How can we motivate adult language learners?

Ken Beatty
Two Adult students studying in a library, one with a laptop, the other writing

The problem of motivation

Have you ever had a problem like Jaime?

One of my TESOL graduate students in Colombia does. She has a dream job, teaching English at a country club near Bogota. The club attracts international visitors who come to stay, swim, play tennis and golf. Her job is to improve the English skills of everyone from the club¡¯s hotel staff to the tennis coaches, lifeguards, and golf caddies. Most are highly motivated.

Except for Jaime.

Jaime, a golf caddy, would slump into class each day, throw down his bag, sit at the back, and automatically take out his phone.

¡°Jaime, could you take out your book, please?¡±

¡°Forgot it, teacher.¡±

¡°Jaime, could you answer the question?¡±

¡°No idea, teacher.¡±

She tried everything to motivate him, but nothing seemed to work. So, imagine her surprise one day when she walked into class to find him sitting at the front, book open, sharpened pencils ready, and no phone in sight. Although she found it surprising, she didn¡¯t want to embarrass him and instead taught the lesson as normal. Jaime¡¯s hand shot up constantly, either asking her to repeat a point while he took careful notes, or attempting to answer each of her questions.

What changed? By the end of the week, she had to find out and asked him to stay behind.

¡°Because I only speak Spanish,¡± he sighed, ¡°I only work for local golfers. But I just found out that the caddies who speak English and carry clubs for the international golfers get tipped ten times as much.¡±

Jaime had discovered one of two major reasons for adults to learn a second language: career progression. The other, if you can¡¯t guess, is love...removing language as a barrier to intimacy.

Transferring motivation

Everyone is motivated about something and that motivation can be translated to the classroom. For example, without mentioning language learning, ask your students to list a few things they have been motivated about in the past, and identify the principles involved.

Let¡¯s say a student is motivated to improve her soccer skills. Beyond ¡°It¡¯s fun!¡±, dig deeper and you¡¯ll uncover things such as understanding personal potential, doing something social, and not letting down teammates. If you substitute classmates for teammates, you can see that these are all motivations for learning a language. There are countless more, but focus on what is personal for each student.

Enemies of motivation

Beyond a lack of awareness about the advantages of learning English, here are three enemies of motivation.

Enemy 1: I¡¯m shy.

It¡¯s a simple truth that more outgoing people have an easier time learning a language; they¡¯re more willing to make an effort and continue trying until they succeed.

Naturally shy people will still learn ¨C sometimes focusing more on reading and writing ¨C but there are ways to help them be more outgoing. For example, language games can help shy students by increasing a sense of competitiveness and lowering their affective filters, the emotions that interfere with language acquisition such as anxiety and a lack of self-confidence (Krashen, 1992). The connection is confidence; build up students¡¯ confidence and they will be more motivated.

Enemy 2: If I don¡¯t speak, I won¡¯t make mistakes.

This issue is often a byproduct of constant teacher interruptions and comments on students¡¯ language use. Be patient, give students time to think before they answer, and don¡¯t always take the answer from the first person to raise a hand. Consider asking everyone to raise their hands before asking one student.

When you give feedback, focus on errors and ignore mistakes. We all make mistakes in our first and second languages when we speak and generally know we are making them. It¡¯s just that we may be temporarily distracted. Errors, on the other hand, are mistakes that are repeated and the speaker is unaware of them. This leads to fossilization and challenges remediating them. Focus on systematic errors instead of mistakes.

Also, as a general rule, when students are speaking, observe the same politeness you would with anyone else. Avoid interrupting, and offer corrections later, perhaps privately or in a note.

Enemy 3: I don¡¯t have time.

Many adult language learners are heavily committed to other activities; families and work obligations leave them little time to study. However, others may assume they are busy. As a language task, ask students to write a schedule of their typical day and explain what they do hour by hour.

While studying cello in my 30s, I was fortunate to come across a book by educator John Holt (1991) who also learned cello as an adult. In the book, he said that if you do anything new in a major way, make room in your life by giving up something else. For students, that something else may be part of their social life.

But even the busiest students have a few minutes between tasks¡­ time waiting in lines, or on a bus. Using a phone app can provide practice.

Motivation over time

Students tend to be motivated to different degrees as they progress through a language. At first, students will make rapid progress and have high expectations about learning English. However, as they advance, their progress becomes less noticeable. This can be a difficult time for students.

