three critical problems in english l

2.  Students skip class, and when they do show up it’s
likely due to fear of failure more than anything else.
They may lack any semblance of attention during
class, chatting with classmates, doodling in their
note books or, (gasp!) in their textbooks. What
experienced English or other foreign language
teaching professional hasn’t faced the problem of
reluctant, unmotivated learners? One key to
increasing motivation is to use activities matched to
the personalities, learning styles and
characteristics of the learners as often as
practically possible.

3. A framework for
motivational strategies
 As we have already said, skill in motivating
students to learn is of paramount importance.
Until recently, however, teachers were forced to
rely on "bag-of-tricks" approaches in their
attempt to manage their classroom and motivate
their learners. Good and Brophy (1994: 212) hold
that these approaches have been influenced by
two contradictory views: a) that learning should
be fun and that any motivation problems that
may appear should be ascribed to the teacher's
attempt to convert an enjoyable activity to
drudgery; and b) that school activities are
inherently boring and unrewarding, so that we
must rely on extrinsic rewards and punishment
with a view to forcing students to engage in these

4. Rewards and punishments may
be a mainstay of the teaching-
learning process, but they are
not the only tools in teachers'
arsenal. Dornyei (2001: 119)
believes that "the spectrum of
other potentially more effective
motivational strategies is so
broad that it is hard to imagine
that none of them would work."

5. Motivational strategies cannot work in a
vacuum, nor are they set in stone. There
are certain preconditions to be met
before any attempts to generate
motivation can be effective. Some of
these conditions are the following:
1. appropriate teacher behavior and
good teacher-student rapport
2. a pleasant and supportive classroom
atmosphere
3. a cohesive learner group
characterized by appropriate group
norms

6. Appropriate teacher behavior
and good teacher-student

rapport
Whatever is done by a teacher has a motivational,
formative, influence on students. In other words,
teacher behaviour is a powerful "motivational tool"
(Dornyei, 2001: 120). Teacher influences are
manifold, ranging from the rapport with the students
to teacher behaviours which "prevail upon" and/or
"attract" students to engage in tasks. For Alison
(1993), a key element is to establish a relationship of
mutual trust and respect with the learners, by means
of talking with them on a personal level. This mutual
trust could lead to enthusiasm. At any rate,
enthusiastic teachers impart a sense of commitment
to, and interest in, the subject matter, not only
verbally but also non-verbally - cues that students
take from them about how to behave.

7. A pleasant and supportive classroom
atmosphere
 It stands to reason that a tense classroom climate can
undermine learning and demotivate learners (see
MacIntyre, 1999 and Young, 1999 for further details). On
the other hand, learner motivation will reach its peak in a
safe classroom climate in which students can express their
opinions and feel that they do not run the risk of being
ridiculed.
 To be motivated to learn, students need both ample
opportunities to learn and steady encouragement and
support of their learning efforts. Because such motivation
is unlikely to develop in a chaotic classroom, it is important
that the teacher organize and manage the classroom as
an effective learning environment. Furthermore, because
anxious or alienated students are unlikely to develop
motivation to learn, it is important that learning occur within
a relaxed and supportive atmosphere (Good and Brophy,

8. In general, motivation is the "neglected heart" of our
understanding of how to design instruction (Keller, 1983, quoted
in Dornyei, 2001: 116). Many teachers believe that by sticking to
the language materials and trying to discipline their refractory
students, they will manage to create a classroom environment
that will be conducive to learning. Nevertheless, these teachers
seem to lose sight of the fact that, unless they accept their
students' personalities and work on those minute details that
constitute their social and psychological make-up, they will fail to
motivate them. What is more, they will not be able to form a
cohesive and coherent group, unless they succeed in turning
most "curriculum goals" (goals set by outsiders) into "group
goals" (goals accepted by the group members, that is, students).
Learning a foreign language is different to learning other
subjects. Therefore, language teaching should take account of a
variety of factors that are likely to promote, or even militate
against, success. Language is part of one's identity and is used
to convey this identity to others. As a result, foreign language
learning has a significant impact on the social being of the
learner, since it involves the adoption of new social and cultural
behaviors and ways of thinking.

9. Insufficient Time, Resources
and Materials
 Instructional aids are devices that assist
an instructor in the teaching-learning
process .Instructional aids are not self-
supporting; they are supplementary training
devices. The key factor is that instructional
aids support, supplement, or reinforce while
instructors may become involved in the
selection and preparation of instructional
aids usually they are already in place.
Instructors simply need to learn how
to effectively use.


