LICENCIATURA EN ENSEÑANZA DEL IDIOMA INGLÉS (EGAL-EIN)

BY: ISRAEL VELÁZQUEZ MARTÍNEZ

023-LEI-PLT

SAN LUIS POTOSÍ, SL.P. Mayo de 2018

 INDEX

1. COVER PAGE …………………………………………………………………p 1

2. PREFACE ………………………………………………………………………p 3

3. ABSTRACT …………………………………………………………………….p 5

a. – Synthesis ………………………………………………………………….p 5

b. – Hypothesis ………………………………………………………………...p 6

4. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK …………………………………………pp. 7 - 19

5. DEVELOPMENT AND RESOLUTION ……………………………………….p 20

a. - Diagnosis ……………………………………………………………………p 20

b. - Solution proposal……………………………………………………pp. 21 - 24

6. CONCLUSIONS...................................................................................pp. 25 - 26

7. BIBLIOGRAPHIES………………………………………………………………..p 27
PREFACE

The purpose of this English language teaching research work is to submit the analyses and
origins of motivational strategies that will allow students to become interested in their L2
(Language two or second language aside from learners‟ mother tongue) learning & teaching
processes taking into consideration learners‟ previous knowledge and experiences, as well as
to view them for implementation from several of their stand points.

Fomenting and maintaining motivation in students‟ learning is of high priority as one is not
only required to facilitate knowledge but also to adapt to their particular learning styles.
Hence, one must not forget that each student is unique and so are his or her interests.

Therefore, this language & teaching process has to be imparted according to their contextual
needs and not just the curriculum nor the calendarization of the institution in question; e.g.
Competency-based education or CBE; i.e. Competency-based learning refers to systems of
instruction, assessment, grading, and academic reporting that are based on students
demonstrating that they have learned the knowledge and skills they are expected to learn as
they progress through their education.

Developing motivation and confidence is not an easy task as it involves a series of multiple
aspects such as maintaining the affective filter low enough for them to break the barrier of the
silent period by expeditiously establishing an ideal rapport from the very beginning of the
course within the very first class, for example.

As one ought to already well know, there are two types of motivation; Intrinsic and extrinsic.
Ergo, it is important for one to bear in mind the differences between them in order to
implement them correctly. The prior being the individual‟s own stimuli from within and the
latter being external. I.e. personal growth and no other - simply out of one‟s very own desire,
whereas anything else is from the outside world‟s reward system.

“Motivation can change with age too, with some factors becoming more or less important as
learners get older”. Spratt M., Pulverness A., Williams M. (2014) The TKT Teaching
Knowledge Test COURSE. Pg.54. Mexico by Compañia Editorial Ultra S.A. de C.V.
No matter which one is implemented, the aim is to guide them toward developing all four
language skills so as for them to become competent and independent communicators, ad
hock to their fields of study or work in a suitable and societal fashion through priorly designed
didactic situations which shall promote acquisition of thus according to The New Pedagogical
Model.

Henceforth, all of the above will allow one to foresee and correct the issue assigned for
resolution as seen from an outsider‟s perspective to be able to establish limitations and
reaches of its authentic application so that others can avoid stumbling into such occurrences;
as many assessors of ELT usually tend to once and again, hindering the entire linguistic
educational acquisition and genuine near native usage within most ESL institutions.
3. Abstract

a. - Synthesis

In concordance to case: 023-LEI-PLT - assigned for resolution, in which a situation is

described as a frequent drawback in ESL (English as a Second Language) learning and
teaching processes, a group of 16-Saturday course language center students whom have just
passed from A2 onto a new B1 level with a different teacher, presented considerable
communicative shortcomings at the end of the first day‟s class.

Most likely as a consequence of their previous teachers‟ carelessness or lack of know-how in

as much as their current teacher‟s presumed erroneous assumptions as well.

In spite of the fact that the latter had undoubtedly been certified in two ELT ( English
Language Teaching) courses and had a degree, she was perhaps not experienced enough or
took for granted things she should not have done so.

Hence, the former teachers had evidently not achieved the corresponding aims; the current
teacher noticed thus weaknesses and began implementing some corrective evaluative
strategies such as tests to determine learning styles as well as those for multiple
intelligences, with unfortunately little success.

Even though, she “tailored” activities based on the results provided by such tests, as
suggested by Gardener who says “People differ in the strengths and combinations of
intelligences” and believes that “all of them can be enhanced through training and practice”,
there was no progress - the group continued to be unsuccessful at “producing” or
understanding after four weeks (and with only three more weeks left to go) of the newly
implemented counteractive measures.

Moreover, due to the school‟s “rigid” scheduling and syllabus policies in as much as the fact
that she unfortunately quite dallied upon the execution of some “last minute-diagnostic
personal interviews”, she was finally able to attain what the real background problem was:
“fearfulness” - from lack of self-confidence and motivation in addition to null spoken or
auditory practice.

This in turn, leaves us with the present case scenario for resolution.
b. - Hypothesis

As it appears to be practically more than evident; communication apprehension and little self-
confidence in as much as null motivation as well as “traditional” or out-dated „ol school
approaches to education and “abiding” by apparently “set” time-tables, might not have been
the most appropriate manner to achieve students‟ authentic significant learning, nor was the
lack of a more accurate and thoroughgoing customization to the detected needs.

