University of Kwazulu-Natal

How To Motivate Students To Learn English 11 Classroom Strategies

Bonisiwe Shabane
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how to motivate students to learn english 11 classroom strategies

You’d attract bees with honey rather than vinegar—and the same idea applies to motivating the students in your ESL classroom. One of the toughest tasks a teacher can have on their plate is to motivate their students the right way. This means motivating them from the inside rather than from the outside. Let me show you several classroom strategies that’ll bring out the best in your students and get them excited about learning English. Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy.

(Download) Start at the beginning of the school year with clear rules. Above all, you need to explain from day one that this is an English class, and English will be the medium of communication. Have realistic expectations too, depending on the language level of your students. Obviously, different age groups “ring the bell” concerning language or maturity levels. Your students also won’t develop their language at the same rate, face the same struggles, or excel in the same areas.

Thank you so much for this informative and interesting article . Very educative and interesting thank a lot for the article Dear Dr. Tiffany, many thanks for this very useful article. Imagine trying to learn a classroom lesson when you don’t understand the language in which it is being presented. Teaching English language learners requires specialized strategies; and at the most basic level, one of those strategies is to “put yourself in their shoes.”

More than 5 million children in U.S. schools are classified as English language learners (ELLs), according to the Department of Education. These students face the dual challenge of learning the material while also learning the language, as their teachers face the added challenge of using the right educational strategies to help them succeed. Some of the most effective English language learner strategies start with common sense and respect for cultural differences. Simply getting to know the students is considered to be an essential part of the process. For educators who teach English language learners, developing a deeper understanding of their unique needs and the best practices for teaching them has many benefits.

These include: Here, we will review a range of time-tested English language teaching strategies that benefit students and educators alike. As teachers, we want to create an environment that encourages student learning and keeps our students motivated and engaged. Middle school and high school are such important times in a student’s academic journey, so it’s important to maintain their enthusiasm for learning. Of course, you’ll want to build strong and positive relationships with your students before any of these other strategies will work. Either way, here are 11 proven strategies that not only help increase student engagement but also provide opportunities for critical thinking and therefore academic success.

Letting students become leaders in their own learning, takes engagement to a deeper level. Students’ attention spans are at an all-time low with video games and social media taking over our lives. To help with this, introduce interactive activities such as group discussions, debates, role-plays, and educational games. These engaging methods make the learning process fun and exciting for every student. When you bring in activities where students can have group discussions such as in Socratic Seminars, it builds a sense of community that lends to student engagement. Using a variety of teaching methods, including visual aids, hands-on activities, videos, and real-life examples to reach students with different learning styles is a must in all grade levels and all subject areas.

This is especially true if you have students who come from different cultural backgrounds and those learning English as their second language. Small changes like showing a video of the concept before reading the text can make a big difference in student success. Different ways to do this are listed below. This type of engagement is by far my favorite because it’s active learning at its best! Give students opportunities to explore their interests and apply what they’ve learned to real-world situations. This helps them feel more autonomous and engaged in their own learning.

You as the teacher get to decide whether to teach using repetitive academic tasks where you check for correct answers or a learning experience full of active participation and academic engagement. When assigning projects like the All About My Country Research project or using Socratic Seminars during a novel study, students take an active role in their learning and they start thinking and applying their... This, in turn, causes students to be proud of their hard work and are excited for the next assignment. It’s so satisfying to see those leadership skills blossom in just one year! Motivation plays a significant role in student learning. Students with high motivation levels tend to have the best learning outcomes.

Motivation is particularly useful in encouraging persistence in applying effort to a learning task and trying new approaches. Although motivation is highly influenced by student characteristics and tends to vary across different learning areas, the classroom context also plays an important role in influencing student motivation. There are many strategies that teachers can use to promote and support their students’ motivation. As many theorists define motivation as arising from a need to satisfy psychological desires for autonomy, competence and connection or belonging, the following motivational strategies focus on meeting those needs. Positive relationships with teachers are significantly related to positive motivation and to greater achievement. Motivation is affected by the level of emotional and social support students perceive.

