Putting theory into practice: Themes and issues arising from delivering a workshop program in self-motivating strategies (original) (raw)

Can a Workshop Program Enhance a Language Learner's Capacity to Use Effective Self-Motivating Strategies?

Studies in Linguistics and Language Teaching, Vol. 16, 37-74, 2005

This paper describes a pilot study attempting to discover whether a workshop program can help language learners at university level to increase their capacity to employ effective self-motivating strategies (SMS) in order to counter threats to their motivation. The paper discusses the theoretical background of SMS, before detailing the design and delivery of the workshop program, the rationale behind it, and the results gained so far, from what is still an ongoing research project. However, the main finding of the project is that a workshop program, based on a Scaffolding and Problem-based learning approach, can indeed help learners to enhance their capacity for developing effective SMS.

Motivation and demotivation over two years: A case study of English language learners in Japan

Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching

This paper is about four Japanese university students majoring in international studies, who participated in a two-year study examining changes in their motivation. Using monthly interviews and a 29-item questionnaire on Dörnyei’s (2005) L2 motivational self system that was administered alongside each interview, the trajectories of learner motivation were investigated, based on both quantitative and qualitative data. First, changes in the participants’ motivation were identified using quantitative data. Next, a variety of motivators and demotivators that learners experienced both inside and outside of their classrooms were analyzed using the qualitative data. With the data obtained, this study focuses on how four learners’ language learning motivation and contexts adapt to each other, and how the dynamics of the four learners’ motivation changes due to their learning experiences. Each learner was different in their trajectory of motivation and the kinds of motivators and demotivator...

SUSTAINING MOTIVATION: SELF-DIRECTED LEARNERS' STORIES

Proceedings of the 7th International CLS Conference, 1-3 December 2016, National University of Singapore, 2016

As part of a four-year longitudinal study, the researchers investigate how learners of English at a university in Japan sustain their motivation to engage in self-directed study outside of class. Drawing on the self-regulation of motivation (SRM) model (Sansone, 2009; Sansone & Thoman, 2005) interview data collected in the first two years are analysed according to whether the participants engage in goals defined motivation, experience defined motivation, or a combination of the two. This paper will present case studies of three learners and show how motivation and self-regulation have developed from year 1 to year 2.

Motivating instructors and learners of English: A teacher-training workshop

This paper documents a teacher-training workshop designed to address the problem of motivating instructors and learners of English in Japan. It first provides a brief overview of the relevant research to date on motivation and the Japanese English education context. It then explores a series of interviews (n=6) with in-service Japanese high school teachers of English, which ultimately proved to be the impetus behind this study. Findings from an analysis of these interviews revealed a lack of learner motivation was the primary concern for in-service teachers. It also revealed that in-service teachers felt ill-equipped to deal with this problem. A workshop was then created to provide pedagogical support for Japanese teachers of English. This workshop first involved examining the different factors that influence motivation, before moving on to showcase how the use of authentic materials by instructors can greatly enhance learner motivation. It concluded with a discussion of the specific problems that instructors typically face. Feedback from a post-workshop questionnaire suggests the workshop was highly successful. Finally, implications and future workshops are discussed.

Development of the L2 Motivational Self System: English at a University in Japan

JALT Journal, 2014

This paper reports on a study investigating changes in L2 motivation for Japanese learners of English as they completed their first communicative English language course at university. I aim to describe the strength and structure of students’ motiva- tion and the degree to which these changed over one semester. A 36-item question- naire was used to measure components of the L2 Motivational Self System and In- ternational Posture. The questionnaire was administered twice to 202 second-year university students in Japan: during the first week of the semester and 11 weeks later. Structural equation models were created to describe the causal relationships between motivational variables for the two time periods. Paired t tests revealed that both motivated learning behavior and ought-to L2 self significantly increased over the semester. A comparison of the two models indicated that there was a change in the motivational structure from Week 1 to Week 12.

Motivation strategies in the language classroom

2001

The motivation of second language learners remains a topic of great interest and importance to researchers and teachers alike. Zoltan Dornyei has been researching and writing on motivation to learn second languages for a number of years and has published a great deal on the topic. In this new book he moves away from a research focus and provides a practical volume that aims to help teachers of second languages motivate their students. The book certainly fills a gap, as there appear to be few, if any, works covering the ground attempted here. The book is aimed at second language teachers rather than researchers, though it will also act as useful background reading for those who wish to research motivation-such readers will also certainly learn something useful from the book.

Motivation in English Medium Instruction Classrooms from the Perspective of Self-determination Theory and the Ideal Self

2017

This study investigates student motivation in an English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) environment at a Japanese university within the frameworks of self-determination theory and the L2 motivational self system. It explores (a) relationships between motivational regulations towards EMI, motivation to learn English, and motivation to learn content; (b) factors that influence motivational regulations towards EMI; and (c) different tendencies between a high motivation group and a low motivation group. The results indicate that attitude towards learning English and the ideal L2 self strongly influence intrinsic motivation in EMI, suppor ted by perceived competency when compared to motivation to learn content. Significant differences were identified between the high and low motivation groups in their understanding, EMI self-study time, and motivational factors. These results imply that students who have a positive attitude towards learning English, imagine their ideal selves as Englis...

Motivation: The Road to Successful Learning

This research has the aim of highlighting the importance of motivation in the process of learning English as a foreign language. For that purpose, some factors that affect motivation are described, using as a starting point the answers obtained from a questionnaire given to students in their fourth year of compulsory secondary education. The main conclusions of the research show the fundamental role of factors such as the teacher, the four skills, students' interests and daily habits, among others. Finally, some guidelines for a teaching methodology are proposed with the intention of future development.