In order to do so adequately, the instructor must implement visual and auditory activities
according to the results from the tests applied from the very beginning of the course. It would
then, therefore, be indeed much more feasible to reduce waste of time, by selecting those
activities needed to be covered within the syllabus which will better cater to the group‟s
shortcomings.

Several approaches to improve the language teaching process can be utilized to achieve thus
goal. Nonetheless, error correction should indeed be addressed by all means. Though, which
types shall best suit these students‟ needs so as to increase their confidence, have to be
chosen wisely and carefully so that they may correspondingly out-grow prior limitations and
reach their language maturity.

By applying an effective diagnostic test or interview, a much more accurate profile can be
ascertained in order to best coach students to overcome their language drawbacks, and
better encourage motivation towards learning L2 in any group of learners so as to apply
activities which enhance their awareness of the importance and real-world lifelong
applicability need to be implemented adamantly.

Had these elements been present within the former assessors‟ lesson planning and use of
resources for language teaching in as much as in the latter one‟s as well, an entirely different
outcome would‟ve resulted during the time they had the group under their supervision:
culminating in a much more enlightening and favorable experience.

Consequently, a series of strongly communicative and social activities must be devised by

the teachers and carried out by learners where they will incorporate all four skills in a much
more realistic and sensible methodological approach to L2 learning. There is a vast array of
extracurricular activities relevant to facilitating the learning process and increasing the
students‟ language level regardless of their age, gender or very unique interests or beliefs.
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

For the present research paper, it will be necessary to reference and cite several authors on
the issue at hand, contrast a number of language learning theoretical perspectives in as much
as counterbalance them from when they were originally proposed to current generations of
students‟ genuine and highly different needs nowadays as well.

Firstly one must define what Motivation is. According to Mary Spratt, Alan Pulverness and
Melanie Williams, “It is the thoughts and feelings which make us want to and continue to want
to do something and which turn our wishes into action”. I.e. “Why people decide to do
something, how long they keep wanting to do it, and how they work to achieve it.” They
emphasize that, “Motivation is very important in language learning. It is one of the key factors
that helps make language learning successful”.

They list a number of factors which may influence such needs, as follows:

“The usefulness of knowing the Language well; many people want to learn a language
because it can help them achieve practical things such as finding a (better) job, getting onto a
course of study, getting good marks from the teacher, or booking hotel rooms”.

“Their interest in the target language culture (the culture of the language they are learning).
They might want to get really good at any given language, for example, so that they can read
books by famous authors, or understand the world which produced great artists and
composers. This is learning a language because of interests in culture with a capital C; i.e.
high culture. Many people are also interested in culture with a small c. They want to learn
Japanese, for example, so they can understand Manga comics better, or learn English to read
about their favorite celebrities. They may also be interested in the target culture because
they actually want to become part of that culture, perhaps because they are moving to the
country. In this case they might be interested in aspects of the country‟s customs and lifestyle,
and see the target language as a key to understanding and becoming part of that culture”.

“Feeling good about learning the language; If they are successful at something, that success
makes them want to continue doing it and achieve greater things. Managing to communicate
in a foreign language can make them want to communicate more and better.
Confidence (feeling of self-assurance arising from one's appreciation of one's own abilities or
qualities), Learner autonomy/independence (being „totally‟ responsible for all the decisions
concerned with his [or her] learning and the implementation of those decisions), and a sense
of achievement (something done successfully, typically by effort, courage, or skill), are all
part of feeling good about learning a language. If one thinks one is good at something one
wants to do it”.

“Encouragement and support from others. They may live in to a country or family or go to a
school where learning a foreign language is highly valued and much encouraged. This helps
them to realize the importance of the foreign language and gives them emotional support as
they learn. People who live in a country where people can‟t see the point of learning a foreign
language may have little motivation to learn a foreign language”.

“They may wish to communicate fully with people who matter to them. They may have friends,
boy or girlfriends, business partners, etc. who speak another language. They may want to
develop their relationship with them. This is a strong motivation to learn a language”.

“Their interest in the learning process; sometimes they want to learn a foreign language
simply because they enjoy their language class: i.e. they like the teacher, how he/she
teaches, the classroom activities, and the course-book or maybe the topics the class deals
with. All these are factors related to learning itself, which come from the classroom”.

Spratt, Pulverness and Williams close thus assertions in their work by stating that, “There are
different kinds of motivation. Some come inside the learner and some come from the learner‟s
environment. Learners may differ in their motivations; some may have strong motivation of
one kind but little of another, other learners‟ motivation may be a mixture of kinds. There are
also learners, of course, who are unmotivated - i.e. who have no motivation or are
demotivated, i.e. they have lost their motivation. And motivation can change, too. A learner
may, for example, be quite uninterested in learning a particular language, then meet a teacher
who helps them love learning the language”, which was formerly addressed in this paper‟s
introduction.
There are also extraordinary examples from where we can support the previous evidence,
which extend to a much greater degree of motivation. Such as the true story of Aaron
Ralston, (portrayed by James Franco, in the Film “127 Hours”), presented by Dr. Kathleen
Yale‟s blog with the assistance of Dr. Ranjit Bhagwat; where our protagonist becomes
trapped between The Blue John Canyon walls in Utah when a boulder slipped under his feet,
and fell on his arm pinning him at the bottom. To make matters worse, no one knew he‟d
gone out there to pursue his thirst for adrenaline. Over the course of those five days, he tried
unsuccessfully to free himself. He ate his remaining food and drank the last of his water and
even ended up having to drink his own urine to keep himself hydrated. At one point he started
videotaping his goodbyes. As he examined his life and considered his options, he had a
dream. He saw himself as a father picking up his son, and with that vision, an overpowering
will to survive kicked in. Leaving him with no other choice, but to amputate his arm by sawing
it off with a dull pocket knife to free himself.