Students who believe their teachers are not interested in their learning report more negative motivation and experience lower achievement. Research has demonstrated that relationships with teachers are particularly important for Māori students. Teachers need to show support and concern for all students and be interested in their ideas and experiences, as well as what they produce in class. Try to ensure you communicate a sense of caring for how each individual student is doing. Showing sensitivity and kindness to students enhances the affective climate of the classroom, whereas threats, sarcasm, directives and imposed goals result in negative affective experiences for students. Students’ motivation is strongest when they believe they are socially accepted by teachers and peers and their school environment is fair, trustworthy and centred on concern for everyone’s welfare.

Motivation tends to be lowest in environments that are perceived as unwelcoming and untrustworthy. When students have a strong sense of membership of the class and school, they are more likely to adopt the values endorsed by the school. Students from negatively stereotyped groups are most sensitive to cues of belonging and trustworthiness. Teachers are authority figures who can set the tone for relations in the classroom, and make students feel they are valued group members. Provide plenty of opportunities for positive interactions with and among students. Try to create a sense of belonging while also valuing students’ social and cultural identities.

Activities that engender a shared sense of purpose will motivate students and enhance their sense of belonging. In today’s fast-paced educational landscape, keeping students engaged and motivated can feel like a Herculean task. Did you know that according to Gallup, only 33% of high school students report feeling engaged in their learning? This alarming statistic highlights the urgent need for educators to adopt effective teaching strategies that not only captivate students’ attention but also inspire them to take ownership of their learning journey. In this article, we’ll explore 12 powerful strategies that can transform your classroom into a dynamic learning environment. From connecting lessons to real-world applications to incorporating mixed media, these techniques are designed to resonate with students of all ages and backgrounds.

Whether you’re a seasoned educator or just starting your teaching career, you’ll find actionable insights that can elevate your teaching practice and boost student motivation. So, are you ready to unlock the secrets to student engagement? Let’s dive in! Ready to enhance your teaching toolkit? 👉 Shop engaging educational resources like Reading Eggs and Mathletics to bring these strategies to life in your classroom! Quick Tips and FactsUnderstanding the Importance of Student Engagement and MotivationConnect Learning to the Real World: Practical ApplicationsDid You Know?

Engaging Resources to Enhance LearningEngage with Your Students’ Interests: Tailoring LessonsFill “Dead Time”: Maximizing Every MinuteHarness the Power of Group Work and CollaborationEncourage Students to Present and Share Work RegularlyGive Your Students a Say:... We at Teacher Strategies™ have learned that engaging students is not just about providing a fun environment but also about creating an atmosphere where students feel motivated and motivated to learn. Let’s start with a link to our article about my teaching strategies gold at https://www.teacherstrategies.org/my-turbo-teacher-gold/, which provides insights into effective teaching strategies. For those interested in learning more about our approach, we also have a category on instructional strategies at https://www.teacher strategies.org/category/institutional-strategies/, which offers valuable resources for educators. In this section, we’ll explore some quick tips and facts about student engagement and motivation. When the bell rings, you know instantly whether the day will glide or grind.

Some classes lean in, eyes bright; others slump, phones creeping from pockets. That gap nearly always comes down to motivation—something you can influence. Below you’ll find 20 classroom-proven strategies that consistently boost student motivation, engagement, and achievement across grade levels. They don’t require expensive programs or marathon planning sessions—just small, intentional moves grounded in research and refined by working teachers. Whether you teach kindergarten centers, AP physics, or anything in between, you’ll walk away with ideas you can implement tomorrow morning. Scan the list, pick one or two tactics that fit your style, and watch participation jump without the usual tug-of-war.

Let’s get straight to the tips. Pressed for time? Start with quick wins—greet students at the door, celebrate micro-successes, and turn drills into mini-games. Ready for deeper change? Try goal-setting conferences, peer mentoring, or a project that links the unit standard to a real community problem. The menu is flexible, but the outcome is the same: students who see purpose, feel capable, and choose to engage.

The fastest-acting strategies for student motivation start with human connection. When learners feel seen and valued by the adult in the room, they’re far more willing to attempt hard work, ask questions, and risk a wrong answer. By Med Kharbach, PhD | Last Update: August 19, 2024 Motivation is one of the key concept in psychology. It is mainly concerned with the why and how humans think and behave as they do. Its significance is particularly pronounced in the realm of classroom learning, where it’s often invoked to explain the successes and failures in learning processes.

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