Gaidi Hadil

Motivation is a vital element in a successful English language class, where teachers

face a challenging responsibility in guiding the students’ endogenous and exogenous factors of
motivation. In increasing and sustaining educators’ motivation, teachers have to take into
consideration the content and environment suitableness for the students’ needs, goals and
attributions.

Foremost, motivation is influenced by the course content that teachers can manipulate,
and modify accordingly to their students’ needs and objectives. For instance, students’ directed
lessons and those related with their lives may trigger their interest. In addition to the use of
multiple satisfying and engaging tasks (word games using cards, activities in different
classroom positions). The famous behavioristic method of rewarding and punishment work
sometimes especially to mold behavior as well as for quick and short term changes, and most
efficiently in praising the efforts more than achievements . Taking into consideration, the use
of a moderate level of arousal, to reach high performance via questioning leading questions,
selecting specific activities, supplying non graded tests, and proposing problem-solving tasks
that may raise their curiosity, and lead to a higher performance. Furthermore, dedicating time to
discuss, and plan with students their priorities and goals will incite them to act out measurable
as well as realistic smart strategies to accomplish their desires.

  The educational environment is a crucial factor that teachers should pay attention to,
most importantly an environment that supports the students’ psychological needs. The humanist
Abraham Maslow proposed a motivation theory consisting of a hierarchy of the human needs,
insisting on satisfying the psychological ones. Deci’s self-determination theory 1991 explained
further those needs to include autonomy, mastery and relatedness. During classes ,Teachers
promote autonomy via building the new information upon the old ones ,promote their
involvement in the program (let them decide the homework deadlines) ,encouraging
conscious choices, pushing students to achieve their goals in their own way ,in addition to
possessing some control over the learning process. Secondly, students of languages need to feel
a sense of relatedness, affiliation and belonging among the group. Therefore, engagement is
the key via using interactive class activities, video recorded courses, group and peer works have
appositive effect on student’s’ intrinsic motivation, help increasing the learner’s participation,
nurture their positive feelings towards the class, and they will end up internalize the
environmental aspects or actions endorsed by people who are important for them and valued
among the group to reach acceptable and wanted results. To support the feelings of competence
Gaidi
and Hadil
masterfulness in a language class is fundamental. Teachers have to propose topics that are
relevant to students’ beliefs and perspectives; additionally, provide positive feedback so that
educators feel secure and confident to communicate in a positive, caring and non- competitive
environment.

Motivation maintenance in middle or high school classes is challenging, especially

when it comes to understanding and controlling students’ intrinsic motivation, attributions, and
beliefs. The attribution theory (1958-1983) Heider claimed that learners’ behaviors are
explained as being caused by personal and situational factors .For instance, Teachers can
encourage students to attribute their failure to lack of hard work and persistence, as well as
encourage seeing their success as a result of hard work, nurturing their confidence in positive
outcomes ;so that, they will not blame themselves for bad results ,and they will repeat the
behavior , or expend the possible efforts in doing the tasks( personal attributions).
Furthermore, students will develop a positive self-image, and will not blame the circumstances
if they find the class environment supportive, calm with the presence of needed incentives such
as the presence of parents in school’s celebrations…etc. (Situational attributions). Feeling a
sense of confidence and capability (Humanistic Theory) to execute certain behaviors in
language classes is crucial , this can happen only if the teachers hold educators to a level of
responsibility, interprete with them different successful experiences, or give them space for
modeling their behaviors via imitating each other or even their teachers (Bandura’s self –
efficacy theory).

To conclude with, maintenance of motivation is a crucial step towards a successful

language class. Insurance of a suitable environment, interested content, fulfilled needs,
measured smart goals and positive attributions will surely