Enhancing motivation in EFL teaching

Abstract

Treball Final del Màster Universitari en Professor/a d'Educació Secundària Obligatòria i Batxillerat, Formació Professional i Ensenyaments d'Idiomes. Codi: SAP419. Curs acadèmic 2013-2014

The present paper seeks to explore the fundamental role of motivation in EFL (English 
 as a Foreign Language) teaching. When we acquire our mother tongue, we have a 
 natural need to learn it due to the primary need of communicating. Nevertheless, this 
 does not work when acquiring a foreign one, as we do not live in a scenario where its 
 use is indispensable. Normally, children and teenagers are not mature enough to 
 realise about the numerous benefits of learning languages, because such advantages
 will probably not show until a distant future. As a result of this premise, we need 
 something else if we want to attain that they develop a willing to learn. 
 Throughout the present project, the reader will reflect upon the essentiality of 
 enhancing a more innovative and attractive methodology in the EFL classroom. 
 Commonly, the lack of capacity of the students is not the reason that justifies negative 
 outcomes or even academic failure. The cause of these problems, nonetheless, seems 
 to be a lack of motivation towards the subject. We live in a technological era in which 
 learners are exposed to numerous distractions that are, beyond doubt, much more 
 appealing than a teaching approach whose basis relies on repetitive grammar 
 exercises, memorising vocabulary and learning the four linguistic skills through non-authentic monotonous situations. 
 This study seeks to prove that adapting course books or creating new materials by 
 taking into account students’ interests, as well as the use of topics to which they feel 
 attracted to, will bring significantly positive outcomes, not only regarding motivation 
 but also academic results. The problem that teachers tend to face is the lack of
 eagerness to learn the language, since if they do have the predisposition to do 
 something, they will not do it. Given the circumstances, teachers need to try to achieve 
 that they enjoy with the learning process. This situation, despite seeming utopian, is 
 attainable, and this will be proved by theoretical research, innovative proposals and 
 activities designed with the crucial goal of fostering students’ motivation.