Try using 'imagining sessions' with students, where they roleplay themselves 20 years from now as fluent English speakers. What will they be doing? Maybe they¡¯ll be English teachers themselves! Share your journey to becoming someone who now teaches English. Perhaps you were once a golf caddy named Jaime.

Explore our educator section to see how we can help improve your teaching

References

  • Holt, J. (1991). Never too late. Perseus: Cambridge, MA.
  • Krashen, S. (1992). .?

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    I can hear parents, ELT learners and teachers all over the world thinking to themselves: We know it helps if English students learn to read for pleasure at home, but how are we supposed to find the time? Who is buying these materials? What if a parent doesn¡¯t speak English themselves?

    That¡¯s the beauty of reading at home, also called extensive reading: it¡¯s completely autonomous and parents can be as involved as much or little as they like. There¡¯s more good news as it¡¯s never been cheaper to assemble a selection of extensive readers for your children or students, meaning that cost is no longer so much of a barrier to reading at home.

    Is extensive reading really that critical to learning English?

    Stephen D. Krashen¡¯s [1]??offers a marvellous summary and critique of extensive reading studies around the world, concluding that:

    "When [second language learners] read for pleasure, they can continue to improve in their second language without classes, without teachers, without study and even without people to converse with.¡¯"?(Krashen 1993 p. 84)

    Philip Prowse¡¯s excellent article, ¡°What is the secret of extensive reading?¡±[2]?agrees with Krashen¡¯s conclusion.

    Prowse goes into more detail about efficacy studies at primary, secondary and adult levels. This body of evidence finds that reading for pleasure improves results in grammar, writing, speaking and fluency, as well as comprehension and vocabulary ¨C both alongside and instead of traditional textbooks.

    So, we know it works. As with so many education-related things, the question is how to implement them. Christine Nuttall talks about the virtuous circle of reading ¨C once a learner begins to enjoy reading, they are more likely to read more and benefit more from it, so they learn to read more, and so on.

    The reverse is also true. The questions then follow: how do we motivate our Instakids to read at home in English, if they won¡¯t read in their first language? How do we carve out time between travel, work, school and homework? Here are three ways you can form the habit of reading at home:

    1. Learners need access to extensive reading material at home to use it

    Krashen establishes this common-sense fact based on five studies from 1983 to 2003.[2]?It can be a reading app, an online library subscription or a pile of readers in the corner ¨C whatever it is, it has to be the right level for the student and it has to be a topic they¡¯re interested in, or they¡¯ll never learn to read for pleasure.

    Negative reading habits can happen simply because there isn¡¯t much available to the learner: Worthy and McCool studied 11 sixth-graders in 1998 who "hated to read", and found a direct correlation between those students and the lack of reading material at home.[3] Thankfully, we now have more options than we used to:

    For extensive reading online, the Extensive Reading Foundation offers good-quality, free materials, in audio and print, at its .?These text resources and audiobooks tend to be quite basic and the stories are largely classics. You can choose by level and genre, and there is also a publisher directory.

    • You can purchase full ÃÛÌÒapp English Readers and other publishers¡¯ Kindle editions on the Kindle store, iBookstore and Google Play, and read them on an e-reader, phone or tablet using the Kindle app. These are finely-graded, contemporary, relevant e-books with titles like , , , , , , and .
    • An e-book library subscription can be a cost-effective way to get access to a lot of e-books online through your browser. is a Japanese-run online library which offers hundreds of full-text graded readers, from reputable publishers, and charges about $19 per year.
    • For print readers, cost can be an issue. If you can't buy readers at your local bookshop from a publisher like ÃÛÌÒapp, you can buy first- or second-hand readers cheaply from Amazon or the Book Depository, or you can ask your school to let you know when they¡¯re upgrading their readers library, as you may be able to take some of the older books home.

    2.?Make the most of the commute or the school run

    The key here is routine ¨C give it a try and see if it works for you. Reading doesn¡¯t just happen on a page. Today¡¯s English learners have multiple ways to read for pleasure on their various devices as well as in print, all of which are well-adapted for reading and listening on the train/on the bus/in the car/on foot.

    I listen to podcasts on my commute by train and, to this day, I know my times tables thanks to a tape my mother used to play in the car on the way to primary school.

