Motivating Our Learners : Actualising the Vision

Future Possible Selves

Future Possible Selves

Possible Selves are individuals’ ideas of

– what they could become,– what they would like to become, and– what they are afraid of becoming

(Markus and Nurius, 1986)– what they would like to be: the Ideal Self)– what they feel they should be: the Ought To Self

(Higgins 1998)

Future Possible Selves

• This defines four future possible selves:• The Ideal Self• The Ought to Self• The Feared Self • The Default Self

The Ideal Future L2 Self

• ‘The ideal L2 self is a powerful motivator because we would like to reduce the discrepancy between our actual and ideal selves.’

(Dornyei 2009)

The Ideal L2 Self: seven steps

• Creating The Vision• Substantiating the Vision• Counterbalancing the Vision• Unifying the Vision• Enhancing the Vision• Operationalising the Vision• Keeping the Vision Alive

Structure of Motivating Learning

Creating a vision of the Ideal L2 Self

Different learners’ visions…•My Successful Tourist Self •My Successful Career Self•My Global Citizen Self•My Member of the Community Self

Where to next?

• What can we do to actualise this motivating vision and ensure it doesn’t remain in the realm of fantasy?

Operationalising the Vision

Operationalising the Vision• You must understand, I am not by nature a

daydreamer. I try to control those parts of my life that can be controlled, to plan everything that I want to happen down to the most insignificant detail. I traffic in a world in which fractions of a second separate success and failure, so I'd visualized the 1996 Olympics down to the millisecond. I'd crafted a decade of dreams into ambitions, refined ambitions into goals, and finally hammered goals into plans (Johnson, 1996; p. 14)

Mapping the Journey

Aim?

To provide a route map towards actualisation of the vision and ensure that it does not

remain in the realm of fantasy.

Mapping the Journey

Mapping the JourneyFrom Vision to GoalsFrom Goals to Plans

From Plans to StrategiesFrom Strategies to Achievement

From Vision to Goals

Vision to Goals

Entails:•analysing vision into list of ambitions, and classifying these into those achievable within the syllabus, those which could be added in and those to be met by self-study • revisiting original vision and breaking it down into list of long-term and short term goals•Additional group dynamics aim : keeping the group together

Personal Goal Statement•Class Goals, eg:• ask the way and understand directions•read a menu and order food•Personal goals ( not covered by the syllabus),eg:•rent a car•understand street signs quickly•In order to do this I will, eg:•find some additional materials on car rentals•put in extra reading practice

Goal breakdown: short term goals•Class goals:By the end of the week we will:……………………………………………………………….

•Additional Personal Goals:By the end of the week I will:…………………………………………………………………

•I will spend ……… hours of self study to achieve this:Signed: Witnessed:

From Goals to Plans

Goals to Plans

• Entails: • translating weekly goals into a study plan• breaking down of short term or weekly goals into a series of concrete tasks • the ordering of these tasks into a timetable or

study plan

Goals to Plans

• This week in class we will:

•For homework we will:

•For self-study I will:

Goals to Plans

Task tree

Intention bubbles

From Plans to Strategies

Plans to Strategies

Entails:•Introducing students to a range of helpful techniques to improve their study efficiency and helping them to select those which work best for them in order to carry out their study plans more effectively

Strategies

Achievement strategies: study techniques that can be used to improve learning eg by aiding memorisation or improving note-taking

Avoidance strategies:Techniques that can be used to overcome barriers to learning, eg by avoiding distraction or managing time better.

Distraction Reduction

Distraction Jingles

I’ll just check my cellphoneI’ll just look and seeI’ll listen to my ipodAnd then I’ll watch TV

Distraction Jingles

Distraction Jingles

I’ll just………….I’ll just have some teaI’ll just……………….Has anyone emailed me?

Send a text/clean the fridge out nextGo on Facebook/nothing left to cookWash my hair/what shall I wear?

Distraction Contract• The main ways I distract myself are: ___________________________________________• The distractions I most enjoy are: __________________________________________• From now on I am going to use these distractions as rewards: ____________________________________________After ________ minutes’ work I can ________ for ________ minutesAfter ________ minutes’ work I can ________ for ________

Signed ___________________________________________________________ Witnessed ____________________________________________________________

Light FantasticWorksheet 1 Task sheet: three boring tasks

1. Vocabulary task: Use the following words in sentences: seaside, planet, umbrella, envelope, canoe, waving.

2. Grammar task: Write five sentences using the past simple.

3. Writing task: Write a thank you letter. •Discuss how you could use fantasy and humour to make the tasks more interesting.

Light Fantastic• For example: • In the vocabulary task, you could make all the sentences

connect to make a story about, for example, an alien from another planet who arrived in a canoe . . .

• In the grammar task you could write improbable sentences from your diary last week: Monday: I met Lily Allen at a party . . .

• In the writing task you could write a thank you letter to someone unlikely:

• Dear Puss, • Thank you for sitting next to me and purring so loudly

yesterday. It really cheered me up . . . .

Strategies Rap• Define your expectations • Give yourself rewards • Eliminate distractions • Use time management • Vary your workplace • Add humour and imagination • Practise relaxation • Cultivate optimism • Organise your work environment • Get cooperation from friends

Strategies Rap Define your expectations:Situation/activation/motivation/dedication/education/applicationGive yourself some rewards:Applaud/afford/skateboardEliminate distraction:Action/inaction/satisfactionVary your workplace:Mental space

From Strategies to Achievement

Strategies to Achievement

Entails:• making your study intentions public and charting your progress towards a long-term goal•making contracts•validating effort

References• Arnett,J. (2002) The psychology of globalization. American Psychologist 57

(10) 227-783.• Boyatzis, R., and Akrivou, K. ( 2006) The ideal self as the driver of

intentional change. Journal of Mangement Development 25 (7) 624-642.• Coetzee- Van Rooy,S. (2006) Integrativeness: Untenable for World

Englishes learners? World Englishes 25 (3) 437-450.• Dornyei, Z., and Ushioda, E.(2009) Motivation, Language Identity and the

L2 Self. Multilingual Matters. • Gardner, R.C. ( 2001) Integrative motivation and second language

acquistion in Z Dornyei and R Schmidt eds Motivation and Second Language Acquisition. University of Hawaii Press.

• Higgins, E. (1987) Self discrepancy: A theory relating self and affect . Psychological Review 94 319-340.

• Higgins, E. ( 1996) The self-digest: Self knowledge serving self=regulatory functions. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology71, 10632

• Higgins, E. ( 1998) promotion and Prevention : Regulatory focus as a motivational principle. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology 30, 1-46.

References• Markus, H., and Nurius P. (1986) Possible Selves. American Psychologist

41, 954 -969• Markus H., and Ruvolo, A, (1989) possible Selves: Personalised

representations of goals. In L.A. Pervin (ed) Goal Concepts in Personality and Social Psychology . Lawrence Ehrbaum

• Markus, H. (2006) Foreword. In C. Dunkel and J. Kerpelman (eds) Possible Selves: Theory, Research and Applications : Nova Science.

• Noels, K. et al (2000) Why are you learning a second language: Learners’ orientations and self-determination theory. Language Learning 50 57-85.

• Segal, H. (2006) Possible selves, fantasy distortion and the anticipated life history: Exploring the role of imagination in social cognition. In C. Dunkel and J. Kerpelman (eds) Possible Selves:Theory, Research and Applications. Nova Science

• Wenger, E. (1998) Communities of Practice: Learning, Meaning and identity. Cambridge University Press

• Yashima, T. (200)) Orientations and motivations in foreign language learning: a study of Japanese college students. JACET Bulletin 31 121-133