Today English is a language that unites various nations. People learn it to gain more opportunities in life and to communicate with foreigners. Still, learning English as a foreign language (EFL) can be advantageous only when a person is motivated. According to Khodashenas et al. (2013), motivation is the “the combination of effort plus desire to achieve the goal of learning the language plus favorable attitudes toward learning the language” (p. 766).
It makes students willing to study and encourages them to achieve more and streamlines the very process of learning. Lack of motivation is thought to be one of the biggest barriers that is faced by parents and teaching staff.
Lile (2002) claims that even indecent behavior in the classroom and underachievement are connected with this issue, as the student occurs to be unable to place priorities appropriately. As a consequence, less intelligent students have better performance than more bright ones due to their high motivation. Being motivated students become able to deal with the tasks of various degrees of difficulty.
When the process of learning is taken into consideration, the primary purpose of motivation is to grasp students’ attention and desire to get to know something new and direct them towards it. There are two main types of motivation according to self-determination theory. Extrinsic one comes from the outside. It can be a wish to be rewarded or just to escape penalty. Intrinsic motivation, in its turn, occurs within a person. It is more general and can be seen as a desire to study.
Carreira (2005) claims that intrinsic motivation refers to “motivation to encourage in an activity for its own sake” (p. 40). Dailey (2009) has a similar view and describes it as the individuals desire to conduct the activity for personal enjoyment that entails the accomplishment of the activity regardless any external factors.
The student receives satisfaction from the process of learning and personal achievements but not from the feedback that followed them. That is why intrinsically motivated students are more diligent. They are always interested in studying and never miss the tasks. They prefer to deal with challenging assignments because they need more effort and understanding, and their accomplishment brings much satisfaction.
According to the studies on intrinsic motivation for learning languages, there are three types of it:
- Intrinsic motivation to know, which is connected with the desire to manage particular actions in order to receive satisfaction and pleasure related to gaining new knowledge;
- Intrinsic motivation toward accomplishments, which refers to the attempts to understand the task and cope with it;
- Intrinsic motivation to experience stimulation, which deals with positive emotions that occur when studying (excitement, joy, etc.) (Noels 2001).
The importance of the intrinsic motivation lies in the fact that it is a crucial characteristic, which allows the student to become a successful language learner. Unfortunately, while studying, students tend to become less enthusiastic, and they lose their inner motivation with the course of time.
Learning EFL is a tough task, as the students do not use it in everyday life and do not realize the necessity to study something they do not currently need. When the teachers’ attempt to improve students’ intrinsic motivation and create positive environment occurs to be not enough, extrinsic motives become helpful (Madrid & Canado 2001).
Intrinsic motivation is said to be improved when the students have an opportunity to gain more autonomy. Thus, Khodashenas et al. (2013) believe that the students who realize the necessity to learn English as it is likely to be needed for their career are willing to participate in various activities when studying and tend to have more inner motivation.
Ushioda (2008) also supports this opinion and claims that the students who are intrinsically motivated show more involvement in the learning process and utilize numerous problem-solving strategies. Lucas (2010) noted that there is a connection between language skills and motivation.
It is mentioned that new knowledge and ability to cope with the assignment intrinsically motivates students to enhance their reading skills on different levels. It was found that the learning strategy is not as crucial as the type of the tasks that the teacher selects. Proving interest, fun and setting decent goals, the teacher stimulates students’ intrinsic motivation. Except for that the study showed that the girls tend to be more intrinsically motivated than boys; however, this issue requires further investigation (Khodashenas et al. 2013).
When speaking about learning EFL, intrinsic motivation is said to be influenced by tree main factors:
- Physical conditions that include the temperature in the class, the lightning, the way the desks are situated, etc. affects learning greatly. The positive school climate makes the students willing to participate;
- Teachers are engaged in developing motivation due to their attitude. Being supportive and positively approached they encourage students to study;
- Teaching methods can promote intrinsic motivation as they determine the way the lesson is held including the variety of tasks and feedback (Tuan 2012).
