Intrinsic vs extrinsic motivation

[andrewgessman]

In the various teaching scenarios/settings I've observed or participated in, I've witnessed lots of forms of extrinsic motivation (using rewards to motivate students). This is especially true in child-learning settings, where it seems all too common to use candy, stickers, or other baubles to psych kids up for the lesson. I don't know whether this is a good idea or not; it works on some level, sure, but isn't it kind of a cop out? Now does this same kind of superficial extrinsic motivation work for adults? Should it? I would rather believe that intrinsic motivation can work for students of all ages. I find that one of the best ways to instill intrinsic motivation is to make students feel like they have a stake in their work, or a sense of ownership/control/mastery over the material they learn. That's why I don't like to spoon-feed students knowledge. They should make the leap themselves, and be proud of themselves for their accomplishments. That is the best way to keep them motivated to keep on leaping and learning.

[longshikong]

...isn't it kind of a cop out?

Many parenting and education experts are also coming to that conclusion but don't overlook the dual purpose of such incentives with kids--there's the discipline factor---you can remove points/stickers/stars for misbehaviour. This can works very effectively in maximizing participation when playing team games.

As for intrinsic motivation, I was hoping to get my pre-intermediate students started in chatting with other pre-int individuals/classes around the world via Skype on our classroom's smartboard: Can my class interview yours via Skype? I've got 3 interested individuals but no classes so far.

I'm not a fan of outright banning L1 from the language classroom, especially for beginners to intermediates having witnessed ill attempts to try to define vocabulary or explain grammar in language beyond the comprehension of students including myself as a language learner. The idea largely originates from unilingual and/or inexperienced teachers, publishers and academics.

Here's a review tool I've come up with that my students see as valuable in helping them consolidate their understanding. Students translate L1 phrases, sentences, questions, or dialogues into L2 with their partner's help if needed. Weaker pairs or those having missed classes can read the English, while their partner listens while reading L1.

Dialogue Translation #3 (Student A)
Interchange Intro Review of Units 1-5
A: 你好！ Mr. Black在这儿吗？
B: Yes, I’m Mr. Black. Are you Mr. Lin from Shanghai?
A: 不，我是北京来的 Mr. Wang 。
B: Good evening, Mr. Wang. Is it evening there?
A: 不，是早上。
B: Oh, excuse me. Good morning.
A: ...

Dialogue Translation #3 (Student B)
Interchange Intro Review of Units 1-5
A: Hello! Is Mr. Black there?
B: 是的，我是 Mr. Black. 你是来自上海的 Mr. Lin吗？
A: No, I’m Mr. Wang from Beijing.
B: 晚上好，Mr. Wang. 那边是晚上吗？

Elsewhere, I've argued our entire industry fails at developing effective assessment tools that provide positive backwash and maximize our effectiveness in the classroom. Even those working in ESL programs complain about this.