Trueman Nottingham
Motivation Essay
February 23, 2015
Motivation is an extremely important part of learning. In the classroom, a
student can be motivated by many different things, from a personal intrinsic desire
to learn to a outwardly motivated and more reward based type of learning. The
purpose of this essay is to discuss the differences and similarities between
motivation theory and the actual manifestation of motivation in the classroom. This
essay will focus on the experience of one student in particular, Esperanza, who has
almost no ability to speak the target language, English. Throughout an hour-long
class period, Esperanza was able to remain quite motivated to learn, but at times
learning to think and speak in English proved difficult for her. This difficulty
affected her motivation to learn.
I will start by stating that anyone learning a new language always faces
adversity. Esperanza, like others, often wanted the new material expressed to her in
ways that she could more easily understand. During the first activity, which was an
exercise that involved learning greetings and how to tell/ask someone’s name, she
consistently asked to be told the meaning of the phrases (in Spanish) she was
learning. It was difficult for her to leave behind her way of thinking in Spanish and
embrace the new way of thinking in English. As stated in the theories of David
Ausubel, she was constantly trying to “[integrate] new material into [her] cognitive
structures by seeking to make connections between the new information and that
which they already know.” (Ausubel) Despite the very simple nature of the material
being learned, Esperanza always tried to understand the phrases in English by
converting them to her native tongue. Having spoken only Spanish for the past
forty or so years, it was hardly surprising to see her fall back to her comfort zone,
trying to understand the new material through her own language. It was
interesting, however, to see how this affected her motivation. Although she had
come to class to learn a new language, she had not yet let go of the one she had
spoken fluently for so long. Throughout the lesson she would ask the teacher in
Spanish “que quiere decir esto?” The teacher in turn would answer only in English.
This frustrated Esperanza because she could not understand what the teacher was
saying. However, I believe that had she let go of her own language and tried to begin
thinking like an English speaker, her motivation levels would have been higher.
All that being said, letting go of your own language is easier said that done.
Esperanza was able to keep motivated throughout the entire lesson on almost
enthusiasm alone, which was very impressive. In David McClelland’s work, he talks
about the different types of people and what they are motivated by. Esperanza in
many ways is what McClelland would call an “achievement motivated” person. This
means exactly what it says; that she is motivated by her achievements alone, and
likes being challenged by realistic goals rather than receive rewards for something
she had done fairly easily (McClelland). One important thing I noticed about
Esperanza was her reaction to positive feedback. She was often reluctant to accept
the teachers encouraging comments that she was, for a beginner learning English
for the first time, doing an amazing job. The challenges put in front of her were
brand new and difficult to understand after only one class. As a teacher, we can see
that, despite having trouble retaining all of the information she had been given, she
was doing relatively well learning English for someone who had been speaking
Spanish only for over 40 years. However, Esperanza did not share our unyielding
faith and positivity. She was basing her feelings of success in the class solely on
measurable “achievements”; i.e. her ability to speak English. When she was unable
to remember a phrase or pronounce it correctly, she was discouraged and
disappointed in herself. Positive feedback from the teacher only slightly changed
her mind. This aspect of motivation is difficult to master, since a teacher can only
continue to assure the student that she is doing well and hope that they eventually
believe them.
So why might Esperanza have had such a difficult time believing in the
amount of progress she was achieving? As stated before, the achievements in
language itself were relatively simple in nature. Learning to say, “Hello, my name is
Esperanza” seems like an easy task when compared with learning an entire
language. However, for a beginner, it’s quite difficult. I believe that Esperanza’s
bouts of frustration were due to a lack of self-confidence in her English-speaking
side. As a Spanish speaker, she is funny, extroverted, and happy. She can make
people laugh, have comfortable and endearingly friendly conversations, and express
herself in many different ways. It’s a difficult task for her to let go of this side of
herself, to develop a new, English-speaking, Esperanza. Imagine starting your whole
life anew, abandoning the language you have used your whole life to re-learn the
most basic forms of self-expression. This is exactly what Esperanza does in English
class.
Abraham Maslowe states in his hierarchy of needs that before cognitive
growth can occur, the basic needs below it must first be achieved. True, Spanishspeaking Esperanza had confidently decided that she wanted to learn English. But
once the class had started, English-speaking Esperanza began to feel quite insecure.
Having difficulty learning phrases as simple as “Hello, my name is Esperanza” was
an extremely humbling experience. I believe that the reason Esperanza had such a
hard time accepting praise was simple; she didn’t yet believe in herself. She clung
desperately to her Spanish-speaking mind, with which she was so comfortable. Of
course she did; it’s all she’s ever known. However, once she comes to terms with
starting over and finds comfort with being a beginner, Esperanza will surpass the
limits of self-esteem and achieve whatever goal she sets. It will just take a little
practice.
Bibliography
1.
David Ausubel
Instructionaldesign.org (1968) David Ausubel – Subsumption Theory.
(online) Available at:
http://www.instructionaldesign.org/theories/subsumption-theory.html
2.
Abraham Maslow
Businessballs.com (1940) Abraham Maslow – Hierarchy of Needs and
Diagrams of Maslows Motivational theory – Pyramid Diagrams of Maslows
Theory. (online) Available at:
Http//www.businessballs.com/maslow.htm
3.
David McClellend
Businessballs.com (1941) David McClellend – Achievement Motivation Needs
Theory. (online) Available at:
Http//www.businessballs.com/davidmcclellend.htm