The research conducted by Sucaromana (2013) showed that the students who have high intrinsic motivation for learning English also have a positive attitude towards this language. It is claimed that the connection between these factors is crucial, as they both develop from the person’s self. The feeling of satisfaction from the learning climate is also underlined and said to be one of the main factors that make students treat EFL positively and encourage them to study.
Intrinsic motivation is connected with the inherited traits of character. Still, it does not mean that it cannot be awakened. When a teacher creates a positive environment and reduces the level of stress, the student’s attitude towards learning changes.
During EFL classes, the teacher should be targeted at the creation of the interest. As the instructions are given in the foreign language, the students may find it difficult not just to cope with the task but to understand what should be done, which affects their motivation adversely.
Thus, it is crucial to plan a lesson so that every student can be active during it. The teacher is to be flexible and energetic so that one can easily find a contact with the students and make the class relatively simple and interesting. It is necessary to change the activities (reading, writing, etc.), as routines actions frustrate the students and reduce the satisfaction they receive when completing the tasks.
The teacher should also explain the tasks the students find difficult to cope with. It is critical not to help to find the solution but to encourage the students to do it on their own. In this way, they will try to solve a challenging task when they meet it instead of refusing to start.
The kind of material that the teacher uses also has an influence on the students’ intrinsic motivation. It should be not only relevant to the topic but also interesting and achievable for the students. Otherwise, they will face lots of troubles when dealing with it and will not receive expected positive feelings. It is advantageous to be focused on the student who understands the language less than others when explaining the task. As a result, the whole class will understand what is needed from them and be internally motivated.
Except for that, it is important to be caring. The students should feel that the teacher is supportive and patient. Such approach reduces stress and makes the environment in the class more positive. If the teacher can show that one sees potential in the students, they will be determined to learn more without being afraid of punishment.
The teacher’s energy and mood also affects the students, as they learn by example and reflect his/her attitudes. Thus, when the teacher had positive energy, there will be a comfortable atmosphere in the class and the students will be willing to learn, which promotes their intrinsic motivation (Lile 2002).
So it can be concluded that motivation is crucial for EFL classes. It allows the teachers perform their work perfectly and makes the students willing to study.
Intrinsic motivation depends on different factors that are to be considered by the teacher. It also tends to reduce with the course of time when speaking about the ELF students due to the fact that many of them do not realize the necessity of studying the language. To develop intrinsic motivation, one is to create a positive atmosphere in the class, provide a variety of interesting assignments and be supportive.
Reference List
Carreira, О 2005, ‘The framework of motivation in second language acquisition’, The Keiai Journal of International Studies, vol. 1, no. 16, pp. 39-64.
Dailey, A 2009, Key motivational factors and how teachers can encourage motivation in their students. Web.
Khodashenas, M, Amouzegar, E, Farahani, S, Hasheminasab, S & Kazemian, V 2013, ‘Role of motivation in language learning’, International Research Journal of Applied and Basic Sciences, vol. 6, no. 6, pp. 766-773.
Lile, W 2002, ‘Motivation in the ESL classroom’, The Internet TESL Journal, vol. 8, no. 1.
Lucas, R 2010, ‘A study on intrinsic motivation factors in second language learning among selected freshman students’, The Philippine ESL Journal, vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 6-23.
Madrid, D & Canado, L 2001, Exploring the student’s motivation in the EFL class. Web.
Noels, K 2001, ‘Learning Spanish as a second language’, Language Learning, vol. 51, no. 1, 107-144.
Sucaromana, U 2013, ‘The effects of blended learning on the intrinsic motivation of Thai EFL students’, English Language Teaching, vol. 6, no. 5, pp. 141-147.
Tuan, L 2012, ‘An empirical research into EFL learners’ motivation’, Theory and Practice in Language Studies, vol. 2, no. 3, pp. 430-439.
Ushioda, E 2008, ‘Motivation and good language learners’, in C Griffiths (ed), Lessons from good language learners, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp. 19-34.