He harnessed some of humanities most powerful psychological forces – hunger, thirst,

feelings of belonging to a family and community – which ignited his tenacity. Allowing him to
achieve an incredible goal; “mastering” the power of motivation (to an extreme extent - that
is).

Just as defined by Spratt, Pulverness & Williams, motivation, can actually also have even
deeper effects in as much as regarding biological, social or emotional needs; It can extend
from something as “trivial” as preparing a meal or getting a degree, all the way to having to
sever one‟s limb, as well.

One might ask one‟s self as to why; why does a person do anything, why does he or she even
bother to change? Psychologists often view motivation in one of four ways. Individually, none
is perfect, but interwoven they aid greatly in the understanding of what drives us.

Firstly, there is the evolutionary perspective. During the early twentieth century, it was
thought that all behaviors were “instinct” i.e. an innate, typically fixed pattern of behavior in
animals in response to certain stimuli. However, this was in part misguided because the
presence of a tendency doesn‟t always mean it‟s supposed to be there. E.g. “Hooligans”
having to brawl at a match, hence it‟s “typical” – a tad “short-sighted” view. It is a much more
complex, chaotic and interesting process than that. It may simply be “accidental” or
“incidental”.
Paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould refers to them in his book “Brain Fart!” as “Spandrels”, i.e.
a phenotypic (relating to the observable features of an individual resulting from the
interaction of its genotype with the environment ) characteristic that is a byproduct of the
evolution of some other characteristic, rather than a direct product of adaptive selection.
Nowadays, instinct is better redefined as: complex, unlearned behaviors that have a fixed
pattern throughout a species. E.g. canines shake their fur when wet, certain fish return to
where they hatched, and babies “automatically” suckling almost immediately after birth – true
genetically-predisposed instincts which do not require learning.

Secondly, we have the major motivational role of “Personal experience” suggested by the
Drive-reduction theory by Clark Hull (1943). Where, “A psychological need or drive simply
compels us to reduce that need”, as simple as e.g. Eating when hears one‟s stomach growl,
i.e. individuals naturally tend to fulfill Homeostasis, i.e. the tendency toward a relatively stable
equilibrium between interdependent elements, especially as maintained by physiological
processes. This also implies “incentives”: the positive or negative stimuli that either entice or
repel us. Nonetheless, one cannot oversimplify this hence some individuals may fasten for
days due to their beliefs whilst others might just engorge without need real need whatsoever.

Thirdly, there‟s the Optimal “Arousal” theory by Robert Yerkes and John Dudson, which tries
to fill in “gaps”, suggesting that rather than merely reducing a drive or tension - e.g. hunger,
one is motivated to maintain a balance between stimulation and relaxation – e.g. studying (for
hours at time) vs. leisure activities. The individual must reach an optimal “arousal”, without
getting over stimulated and stressed. Some have a very high level whereas others‟ is quite
low. I.e. Humans are motivated to avoid both boredom and stress. However, each individual‟s
priorities vary great upon the circumstances they are being confronted with in a given
situation.

Lastly, American psychologist Abraham Maslow illustrated this “shuffling” of priorities in the
mid 1990‟s with his famous “Hierarchy of needs”, where at the bottom of his pyramid one can
appreciate the physiological; e.g. food, water, air and reasonable temperatures. Right above
that is Safety. Then, come belongingness & love. Followed by esteem or respect, and finally
(having met all those), one finds self-actualization and self-transcendence, e.g. spiritual
growth. Unfortunately, there isn‟t any empirical research to support his scheme, jumbling
around their order.
In addition to this, the importance of those higher-level needs may vary depending on one‟s
culture, finances or personalities. Nonetheless, everyone is restricted by the lowest levels.

Regardless of the previous theories, most schools of psychological thought agree that
individuals are driven by at least three big motivators: sex, hunger & belongingness - e.g.
promoting the survival of the species through recreation and/or procreation so that human
communities may bond and expand - otherwise, resulting in eminent extinction.

Though, the media bombards us with the first in an ample variety of forms ranging from loving
families, personal beliefs, and cultural values to others more “explicitly” rewarded as well, no
one has ever perished from the lack of it.

The second, however, (after air and water) presents a more compulsory not only physiological
but psychological motivation which starts in the brain. The drop of blood-sugar level causes
the sensation of hunger. (Glucose: a simple sugar that is an important energy source in living
organisms and is a component of many carbohydrates) The hypothalamus monitors the
body‟s blood chemistry and responds to high levels of Ghrelin (a peptide hormone, produced
predominantly in the stomach, that stimulates the secretion of growth hormone from the
pituitary gland and increases appetite), reminding you to eat. This varies upon the individual‟s
age, gender, and size. However, it is also shaped by one‟s psychology, culture and mood.
Biologically speaking most organisms are driven by a genetic taste for sweets and fatty foods
as they are typically high in energy. Though, other taste differences are conditioned through
experience and culture. E.g. eating insects per say.