    • Download a podcast or audiobook. Ideally, an English learner would both read and listen, but one or the other is better than nothing. Audible.com has plenty of English extensive readers in audiobook format, and a year¡¯s membership is $10 per month, or you can buy individual audiobooks. There are classic extensive reading podcasts available on iTunes for $4.99 each.
    • Never underestimate your public library.??is an online service that finds your local library for you, wherever you are in the world. You can also search by title and see which libraries carry that particular book. Just think: you could create an instant, extensive reading library at your home for free that changes every month.

    3. Consider the power of rewards

    You can reward your child or reward yourself for building a reading habit. Remember, we are talking about starting a virtuous circle: persuading a learner to begin a new habit of reading in English for pleasure. Reward mechanisms can be very effective.

    This idea should be explored on a case-by-case basis ¨C it depends on what you or your child responds to best. In my opinion, starting a reading habit is well worth a glass of wine, a chocolate treat, or an extra half-hour playing video games.

    References

    [1]?Krashen, Stephen D. (2004)?,?p57

    [2]? Prowse, Philip: ¡°¡±?

    [3] Worthy, J. and McKool, S. (1996): ¡°¡± in Ibid, p61

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    Tim Marsh has been teaching English since 1985 and has taught over 3,500 students, with ages ranging from six to 65. He is therefore well placed to describe teaching English as a ¡°difficult and demanding¡± job, as well as to share the five lessons he¡¯s learned during his impressive time in his career¡­

    1. Know your stuff

    ¡°The Spanish expect paid professionals to know everything about their expertise but there are few teachers of the English language who do know everything. We should prepare lessons adequately when teaching aspects we¡¯re not entirely confident about.

    Many CELTA tutors say that if you are asked a question that you cannot answer confidently, you shouldn¡¯t panic but instead inform the student that you will check and give them the detailed answer at the following lesson. This may be useful when you first start out, but it shouldn¡¯t happen frequently, as your honesty will not always be appreciated!¡±

    2. Expect the unexpected

    ¡°Teaching English is very rewarding and can be full of surprises. As a result, it¡¯s not a good idea to try to follow a rigid teaching plan. Write a plan that¡¯s flexible enough to allow for a good dose of spontaneity to enter into proceedings. I can honestly say that not one single day is the same as another.

    If a Spaniard is not in the mood for working on a particular skill, as will happen from time to time, then be prepared to change that lesson at the drop of a hat. It¡¯s always a good idea to keep four or five ¡®favourite¡¯ lessons filed within easy reach for just such occasions ¨C preferably skills lessons that can be easily adapted to the theme that you are currently working on.

    Whatever you had planned for this week can always be done next week. The customer is always right and, when living in Spain, big lunches, high temperatures, Barcelona against Real Madrid and the after-match party can bring about very unexpected lessons!¡±

    3. Stick to what you¡¯re being paid to do

    ¡°The Spanish are extremely friendly people who love to talk and are happy to share ¨C sometimes in great detail ¨C the problems in their working and even private lives. In an effort to establish friendly relationships, they often create an intimacy: what is referred to in Spanish as ¡®confianza¡¯.

    This is much the same kind of trust and confidence that we have with our doctors or lawyers, so, unless you¡¯re careful, you can find yourself doubling as teacher and therapist, which will alter the dynamic of the classroom.

    A teacher of English teaches English. Stick to what you know, stick to what you¡¯re being paid to do and create a professional framework in which to do your best as a teacher and not as a therapist.¡±

    4. Do not offer guarantees

    ¡°The busiest time of the year is often during the summer, when language schools begin to fill up as state-school exam results come in. Parents enroll their children on intensive or exam revision courses so that they can take their resits in September.

    English courses are often expensive and parents will expect a guarantee that their child will pass the school English exam at the end of the summer. Never offer a guarantee! There are usually a number of reasons why the child has failed in the first place and it is better to lose a client than to make promises you can¡¯t keep.¡±

    5. Have a good pair of shoes

    ¡°Many years ago, the famous soprano Rita Hunter was asked what she considered to be the most important requirement when singing opera. She answered, ¡°A good pair of shoes.¡± She went on to say that when she was appearing in a Wagner opera that started at 5.30 pm and didn¡¯t finish until 11 pm, the most important thing to look after was her feet.

    I¡¯ve always tried to avoid institutions that insist on a uniform or on wearing a shirt and tie. Students often feel uncomfortable in a classroom where the teacher is formally dressed. I have always found the working environment much more relaxed when dressed in a similar way to my students. This and the fact that in Spain the temperature can hit the 30s in June and stay there into September mean that I dress casually, often in shorts. And I always wear a good pair of shoes.¡±