So when we ask what motivates us, it may be that the answer is based
more on satiating the needs, than to find out what truly motivates our essence.
"That's what I want! Discover what motivates me, figure out
what I like to do, but still do not know ... and do not
even know where to start! "
And about students, what motivates them?
I think the need to learn another language depends in some ways on the level of maturity of the student. Logically, becoming able to communicate in another language brings a number of positive benefits. Teens are motivated by interests that allow them to make connections to their world. This connection may be social, economic, or even emotional. The motivation of the adolescent has its roots in the social environment to which it is inserted. They have a need to fit in with their peers and the need to be accepted by a particular group. In a figurative way, teenagers around the world communicate in the same language, share the same tastes for movies, music, clothes, and technology. So being able to speak in English, will enable them to access all these elements faster.
Reading by itself presents challenges for the adolescent. Reading in a second language can be even more challenging. The benefits of this knowledge are countless, as also are the challenges to motivate students to read. Living with teenagers who are ELs, I have realized that the love of reading begins at home. PARENTS WHO READ, and discuss reading with their children, are great motivators to futures readers. Reading brings immediate results to the reader. If the reading is in a second language, increasing vocabulary, and writing development are important. THE INFLUENCE OF PEERS is often a deciding factor in choosing the book. The teenager likes the feeling of belonging. It is important to understand the language of adolescents and develop literature with the "face" of them. This can be a catalyst for them to start reading more, getting more culture, knowledge, experience, and aid in developing their power of imagination, etc. There is no better way to convey dense information than through a story. So stories in literature have power, and books embody that power. Each book read has the ability to transform us, and this change becomes part our personal history. The way an individual's knowledge grows and the sequence of works read by each is unique, personal, and nontransferable.
Overall we have CHOICE. Students are more engaged and motivated to read when they have the choice to choose what they are interested in reading
Reading by itself presents challenges for the adolescent. Reading in a second language can be even more challenging. The benefits of this knowledge are countless, as also are the challenges to motivate students to read. Living with teenagers who are ELs, I have realized that the love of reading begins at home. PARENTS WHO READ, and discuss reading with their children, are great motivators to futures readers. Reading brings immediate results to the reader. If the reading is in a second language, increasing vocabulary, and writing development are important. THE INFLUENCE OF PEERS is often a deciding factor in choosing the book. The teenager likes the feeling of belonging. It is important to understand the language of adolescents and develop literature with the "face" of them. This can be a catalyst for them to start reading more, getting more culture, knowledge, experience, and aid in developing their power of imagination, etc. There is no better way to convey dense information than through a story. So stories in literature have power, and books embody that power. Each book read has the ability to transform us, and this change becomes part our personal history. The way an individual's knowledge grows and the sequence of works read by each is unique, personal, and nontransferable.
Overall we have CHOICE. Students are more engaged and motivated to read when they have the choice to choose what they are interested in reading
Hi Silvia,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your blog on motivation. I share the same experiences as you do. Yes, reading is first introduced to a child by his or her immediate environment. It can be parents,older siblings or relatives. In my case it was parents. They did an amazing job to make me read and think by repeated reading. Reading in your mother tongue become easier as you build the vocabulary being immersed in the society that the language is spoken. You encounter the words in many ways.
But, when you learn a second language, the motivation is the drive for learning. Behind the motivation there are many factors. In Sri Lanka it is the economical reasons. The students who can function in English would definitely benefit when they apply for jobs. As there are three main ethnic groups in Sri Lanka the common language is English. Therefore students will try to learn English knowing that they would have better paying jobs.
More over some courses like medicine , engineering and architecture are not offered in Sinhalese or tamil( two other languages spoken in Sri Lanka) in the universities. So the students who want to study those fields are sort of forced learn English.
I had to learn English as I was planning to do architecture. But, the circumstances that made me to come to Japan even forced me to learn Japanese. Although my motivations were extrinsic, I am glad that I learned them.
Hi Shani!
ReplyDeleteWhen I think of what motivated me to learn a second language as an adult, it was for personal growth and the potential of professional opportunities. Many of the difficulties I faced were exactly because of already being an adult, I find myself amazed at our ability to learn. Your story touched me greatly. I admire others who make adversity your starting point for a great turn.
Silvia, well put. It is interesting to me that you put motivation to read in the context of learning a second language. I am amazed at an individual's desire to do this without any external factors economically or otherwise. Learning a second language is not only cognitively difficult but it can be emotionally draining as well. To stay motivated to read and continue to learn the second language is monumental. It is unfortunate that sometimes people make assumptions about our ELL students. Often, they are classified learning disabled, but this is mostly because they cannot perform as well as their peers or that teachers do not know how to manage their ELL students.
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