During World war two in the US, 36 conscientious objectors volunteered to serve their country
“alternatively” for physiologist Ancel Key‟s “ethically dubious 1994-Minnesota hunger medical
research experiment which measured the effects of partially starving its volunteers in order to
better understand the many small and large consequences of the plaguing European hunger
of that time. It was a “sandwich-trial”, (three phases), where they were fed a normal caloric
intake for three months. Then had it halved for the following six to finally rehabilitate them
within the last three. During the whole year they were required to eat “war-time” food,
compulsorily walk for twenty two miles, and participate in various work & educational activities
for forty hours a week, leading them to a twenty five percent dramatic drop in body weight,
lowered heart rate, body temperature, and strength along with the depressing, irritable and
anxious psychological and emotional devastation that caused them to lose interest in all other
things except for their “obsession” for food.

The result was frustration and social isolation caused by the absence of one fundamental
need being denied thus affecting all others as well. Hence, one‟s social needs have to be
balanced with one‟s autonomy (sense of personal control), so that one can feel connected
and independent; e.g. the study which showed that teenagers who had a sense of belonging
to their community had better health and emotional outcomes than those who didn‟t.

Dr. B. says, “Criminologist, psychologist, and other scientists (not to mention politicians)
continue to argue the relative merits and harms of enforced ostracism i.e. as punishment.

In at least some domains, it‟s not clear that severe ostracism and isolation actually reduce
undesirable behavior. In fact it, it might just make some problems worse”; i.e. things such as
kids in “time out”, adults in exile or prisoners in solitary confinement. Ergo, “Never under
estimate the power of harnessing motivation”!

One can also find in books such as Omaggio A.‟s (1993), which approaches many different
and important aspects to language competency in relation to motivation and self-confidence,
that …”Instruction should be responsive to the affective as well as to the cognitive needs of
students, and their different personalities, preferences, and learning styles should be taken
into account.” - E.g. aspects such as motivation, skills, and “modality preferences”; i.e. the
mode preferred by an individual or by the majority of a group for any given task – in one‟s
learners. Such proposal firstly express, that there is a … “need to vary classroom activities in
a way that will address the needs and preferences of as many students as possible, thus
contributing to a more comfortable and flexible learning environment.” Authors Brent Gallaway
and Michael Erard Labarca (1990) state that, “what is called for is not a teaching method, but
a teaching repertoire” - i.e. - in language assessment - a collection of activities and strategies
for ELT (English Language teaching) & ESL (English as a second language).

One can also reference from Omaggio‟s work, where she cites Jack C. Richards and
Theodore S. Rodgers (1986) that, “Any “method” that requires strict adherence to a limited
number of techniques or strategies will undoubtedly be very poorly suited to at least a subset
of learners in the classroom. Instruction that fosters the growth of language proficiency for all
learners will need to be flexible, and will be characterized by a kind of principled or “informed
eclectism” - i.e. a conceptual approach that does not hold rigidly to a single paradigm or set of
assumptions, but instead draws upon multiple theories, styles, or ideas to gain
complementary insights into a subject, or applies different theories in particular cases - that
takes students‟ preferences and feelings into account”.

It is also upheld that, “One of the hallmarks of several methodological developments is the
greater emphasis on the affective aspects of learning and acquisition”, where she cites that,
T. Scovel (1991) refers to affective factors as “those that deal with the emotional reactions
and motivations of learners” - which she also considers - “constitute a subset of factors
among the many other learner variables that need to be considered in instruction”.

In this work it is then stated that, “Proponents of humanistic methods – i.e.

the humanistic perspective is an approach to psychology that emphasizes empathy and
stresses the good in human behavior. ... In counseling and therapy, this approach allows a
psychologist to focus on ways to help improve an individual's self-image or self-actualization
– the things that make them feel worthwhile. - believe that learning should be aimed at the
deeper levels of understanding and personal meaningfulness to be maximally effective. Such
methods emphasize the need to reduce anxiety and tension, which inhibit performance and
create resistance to natural language acquisition and to learning - of a second
language once the mother tongue or first language acquisition is established. Second
language acquisition or SLA is the process of learning other languages in addition to the
native language”. To which she cites Earl W. Stevick (1980) who emphasizes, “The close
relationship between poor performance and anxiety and tension in the learning environment
(due to self-critique as well as criticism by others). This relationship is then reinforced as
central by citing Stephen. Krashen‟s (1982) filter hypothesis, based on the concept of the
“affective filter” (the complex of negative emotional and motivational factors that may interfere
with the reception and processing of comprehensible input. Such factors include: anxiety, self-
consciousness, boredom, annoyance, alienation and so forth), being somewhat akin to a
mental block: “With acquirers who do not have self-confidence, where the situation is tense;
where (in Stevick‟s own words) they are on the defensive, the filter goes up”: Meaning that
when the affective filter goes up, the resultant feelings are conflict, anxiety, aloneness, and a
sense of guilt for failing. These feelings are clearly out of harmony with the best conditions for
acquisition (Stevick 1980).
Henceforth, cited as well from Elaine K. Horwitz & Dolly J. Young (1991), whom compiled a
series of papers examining the role of anxiety in language learning, reference in their
introductory chapter that, Daly (1991) links the more general construct of “communication
apprehension” to problems encountered with oral communication in second language
classrooms where he defines, “Communication apprehension as the fear or anxiety an
individual feels about orally communicating” – i.e. according to James McCroskey (2001); the
broad term that refers to an individual‟s “fear or anxiety associated with real or anticipated
communication with another person or persons” - , and points out that, “there are other
related constructs, such as writing apprehension and receiver apprehension (associated with
listening), which may also be relevant to the problems foreign language learners can
experience, but that anxiety about oral communication seems to be most directly related to
“language anxiety” – i.e. Foreign language anxiety, or xenoglossophobia, is the feeling of
unease, worry, nervousness and apprehension experienced in learning or using a second or
foreign language. ... Some individuals are more predisposed to anxiety than others and may
feel anxious in a wide variety of situations.

