are motivated to teach,

there is a good chance that their

students will be motivated to learn.

(Dörnyei y Ushioda)