10. Reasons for Use of
Instructional Aids
 It helps the students remember
important information.
 When properly used, they help gain and hold the
attention of students.
 Good instructional aids also can help solve certain
language barrier problems. Consider the continued
expansion of technical terminology in everyday
usage. This, coupled with culturally diverse
backgrounds of today's students, makes
it necessary for instructors to be precise in their
choice of terminology. Words or terms used in an
instructional aid should be carefully selected
to convey the same meaning for the student as
they do for the instructor. They should provide an
accurate visual image and make learning easier for

11. . Another use for instructional aids is to clarify the
relationships between material objects and concepts.
When relationships are presented visually, they often are
much easier to understand. For example, the subsystems
within a physical unit are relatively easy to relate to each
other through the use of schematics or diagrams. Symbols,
graphs, and diagrams can also show relationships of
location, size, time, frequency, and value. By symbolizing
the factors involved, it is even possible to visualize abstract
relationships. Instructors are frequently asked to teach
more and more in a smaller time frame. Instructional aids
can help them do this. For example, instead of using many
words to describe a sound, object, or function, the
instructor plays a recording of the sound, shows a picture
of the object, or presents a diagram of the function.
Consequently, the student learns faster and more
accurately, and the instructor saves time in the process.

13. At first, it may be daunting to teach classes without the materials you are
familiar with. It can be frustrating to realize that if you only had a certain
piece of equipment, the class could be a lot easier to teach, more fun for
students, and more interesting too. When planning to teach in an area with
limited resourcesconsider taking some materials along to assist you
during the transition period. Paper, printouts of materials you have used
before, a laptop, an MP3 player, and some portable battery operated
speakers as well as spare batteries will help you in class and make the
change more bearable. You will be able to show students pictures and
videos using your laptop and conduct listening exercises using your music
player. It may not be an ideal arrangement but it will allow you to conduct
listening exercises using songs and show your students pictures of your
family, friends, and hometown. Sometimes students in these locations are
also less prepared for classes than students in other areas so try to bring
materials with you that they might need to use in class such as pencils and
notebooks. You cannot anticipate everything you will need in a school with
limited resources but bringing along some basic things will definitely benefit
everyone. While it may take you a while to adapt, students can be very
patient especially if they are used to having teachers change quite often and
will be more flexible than students you may have worked with before. Since
they are used to using the materials available in different ways and perhaps
unused to having pieces of technology used in the classroom, they will not
be frustrated by what they are lacking whereas you might be. Once you
have had time to settle in, the initial challenges will give way to opportunities
for you to grow as a teacher.

14. Over crowded English classes
The Effects of an Overcrowded
Classroom
With the number of students enrolled
in schools increasing, according to
the National Center for Educational
statistics, schools are forced to put
more children in each classroom or
use smaller spaces as classrooms.
This overcrowding can have
negative effects on students and
teachers.

15. Teacher Morale
 Teaching in a small space is stressful
for the teacher, who has to adapt
lesson plans to focus more on work
that students can complete at their
desks instead of group work or active
projects that require more floor space.
In addition, the teacher often does not
have enough personal office space for
lesson preparation and meetings with
parents or students.

16. Student Behavior
 Students who are seated close to one
another in a classroom might have
difficulty focusing on the lessons,
which leads to less learning and lower
test scores. The invasion of personal
space and feelings of being crowded
both contribute to the lack of focus. In
addition, students can be distracted by
noises that are in close proximity to
them in an overcrowded classroom.


17. Classroom Equipment
 Overcrowded classrooms often do not
have enough space for supplementary
equipment. For example, a classroom
might have to forgo computer stations
to use the space for student desks.
Science and art equipment also
require space that an overcrowded
classroom does not have.

18. Solutions for Crowded
Classes
 Year-round school scheduling allows a
district to stagger the children attending
throughout the year rather than
accommodating them all each fall. The
buildings are utilized on a more consistent
basis and classroom sizes are reduced.
According to "NC Spin Online," year-round
schools accommodate up to 25 percent
more students overall. Families who have
one child in year-round school and another
at a different grade level in a different
school often find it difficult to juggle the

19. Mobile classrooms have been the only means
of education in overcrowded cities such as
Deli, India, for years. As class sizes grow in
the West, mobile or modular classrooms are
making their way into U.S. and Canadian
cities as well. Movable classrooms not only
reduce immediate classroom sizes but also
allow districts to quickly adapt to changes in
demographics. There are concerns regarding
the quality of portable classrooms. The EPA
reports that many portables have poor
ventilation and high levels of mold and some
high emission materials. Green, eco-friendly
modular rooms are good solutions to these
problems.

20. Virtual Learning
 The school of the future might have you going
in your pajamas. If you're worried about
overcrowding, have your kids go to school
online. In the high-tech 21st century, virtual
learning is a free, public way to receive K-12
education and it's one of the fastest growing
education trends, according to Seattle Times
columnist Danny West neat. Young, online
students require some homeschooling attention
from parents or tutors when something is
challenging. Another consequence is that team
sports and extracurricular activities are not
offered through online schools. Some districts
offer online students the chance to join