120 Hr. TEFL Course Module 1-Intrinsic Rewards

Module 1: Teaching and learning

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1.1 Motivation

Teaching any subject involves knowing how motivation affects a student. Without proper motivation, it will be difficult for students to accept what they are learning and commit to the process. Since learning a new language can be one of the hardest academic endeavors there is, it is even more important that you, the teacher, understand the motivation behind your students' commitment to learning, and use it to your advantage. We will discuss motivation by first breaking it down into its two smaller parts: intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation.

1.1.1 Intrinsic motivation

Intrinsic motivation is the best stepping stone to success, but you can't teach it. Intrinsic motivation characterizes someone who is compelled to do something for internal rewards. This type of motivation is powerful because extrinsic rewards can be fleeting or disappointing, but an internal drive to succeed will almost always motivate an individual. While you cannot teach someone to be intrinsically motivated, you can help your students access intrinsic motivation they may not know they already possess, or that they may have lost for the moment. If you know your students are intrinsically motivated, you can help them succeed. Here are some tips to access and use your students’ intrinsic motivation:

• Get to the root of what is driving the individual. While they may only acknowledge an extrinsic motivation for learning English, you may be able to help them tie that to a grander internal drive. For example, if students come to you wanting to learn English because they are moving to an English-speaking country and it will be helpful to know the language, the superficial part of their reasoning points toward extrinsic motivation. However, this extrinsic motivator points to something internal: the desire to fit in and not feel like an outsider.
• Understand the basis for most forms of intrinsic motivation. William Glasser, an American psychiatrist, published a theory in 1998 proposing that humans have essential needs that dictate our emotional health. These needs are the need to belong or connect, the need for power or competence, the need for freedom, and the need to have fun. Having these needs in mind could help you when designing your lessons. Which of these needs is this lesson satisfying? This is a way to get away from the punishment and reward system that is meant to access an individual’s extrinsic motivation.

• Be aware that intrinsic motivation cannot be forced, and does not abide by the classic reward and punishment system that many people follow. For example, if someone is not reacting to your lessons, it is not going to be helpful to intentionally make them feel that they don’t belong. For intrinsic motivation to succeed, the individual needs to feel like he or she is in control of the situation, so try to access your students’ internal drive but don’t force them.