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75MOTIVATION IN THE ESL/EFL CLASSROOM Mustafayeva M.A.
Mustafayeva Mavlyuda Anvarovna - Teacher of the English Language, "ENGLISH LANGUAGE" DEPARTMENT, BUKHARA ENGINEERING-TECHNOLOGICAL INSTITUTE, BUKHARA, REPUBLIC OF UZBEKISTAN
Abstract: motivating EFL students to develop in the target language is quite complex. In many cases, these students face difficulties in learning English and are often demotivated to learn. Research in classroom motivation has found that certain strategies can help these students adopt more positive attitudes and become more motivated in the learning process. Findings show that learners are not motivated to learn English because of an over-focus on writing skills with very little new learning experiences, uninteresting materials, and unclear links between language courses and their majors or future careers.
Keywords: language learning, Motivation, University EFL students, goal-directed behavior.
The word "motivation" is typically defined as the forces that account for the, selection, direction, and continuation of behavior. Actually, it is often used to describe certain sorts of behavior. A student who studies hard and tries for top grades may be described as being "highly motivated", while his/her friend may say that he is "finding it hard to get motivated". Such statements imply that motivation has a major influence on our behavior .Motivation can be defined as a concept used to describe the factors within an individual which arouse, maintain and channel behavior towards a goal. Another way to say this is that motivation is goal-directed behavior. Motivation has long been a major problem for most teachers of English as a Second Language (ESL) or as a foreign language. Motivation in the ESL/EFL classroom is easily one of the most important factors as I'm sure most teachers would agree with me.
Motivating students in the English as a foreign language (EFL) classroom is often a complex and difficult task that involves a multiplicity of psycho-sociological and linguistic factors [1], but most English teachers will attest to the important role motivation plays in the teaching/learning process. While motivation has been defined in many ways [2] in this paper it is simply used by the authors to refer to effective strategies that could help the learners develop their English language skills. How to go about this is a long story with many ups and downs shared by many teachers in staff rooms. This paper, quite unique in the view of the authors, attempts to tackle the problem of 'motivation' in the EFL Program at one American affiliated university in Lebanon. This is part of our story. First we give some background of the context and some main related research. Motivation "energizes" human behavior and "gives it direction" and is a significant dimension in language learning . A large spectrum of theories covers the many variables that affect student motivation in the second language classroom. These are reviewed and drawn upon in examining the views on foreign/ second language learning of learners and the teachers who participated in this study.
A teacher's positive energy could lead to the students becoming more motivated. If the students see that the teacher is happy to be in the classroom and excited to teach them, then the students can learn by example. A smile is contagious. Positive attitude is a must for a successful learning atmosphere. To promote self-confidence, it helps if the teacher is self-confident. Positive approval and praise for student efforts is very effective, even if the student is wrong. Let the students know that you're glad they tried and being wrong isn't such a big problem, and the students won't be so reluctant the next time they're called on to participate. Positive energy affirming a belief in the students' ability develops a comfortable atmosphere for the students in the classroom. The material must also be relevant to the students. Try to use vocabulary that the students can relate to and material they would find interesting. One of the successful ways, if the teacher is resourceful and skilful enough, to
motivate his/her students to participate in the lesson is to use "pair work" or "Group work" appropriately. Language is best learned through the close collaboration and communication among students. This type of collaboration results in benefits for all or both learners
Since our schools are equipped with various audio visual materials such as cassette recorders, videos, computers, projectors, magic boards and many others, teachers should use these materials when teaching. Indeed, they should include the appropriate material to use while planning their lessons. For instance, we should include a cassette player in a lesson based on listening, while we need to include a computer in any e-lesson or a lesson about designing a website or an internet page about your school. Whereas, we can use an overhead projector in presenting writing drafts for classroom correction or to read.
In a conclusion motivation is the backbone of any classroom. When the students are motivated, the teacher can perform his/her job the best. A teacher can do a lot to improve the students' motivation, and the effort involved is an essential part of the teaching profession.
References
1. Dornyei Z., (2001a). Teaching and researching motivation. Essex: Longman.
2. Liuoliene A. & Metiuniene R. (2006) Second language learning motivation. Santalka. Filologija Edulologija, 14(2), 93-98.
