Number 6
There are 5 motivational strategies mentioned in the two page article by Dornyei, Z. (2010). How to motivate language learners. ETAI Forum: English Teachers' Association of Israel, 22(1), 29-30. http://www.etai.org.il/documents/ETAI-Forum-Vol.-XXII-No.-1-Winter-2010-Conference-Selections.pdf
Whetting the students’ appetite
This means arousing the students interest and attention to the topic being studied. It is important for the students feel excited about what they will be learning and awaken their souls. The first suggestion would be to make an interesting introduction to the course, with a quick, easy warm up for example, learning an English nursery rhyme and showing examples of how important learning the English language is for example, by watching a film of someone traveling to different parts of Europe and using the language to get around.
Making the teaching materials relevant to the learners
This means looking at what the students’ goals are and what topics they want to learn about as well as the level they are required to learn and then implement them in to the curriculum as much as possible. It is important that the students feel a connection to the material they are learning. A good suggestion would be to ask the learners what topics and subjects they would like to learn and implement this in different classroom activities.
Making the learning tasks more interesting:
This means making the lessons and activities attractive and exciting for the learners. A suggestion in keeping the learning tasks interesting would be to teach them a funny poem or read a romantic novel to keep the students attention at its highest.
Increasing the learners’ self-confidence:
This means providing regular encouragement and reducing language anxiety. A good suggestion would be to always compliment the students on the effort and input during the class. Encouraging the students to participate and always correcting them without saying bluntly that they do not have the right answer is another suggestion.
