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95RAISING MOTIVATION OF STUDENTS IN A SECOND/FOREIGN LANGUAGE ACQUISITION
Ergasheva N.N.
Ergasheva Nargiza Nu 'monjohnovna - Teacher, TEACHING LANGUAGES DEPARTMENT, MANAGEMENT IN PRODUCTION FACULTY, FERGANA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE, FERGANA, REPUBLIC OF UZBEKISTAN
Abstract: the article under discussion depicts the role of motivation in learning process. The author of the article suggests different ways of raising motivation which plays an essential role in ESL/EFL acquisition.
Keywords: low motivation, students, teachers, inner, improve, error correction, influence, research, tasks, second language learning.
Motivation has long been a major problem for most teachers of English as a Second Language (ESL) or as a foreign language not only in Uzbekistan but also elsewhere. Motivation in the ESL/EFL classroom is easily one of the most important factors as I'm sure most teachers would agree with me. The main reason I'm coming to this point of view is that most of our students have low motivation to learn English. In addition to that, while most of them have a vague sense that whether "English will be useful for my future" or not, they don't have a clear idea of what that means, nor is that a very strong motivator; it's too vague and too far off.
The first step in tackling the problem of motivation is that the teachers need to understand and appreciate the role and importance of motivation in any learning. In the context of second language learning, Ames observes: "In second language learning as in every other field of human learning, motivation is the critical force which determines whether a learner embarks on a task at all, how much energy he devotes to it, and how long he perseveres. It is a complex phenomenon and includes many components: the individual's drive, need for achievement and success, curiosity, desire for stimulation and new experience, and
so on. These factors play a role in every kind of learning situation" [1, p.p. 161-171].
As Eccles mentions: "Student motivation is influenced by both internal and external factors that can start, sustain, intensify, or discourage behavior" [2, p.p. 109-132].
The teacher has to activate these motivational components in the students but that is the precise problem. How can it be done in every class everyday?
Ways of motivating students in the classroom:
"Pair work" or "Group work"
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. In fact, learners can help each other while working on different types of tasks such as writing dialogues, interviews, drawing pictures and making comments about them, play roles and others.
Researches on Second Language Acquisition have shown that learners have differences in mastering skills. While one student is good in drawing, another can be good in expressing ideas verbally; a third other student can be good at role play and imitation. Besides, some students find it less stressful, if not much comfortable to learn certain rules or usages of language from their pears and comrades than from their teacher. Finally, communicative language teaching requires a sense of community and an environment of trust and mutual confidence which "pair work" or "Group work" can provide.
The seating of the students
The way the students are placed in the classroom will often determine the dynamics of the lesson. Indeed, a simple change in the seating pattern can make an incredible difference to group coherence and student satisfaction, and I've seen many other cases where seating has been a crucial element in the success or failure of the lesson. The seating pattern you use may, in some cases, not be fully under your control - if for example the desks are fixed to the
ground or the school has strict rules about not moving the furniture. Student numbers are also going to be an issue.
I'll talk about average size classes - anything from 6 to 25. Teachers have different preferences for seating arrangements -groups placed round small tables is often one choice. This is probably the best option for the larger classes in this range, but for smaller numbers and with adult or teenage students I think the horseshoe shape, which I find has all of the advantages of groups, and none of the disadvantages. A horseshoe may be desks in a U-shape with a hollow centre, students in a semicircle on chairs with arm-rests and no desks, or students seated around three sides of a large table, with the teacher at one end. In any case, whatever seating pattern you choose or is imposed on you, the class is likely to be more successful if you keep the following principles in mind: try and maximize eye contact. Both teacher to student and student to student. In full class phases of the lesson, if the person who is speaking does not have eye contact with the others, then attention is likely to drop. This is the main reason I personally think the horseshoe shape to groups is better. Make sure students are seated at a comfortable distance from each other.
The Error Correction
It is always asked whether we should correct all students' errors, whenever they occur. The reasonable answer is that if we stop at every single error and treat it with no room for errors to take place, this will lead to a gap of communication and students will be too much afraid of making mistakes. Hence, due to being too much obsessed with making errors, students will be too much reluctant to participate. Thus, teachers should be aware of when to correct errors and how to do that without any hurt and humiliation. In a learner- centered classroom, it should be better to correct errors, which students make unconsciously, whenever there is a gap of communication or when not treating the error will result in a misunderstanding of the idea expressed.
Concerning the ways of how to correct errors, there are several techniques which the teacher, who is seen as the monitor, should choose from them according to the type of the error and task where the incorrect form of language occurs. Among these ways
of correction we can state: self correction, peer correction and teacher correction.
Role play
This is another technique to vary the pace the lesson and to respond to the fundamental notion of variety in teaching. Teachers are advised to use the role- play activity in order to motivate their students and to help the less motivated learners take part in the lesson. Besides, certain tasks in the student's book are followed by a role- play activity where it becomes a necessity to undergo such an activity. As good examples of that we can state: the hide (item) and guessing game, dramatizing an interview of customer and shop assistant, doctor and patient conversation and others [3, p.p. 45-49].
There are other ways of raising motivation among students such as using realia, video and other innovative methods in the classroom, it depends on the teacher's creative skills to apply in the teaching process.
References
1. Ames C. Classrooms: goals, structure and student motivation. Journal of educational psychology. 84(3). Cambridge, 1992. P.p. 261-271.
2. Eccles J.S. Motivational beliefs, values and goals. Cambridge, 2002. P.p. 109-132.
3. Case R. Moving critical thinking to the main stage. Canada, 2005. P.p. 45-49.
РАННИЙ ВОЗРАСТ - ВАЖНЫЙ ЭТАП В ЖИЗНИ МАЛЕНЬКОГО ЧЕЛОВЕКА Двукраева М.А.
Двукраева Марина Александровна - воспитатель, Государственное бюджетное дошкольное образовательное учреждение № 3 Петроградского района, г. Санкт-
Петербург