Third to last, this also cites; Elaine K. Horwitz, Michael B. Horwitz & Joann Cope (1991) who
point out that, “in addition to “communicative apprehension”, test anxiety and fear of negative
evaluations can play a role in the development of foreign language anxiety among classroom
learners. In addition, they suggest that foreign language anxiety can arise from because of
the difficulty of engaging in genuine or authentic communication when one‟s linguistic skills
are limited”. The citing referenced closes by saying, “The importance of the disparity between
the „true‟ self as known to the learner and the more limited self as can be presented at any
given moment in the foreign language would seem to distinguish foreign language anxiety
(FLA) from other academic anxieties, such as those associated with mathematics or science.

Then, Keith Brown (1984) is cited as well, who maintains that, “lowered anxiety and inhibition
will increase comprehensible input and, therefore, affect acquisition”, but he cautions that,
“evidence of the precise role of anxiety in language learning is still quite scanty (meager,
minimal or insufficient). He hypothesizes that, “although, too much anxiety may have
harmful effects on learning, too little anxiety can be debilitative but it can also be facilitative…
“As teachers, we should allow some anxiety and tension to remain in our classes lest our
students become so „laid back‟ that they fail to perceive the input when it comes!”
Second to last; T. Scovel (1991) is again cited, but more amply (1991) where he presents
various research studies which indicate, “Mixed results about the relationship of anxiety to
foreign language learning, with some studies showing that it inhibits performance and other
studies showing some anxiety to be facilitative”, as he in turn quotes Brown (1984), who
suggests that, “Clearly more research is needed to determine the role of emotions such as
anxiety in second language learning (SLL).

Lastly, but, once again; Daly (1991) is cited, where he suggests that, “Anxiety, or
“communicative apprehension” may only be one of many possible reasons why students are
reluctant to talk in classrooms. Other reasons for reticence (reserve, inhibition, diffidence,
shyness; quietness or unresponsiveness), might be the lack of preparation or motivation,
a lack of self-confidence, or an unwillingness to disclose one‟s feelings or thoughts”. “This last
consideration is especially important for teachers to remember when planning activities that
are personalized in nature. One needs to be sensitive to the feelings of students, allowing
them the flexibility to participate in discussions in ways that do not require sharing personal
information if they prefer not to do so”.

She finally closes off with, “Whether or not one agrees with the need to include certain types
of affective activities in the classroom, most language educators today recognize that
students will probably attain a given degree more rapidly and will be more motivated to
continue in their studies in an environment that is accepting, relaxed and supportive”.

47 year old-University of Pennsylvania psychologist Angela Duckworth embarked upon this

topic by leaving her management consulting job and moving onto a more “challenging” job to
teach math at New York public schools. As to be expected she handed out assignments,
prepared quizzes and later did all the typical calculations regarding all those measurable
aspects that involve getting grades.

Much to her surprise I.Q. was not the greatest difference between some of her best and worst
students. Of which those who performed most strongly did not have stratospheric I.Q scores;
whereas, some of the smartest were not doing so well. Though, those mathematical concepts
may have been challenging, they‟re not impossible – she thought to herself.
It was her belief that every single one of her students could learn them if they worked hard
and long enough. After several more years of teaching she came to the conclusion that,
“What one needs in education is a much better understanding of students and learning from a
motivational and psychological perspective.

In education the one thing one knows how to measure best is I.Q. But what if doing well in
school and in life depends on much more than your ability to learn quickly and easily”? She
then left the classroom and went to graduate school to become a psychologist. She started
studying kids and adults in all kinds of “super” challenging scenarios and in every study the
central question was, who was successful there and why? Firstly, her research team and she
went to West Point Military Academy (in Orange County New York) and tried to predict which
cadets would stay in military training and which would drop out. Then, they went to the
national spelling bee and tried to predict which children would advance farthest in
competition. Next, they studied “rookie” teachers working in really tough neighborhoods,
wondering which teachers would still remain there teaching by the end of the school year, and
of those who would be the most effective at improving learning outcomes for their students.
Lastly, they partnered with private companies, inquiring as to which of those sales people
would keep their jobs and earn the most money.

She concluded that, “In all those very different contexts, one characteristic emerged as a
significant predictor of success. And it wasn‟t social intelligence, neither good looks, physical
health nor was it I.Q. It was “Grit”; i.e. passion and perseverance for very long-term goals -
having stamina, sticking with your future, day in, day out. Not just for the week, not just for the
month, but for years and working really hard to make that future a reality – living life like it‟s a
marathon, not a sprint”.

