Intrinsic Motivation in the

Second Language
Classroom
Activities that capitalise on the intrinsic
by appealing to learners’ self-
determination and autonomy

► Teaching writing as thinking process in

which learners develop their own ideas
freely and openly.
► Showing learners strategies of reading that
enable them to bring their own information
to the written word.
► Language experience approaches in which
students create their own reading materials
for others in the class to read.

► Oralfluency exercises in which learners talk

about what interests them and not a
teacher-assigned topic.

► Listeningto an academic lecture in one’s

own field for specific information that will fill
a gap for the learner.
► Communicate language teaching, in which
language is taught to enable learners to
accomplish certain specific functions.

► Grammatical explanations, if learners see

their potential for increasing their autonomy
in a second language.
A Checklist of Intrinsically Motivating
Students
► Does the technique appeal to the genuine
interest of your students? Is it relevant to
their lives?
► Do you present the technique in a positive,
enthusiastic manner?
► Are students clearly aware of the purpose of
the technique?
► Do students have some choice in
- Choosing some aspects of the technique?
- Determining how they go about fulfilling
the goals of the technique?
► Does the technique encourage students to
discover for themselves certain principles or
rules rather than being told?
► Does it encourage students in some way to
develop or use effective strategies of
learning and communicate?
► Does it contribute to students’ ultimate
autonomy and independence?
► Does it foster cooperative negotiation with
other students in the class? Is it truly
interactive?
► Does the technique present a ‘reasonable
challenge?’
► Do students receive sufficient feedback on
their performance?
 Ten Commandments for motivating
learners-Zoltan Dornyei and Kata
Csizer (1998:215)
► 1. Set a personal example with your own
behaviour
► 2. Create a pleasant, relaxed atmosphere in
the classroom.
► 3. Present the tasks properly.
► 4. Develop a good relationship with the
learners.
► 5. Increase the learners’ linguistic self-
confidence
► 6. make the language classes interesting.
► 7. Promote learner autonomy.
► 8. Personalise the learning autonomy.
► 9. Increase the learners’ goal-orientedness.
► 10. Familiarise learners with the target
language culture.
 Brown’s Guidelines for infusing ESL
classroom with some intrinsically
motivating dynamics

► 1. Teachers are enablers, not rewarders.

► 2. Learners need to develop autonomy, not
dependence.
► 3. Help learners to take charge of their own
learning through setting some personal
goals and utilising learning strategies.
► 4. Learner-centered, cooperative teaching is
intrinsically motivating.
► 5. Content-based activities and courses are
intrinsically motivating.
► 6. Tests, with some special attention from
the teacher, can be intrinsically motivating.