Enhancing Teens’ MotivationwithOut-of-Classroom Learning

IATEFL POLAND10 September 2011

Lorenz Van der Stam

Issue #1Teens are notoriously hard to motivate in classrooms

Issue #2Teens hate homework

Currently, we fail to optimize teens’ capacity for language learning.

IPSO FACTO:

Finding A Solution1. Teens are notoriously hard to motivate in

classrooms

Let’s look closer at the issue of TEENS

Who Are Teens? What’s going on with their lives?

- hormones / sexual development- independence / autonomy- questioning of authority / rebellion- social hyperactivity / peer pressure

What’s going on with their future? - pressure over education, career

prospects, type of friends, values What are their cultural

references? What is their relationship with

education? English: how do they see it as

relevant to them?

Teen brains are not mini-adult brains

1. Higher-task functions like reasoning, organizing, abstract thought not mature until age 25

2. Brain focuses on what is seen or done often. Frequency more important than duration.

3. Huge increase in brain information-processing abilities

Finding A Solution1. Teens are notoriously hard to motivate in

classrooms

Let’s look closer at the issue of MOTIVATION

Understanding Learner Motivation

• The “neglected heart” of our understanding of how to design instruction.

• Particularly an issue for teens, due to:

ZZZZZZZ

What is the average teen learner’s“goal orientedness”?

• Does the goal seem to have been set by outsiders?

• Are the activities seen to be relevant to teens’ interests or aspirations?

• Are the tasks felt to be boring?

• What is the scope for free choice and autonomy in the assigned tasks?

Motivation

Extrinsic Intrinsic

Depends on LIFE STAGE. For Teens:

• Family expectations (especially in Asia)

• School grades

• External examinations (Gao Kao; TOEIC)

Applies to a relatively small subsetof the Teen learner population

Motivation

Extrinsic Intrinsic

Depends on LIFE STAGE. For Teens:

• Pleasure-seeking– Is it new?– Is it fun?

• Identity– Can this help me establish one? – Physical / Sex– Could this be useful to meet girls /

boys?• Social

– Will this make me popular?– Will “sharing” this make me look

cool?

Universal to all Teen learners

Finding A Solution2. Teens hate homework

Let’s look closer at the issue of HOMEWORK

Problem: Traditional HomeworkCan’t Match The At-Home Competition

vs.

interactive

impulse

current

static

linear

irrelevant

Problem: Traditional HomeworkSeen As An Intrusion Into “My Time”

vs.

personal time

voluntary action by teen

fun

school / authority

imposed by teacher

stress

Problem: Traditional Homework DoesNot Feed Into Teens’ Intrinsic Motivation

vs.

social

my life, today

challenge

solitary

abstract, future benefit

grades

To Recap:

Teens are different to bothchildren and adults

Teens are difficult to motivate in class

Teens hate homework

Design materials; structure lessons taking into account teens’ brain development,

interests and motivations

Adopt teen-friendly classroom strategies and bolster classroom learning with out-of-

classroom learning.

We need to radically re-think the way we design, assign and motivate out-of-

classroom learning

To Recap:

Teens are different to bothchildren and adults

Teens are difficult to motivate in class

Teens hate homework

Specific learning profiles of teens:Google “Paul Maglione - Unlocking

Learner Motivation”

Classroom strategies: Google “Jeremy Harmer - Motivating

The Unmotivated”

Keep listening!

EFL Out-of-Classroom Learning for Teens: Towards A More Intelligent Design (I)

• Make homework as interactive and entertaining as possible

• Use current items of interest to teens: news reports, movie clips, music videos

• Allow autonomy; give them a choice of content

“Homework is boring”

EFL Out-of-Classroom Learning for Teens: Towards A More Intelligent Design (II)

• Assigned work should be of use or interest to them beyond the educational objective.

• Ensure single unit of assigned work can be done in no more than 15 or 20 minutes.

• Favor frequency over duration or volume.

“I don’t have time”

EFL Out-of-Classroom Learning for Teens: Towards A More Intelligent Design (III)

• Find ways to make out-of- classroom learning social.

• Make sure tasks integrate

plenty of functional communication of immediate benefit.

• Adopt a game-like points system to reward effort, not proficiency.

“I can’t see the point”

• Designed for teens & young adults

• Online, multimedia, non-linear, vast choice of content, game-like points; levels; and badges

• Worldwide social network of learners of English

• Free content refreshed daily

• Option of site interface in Polish for beginners

• Schools platform launching next month

Other innovative online platforms suitable for teen EFL out-of-home learning

Social language-learning exchange

Create movies with talking avatars

Online poster-making tool

Show-and-tell using photos, video

Post a photo; provide audio comment

Some final points about teens and EFL

Language is part of one’s identity and is used to convey this identity to others.

Teens’ identity is in full-swing evolution, but overall it is a time of discovery as to what lies beyond home, family, and school.

Discovery of the OUTSIDE WORLD is a powerful teen impulse.

Positioning English as useful for this discovery, and adapting our materials and approaches to this notion, is the key to motivating teens.

Chore Learning and personal growth challenge in perfect tune with teens’ stage of life evolution. *Thanasoulas, 2007

Enhancing Teens’ Motivation With Out-Of-Classroom Learning

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