A few years afterwards she started studying grit in Chicago Public schools by asking
thousands of high school juniors to take grit questionnaires, to then wait around for over a
year and see who would graduate. The result was that “Grittier” kids were significantly more
likely to graduate, even when she matched them on every characteristic she could measure
such as family incomes, standardized achievement test scores, and even how safe kids had
felt when they had been at school. She concluded that it wasn‟t just all the way from West
Point to the National spelling bee where grit mattered, but also in school, especially for kids at
risk of dropping out.
She resulted surprised at how little was known – even to science – about building it; e.g. how
to teach kids a solid work ethic and keep them motivated for the long run. However, she did
ascertain that talent doesn‟t make one “gritty”. Their data showed very clearly that there are
many talented individuals who simply do not follow through on their commitments. In fact in
their data, grit was usually unrelated or even inversely related to measures of talent.

Up to then, the best idea developed for building grit in kids was “Growth Mindset”- from
Standford University by Carol Dweck (2006), which conveyed as: the belief that the ability to
learn is not fixed; it can change with one‟s effort. Dr. D. had shown that when kids read and
learned about the brain and how it changed and grew in response to challenge, they were
much more likely to persevere when they failed, because they didn‟t believe that failure was a
permanent condition.

Angela D. suggest that one take one‟s best ideas, one‟s strongest intuitions, and test them,
measure whether one‟s been successful, and to be willing to fail, to be wrong so as to start
over again with lessons learned; i.e. to be “gritty about getting one‟s learners “grittier”!

She then published - in the instant New York Times bestseller - her findings on May 3rd 2016
as follows:

Society would have one believe that talent is what makes one successful in one‟s tendency to
marvel at natural talent and overlook the importance of effort. Surveys show that people are
commended when putting in effort but that it is not believed to be able to compete with natural
talent. One often discounts one‟s own abilities when going up against people who have a
“Higher” I.Q. or appear more naturally “Gifted”. Though, she has found the following to be
true, in study after study: where talent counts once, effort counts twice. This is explained by
using a simple formula. Talent x Effort = Skill & Skill x Effort = achievement. I.e. when one
applies effort to any base level talent, one gets skill and when one applies effort to a skill, one
gets achievement.
The science shows that grit is the biggest predictor for lifelong achievement. Though, for
some this may present itself to be an inconvenient truth, as some like to see natural talent
and use it as an excuse as to why they would never achieve what others can. And, therefore,
don‟t even bother trying in the first place. However, for others it can be liberating to know that
they‟re not doomed to mediocrity due to a lack of talent if they put in the effort so as to
achieve great things. There are of course limitations; e.g. not everyone can make it into a
national team. Though, one could become one the best sports person in your local league. By
remembering the former formula‟s meaning one can be hopeful to become more than it was
thought one could; Despite of, not “winning the talent lottery”.

Now, being gritty is hard. Resisting endless temptations to quit or experiencing failure can be
extremely difficult to deal with. However, she states, everyone has the ability to grow their grit
if one directs one‟s focus in four specific ways:

Firstly, develop a fascination for what one is trying to do. E.g. Charles Darwin admitted to not
having great quickness of apprehension. To discover the mysteries of natural science without
possessing “supernatural” intelligence, He developed an “obsessive” fascination and was said
to keep questions “alive” in the back of his mind. Questions related to what he was observing
that drove him to discover the connection between all living things. His deep interest in the
natural sciences and constant questioning led him to the breakthrough now known as the
theory of evolution. So, find those questions which are most intriguing and fascinate you to
reach the capacity to remain gritty while trying to achieve something great.

Secondly, strive to improve yourself every single day. I.e. “compete with who you were
yesterday. E.g. Olympic gold medal swimmer Rowdy Gaines once said he would try to beat
himself at every practice; if his coach gave him ten one-hundred meter swims one day and
asked him to hold it to a minute and fifteen seconds, the next day he would give him another
ten one-hundred meter swims, and he would try to hold it to a minute and fourteen seconds.

Angela D. States that: “the refrain of all paragons (a person or thing regarded as a perfect
example of a particular quality or viewed as a model of excellence) of grit is: “Whatever it
takes, I want to improve!” It doesn‟t matter how “excellent they already are”.
Thirdly, remind one‟s self of greater purpose. She conducted a survey of sixteen thousand
adult Americans to determine which a bigger contributor of grit was: Obtaining a feeling of
pleasure or feeling a greater sense of purpose. It was determined that those on the upper half
of her grit scale experienced a similar level of pleasure in what they were doing, but it was
also found that higher levels of purpose directly correlated to higher levels of grit. She said,
“The „grittiest‟ people see their aims as deeply connected to world beyond themselves. E.g.
one could be a bricklayer simply laying the bricks for a cathedral or one could be a bricklayer
building the house of God! It is largely up to one to determine what purpose or greater
meaning one‟s work has. Whatever one comes up with has the capacity to raise one‟s level of
grit.

Lastly, adopt and develop a “growth-mindset”. E.g. Bill McNab former CEO of “Vanguard” (
The world‟s largest provider of mutual funds) interviewed leaders within the organization to
see who were successful and who were not. He found that long-term success was dependent
on a core belief. Those who believed that they could not learn anymore, they were who they
were, and that was how they did things; routinely failed to move up to senior level. To be gritty
one needs to “scrap” the “theory” that one‟s abilities are fixed because it is simply not so.
Neuroscience has shown the one has an enormous capacity to change one‟s brains and learn
new skills as one gets older. It is “plastic” and can be “molded” through sustained effort and
experience. One might reflect on a time where one was starting something and was thus
scared one wouldn‟t be able to learn, but one had actually done so in the end. If one uses the
memory of that experience one can disrupt any beliefs that your abilities are fixed. I.e. “think
happy thoughts!”

