HOW TO IMPROVE STUDENTS’ MOTIVATION IN LEARNING ENGLISH

HOW TO IMPROVE STUDENTS’ MOTIVATION

IN LEARNING ENGLISH

By:  Hendra

English is one of the compulsory subjects that students must learn, it is taught in every extent of school, from elementary school up to university. Unfortunately, some students have been encountering the obstacles in learning it, as they find it hard to learn. That is why some of them frustrated and low motivated, whereas the success of learning is influenced more by students motivation (Bryk Newa and Nagonka, 2001). Thus, the success of learning is mostly imposed by students’ motivation.

In this respect, I proposed some strategies to aid students improve their motivation especially in learning English.

First of all, we should help students set achievable goals for themselves that they want to get. For instance, we suggest them should memorize two vocabularies per day from the simplest word around them then to be not forgotten, they have to practice it everyday with their friends. Hence we help them to evaluate their progress by encouraging them to critique their-own work and develop their consciousness in learning (Cashin, 1979; Forsyth and Mc. Millan, 1991)

Secondly, we should tell students what they need to do to succeed in our course; we do not let them struggle to figure out what is expected of them (Tiberius, 1990). We assure them that they can if they think they can; everything can be done if they have a will. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Then tell them that English is not complicated if they think it easy.

Thirdly, we should strengthen students’ self motivation (Lowman, 1990). We give them encouragement that they have potency to dig by themselves, everybody has power and potency. Try to invite them discover their potency and power. If their hobby is reading so tell them to read an English article.

And lastly, we have to be enthusiastic about our subject; an instructor’s enthusiasm is a crucial factor in students’ motivation. The students depend on the teacher’s enthusiasm. If the teacher is energetic and dynamic, the students will be energetic and dynamic too.

(http://teaching.berkeley.edu/bdg/motivate.htlm)  

After having mentioned the strategies above, I can conclude that the teacher is the main factor in improving students’ motivation. He or she becomes an important role in helping students’ self confident. The more the teacher active, the more the students will realize their ownselves. Then I suggest all the teachers should have high responsibility and helpful in order to improve students’ motivation in learning particularly English which they think it is hard and complicated and do not ever let them in their problem.