Motivation - Question 7

Teaching by Principles - An interactive approach to language pedagogy

By H. Douglas Brown – 1994

Answer – Question 7 – Page 45

The school curriculum is dictated by institutions that can be far removed from even teacher’s choice. Parent’s and society’s values and wishes are virtually forced onto pupils, whether they like it or not. The consequence of such extrinsic motivators is that schools all too often teach students to play the “game” of pleasing teachers and authorities rather than developing an internalized thirst for knowledge and experience.

Examples:

• Asking the students to bring lyrics of musics that they like;
• Group work and teaching English with videos and cartoons;
• Viewing the class as a team;
• Using conversation to improve the pronunciation;
• Teaching writing as a thinking process in which learners develop their own ideas freely and openely.