She concludes by stating that, “learning to stick to something is a life skill that one can
develop by remembering that the science shows that grit matters more than talent and that
everyone has the capacity to grow one‟s grit in order to develop the confidence to start taking
action despite how untalented one might think one is!”
DEVELOPMENT AND RESOLUTION

a– Diagnosis

When embarking upon a task such as the one at hand, one might have to be willing to walk
out on a limb as to certain aspects of it, given that the entire background of the situation may
appear to be somewhat vague. However, to the “trained eye”, it stands to reason that the
origins and causes that unleashed such a situation are, without oversimplifying the totality of
the matter, rather easy to address. Though, how to go about the matter is a bit more complex.
Hence, certain things can for a fact be proven and supported by this work whilst others might
have to be inferred or assumed for the research conducted here to work.

Having carefully read the given case proposed for resolution, one can pinpoint that one of the
key elements missing is on paragraph eight - where the central factor for students and
teachers‟ failure to succeed in the effective acquisition of the language was; a lack to cater to
students‟ motivation and confidence build-up as well as to not tend to their specific personal
learning styles and intelligence needs.

As it clearly states that one: students had revealed that they were afraid to express their
ideas, opinions or comments in the previous three courses, and two: they confessed to not
having any speaking or listening practice as their teachers solely instructed them to repeat,
copy and solve course book exercises in a manner that would, by all means, contradict what
experts‟ opinions on the matter here presented and supported are (from the various studies
and investigations conducted along the last almost forty years).

In addition to this, our case teacher failed to implement an invaluable assessment tool and
resource before implementing her well-intended counteractive measures, which came about
only after applying the initially mentioned multiple intelligences tests (in concordance with
Gardener‟s statements), and regardless of her preparation.

Had she applied a proper diagnostic test within the very first hours of the very first day of
class, she might have ascertained a much more detailed and complete background profile of
each and every one of her newly acquired learners in order to accommodate, modify and or
adapt whatever repertoire of activities and lesson planning (which she most assuredly would
have prepared in advance) so as to attend to their immediate needs.
b. - Solution proposal

It is for a fact very useful to implement tools such as intelligences and learning styles tests.
Though, it is neither just the beginning nor the end of one‟s duty as an instructor. It is also just
as important for one to be empathically attuned to students‟ feelings and very particular
interests as many of them have lacked the proper motivation or self-confidence to develop a
proper growth mindset that will allow them to fulfill the long term goal of presenting a CEFR
examination later on in university for them to be able to become invaluable assets in their
lives and society.

One must seek the most suitable forms of error correction, that won‟t corner students into a
silent stage. Whether it be for addressing:

1. Slips; i.e. errors in which the intention is correct but failure occurs when carrying out
the activity required: e.g. tiredness worry or lack of concentration:
2. L1 interference; i.e. Language transfer (also known as , linguistic interference, and
cross-linguistic influence) which refers to speakers or writers applying knowledge from
one language to another language.
3. Developmental errors; i.e. Errors in early word use or such as those mistakes that
children commonly commit when first learning language as well as those which occur
while older learners are working out, organizing, and experimenting with the language
they have learnt.
4. And overgeneralization; i.e. the result of overgeneralizing (in language acquisition) is
the process of extending the application of a rule to items that are excluded from it in
the language norm, as when a child uses the regular past tense verb ending -ed of
forms like I walked to produce forms like *I goed or *I rided.
5. Or, interlanguage errors: A linguistic system used by second language learners.
Learners create this language when they attempt to communicate in the target
language (their own version of the L2).
6. Even from previously wronged exposure (i.e. the contact that the learner has with
the language that they are trying to learn, either generally or with
specific language points. Referring to the language in general, it often refers to
contact outside the classroom), in as much as for the learner to attempt to reach a
much higher level of accuracy on his or her own as well.
One needs to be patient and comprehensive of such situations so as to avoid and aid them
into overcoming fossilizations; i.e. the process in which incorrect language becomes a habit
and cannot easily be corrected (Teachers can help learners notice their fossilized errors by
for example recording them speaking, or by asking them to keep a record of written errors as
part of a language portfolio).

Teachers need to implement a much vaster array of approaches to language teaching such
as:

1. PPP which stands for Presentation, Practice and Production. It is referred to as a

model, paradigm or approach to teaching language components. The procedure is
straightforward. The teacher presents the target language.

2. The lexical approach, a method of teaching foreign languages, is described by

Michael Lewis in the early 1990s. The basic concept on which this approach rests is
the idea that an important part of learning a language consists of being able to
understand and produce lexical phrases as chunks.

3. The Functional Approach in which the syllabus focuses on functions usually graded
according to their frequency of use in practical daily life and to learners‟ communicative
needs.

4. The communicative approach: is based on the idea that learning language

successfully comes through having to communicate real meaning. When learners are
involved in real communication, their natural strategies for language acquisition will be
used, and this will allow them to learn to use the language.

