APPROACHES TO MOTIVATING ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS IN INTERNATIONAL EFL PRACTICE

Abstract

In the article English language learners’ motivation approaches in international EFL practice are considered. The author introduces this special issue by giving a plan of «Motivation Workshop» for pre-service teachers before their English teaching practice at school. The procedure of «Motivation Workshop» for pre-service students before their school English teaching practice consists of the following steps: 1. Share the understanding of motivation in groups. 2. Discuss existing definitions of motivation. 3. Give own definition of motivation. 4. Fill in questionnaire of possible motivation strategies individually. 5. Discuss how often should a teacher use each strategy in groups. 6. Count points for each strategy adding the points of each member of the workshop. 7. Formulate the list of 20 motivation strategies which are of extreme importance due to students’ beliefs. 8. Feedback I. After pre-service English teaching practice. 9. Activity called «How to change «minuses» into «pluses» in pre-service students’ questionnaire». 10. Feedback II. In addition the author compares students’ expectations with outcomes due to the use of motivational strategies in practice. It is also mentioned that motivation is one of the key factors that determine success in EL2 learning, strategies in motivating language learners should be seen as an important aspect of their theoretical analysis and practical implementation. Motivation is undoubtedly viewed from the point of teachers' own experience and their self reflection. Only the chain starting with increasing pre-service teachers' motivation can result in increasing students' motivation in the classroom both during the school practice and in-service activities.