5. Guided discovery, also known as an inductive approach, is a technique where a

teacher provides examples of a language item and helps the learners to find the rules
themselves.
 6. Content-based instruction (CBI) is a significant approach in language education
(Brinton, Snow, & Wesche, 1989), designed to provide second-language
learners instruction in content and language (hence it is also called content-
based language teaching; CBLT).

7. And Content and language integrated learning (CLIL) is an approach for learning
content through an additional language (foreign or second), thus teaching both the
subject and the language.

8. Even The grammar–translation method is a method of teaching foreign languages

derived from the classical (sometimes called traditional) method of teaching Greek
and Latin (if and where possible or required).

9. In as much as proper selection of course books and interactive material not only for
newer generations but for older ones too.

10. Different interaction patterns (I. e. In ELT interaction patterns are the different ways
learners and the teacher can interact in the class. Using the right interaction
pattern is a fundamental factor in the success of any activity and the achievement of
aims. ... Different interaction patterns can support the aims of different kinds of
activities e.g. whole class, group, pair or individual work), one will undoubtedly tend to
many more learning styles of learners.

There are also everyday tools and resources to foment learners‟ real-world utilization of the
language which will keep them motivated into continuing the use and maturity of their
language learning process such as apparently trivial or insignificant things like changing the
language configuration of their devices as well as those of their social blogs and sites.

Encouraging students to embark on trying Karaoke, watching their favorite films in their
original language, and looking for reading material in the target language within their very own
interests, can most certainly be of great aid for their learning processes to become much
easier.
Assessors have got to become much more flexible than merely sticking to only one of the
many theories such as:

1. Behavior modification is a set of therapies / techniques based on operant conditioning

(Skinner, 1938, 1953). The main principle comprises changing environmental events
that are related to a person's behavior. For example, the reinforcement of desired
behaviors and ignoring or punishing undesired ones.

2. Universal grammar in linguistics which is the theory of the genetic component of the
language faculty, usually credited to Noam Chomsky.

3. The input hypothesis, also known as the monitor model, is a group of five hypotheses
of second-language acquisition developed by the linguist Stephen Krashen in the
1970s and 1980s. ... The hypotheses put primary importance on the
comprehensible input (CI) that language learners are exposed to.
4. Larson-Freeman and Long’s Cognitive Learning Theory which is a
broad theory that explains thinking and differing mental processes and how they are
influenced by internal and external factors in order to produce learning in individuals.
... These cognitive processes are: observing, categorizing, and forming
generalizations about our environment.

5. Or Rumelhart and McClelland’s Content and Language Integrated Learning

(CLIL) which is a dual-focused educational approach in which an additional language
is used for the learning and teaching of both content and language. That is, in the
teaching and learning process, there is a focus not only on content, and not only on
language.

(Amongst several others more that could also be taken into consideration for analyses at a
later time and with much more detail.)

Otherwise one will end up stumping learners‟ acquisition of the language just as much as
most likely limiting their maturity of it, unintentionally affecting their motivation and self-
confidence as well.
CONCLUSIONS

From the all the above mentioned, it stands to reason to firmly believe that if one doesn‟t
imperatively begin with a proper diagnostic test in order to establish a much more adequate
background profile, then one shan‟t be able to best cater to students‟ individual and specific
learning and acquisition needs.

Needless to say, when one doesn‟t take the time to test one‟s students‟ intelligences and
styles from the very beginning, one cannot properly modify whatever one has already
prepared off hand for them.

Were one not to reconsider and be willing to break from one‟s comfort zone to utilize all tools
and resources available for the learning and teaching process to successfully work in
achieving the desired learner autonomy and performance, the more than obvious present
outcome of thus provided case for resolution would inevitably end up being what our students
are presently facing at such educational instances.

It is of high priority that assessors become interested in changing and adapting so as to be as

adequately informed and efficiently up-dated with as many techniques as possible, never
falling into routinely inflexible, procrastinative, and limited methods that will most likely hinder
their pupils learning processes.

It is also just as important to help students become aware of and part of the learning process
as well as the teaching process in order for them to be able to co-participate and to aid them
in understanding it therefore motivating them to continue practicing and sharing fearlessly and
confidently as well.

By doing so, not only does the assessor enrich his students learning and acquisition
experience, but he also establishes a much more approachable and memorable rapport with
his or her learners which shall without a doubt allow both of them to reach a much more
significant growth in the language process in as much as the psychological and emotional
aspects as well for a lifelong achievement.
Henceforth, it is by all means necessary that there always be not only appropriate testing, but
also a very ample ensemble of strategies and activities that will genuinely tend to one‟s
learners‟ ever growing and changing language acquisition and learning needs so that they
can become much more successful and autonomous students.
BIBLIOGRAPHIES

Crystal D. (2000) The Cambridge encyclopedia of Language Second Edition; Cambridge

University Press

Ducksworth A. (2016) The Power of Passion and Perseverance, In a Nutshell Publishing

Omagio A. (1993) Teaching Language in Context Second Edition; Heinle & Heinle Publishers

Scrivener J. (2008) Learning Teaching, Macmillan & Heinemann ELT

Spratt M., Pulverness A., Williams M. (2014) The TKT course Modules 1, 2 & 3; Cambridge
University Press

Yale K & Bhagwat R. (2015) The Power of Motivation, “CrashCourse” (in Psychology)