March 21, 2024
Introduction
In the evolving landscape of post-pandemic education, college students face numerous motivational barriers that challenge their ability to maintain focus and perseverance. These challenges range from internal factors, such as physical or mental health issues and learning disabilities, to external factors like economic instability, social inequalities, and cultural biases. The complexity of second language acquisition, which demands significant concentration and resilience, can feel particularly daunting under these circumstances. Perhaps Zoltan Dornyei’s work on the “L2 Motivational Self System” offers insight and strategies that could enhance the motivation of Baruch’s ELL students to achieve academic fluency in English.
Zoltan Dornyei’s Legacy
Zoltan Dornyei was a seminal figure in the field of second language acquisition and motivation until his passing in 2022. As a professor at the University of Nottingham and other prominent European universities, he was prolific in his contributions, authoring over 25 books and numerous articles in psycholinguistics and applied linguistics. Through his research on “motivational conglomerates” – a synthesis of “motivational, cognitive, and emotional variables that form cohesive patterns” acting synergistically within learning contexts, Dornyei conceptualized his L2 motivation self system and a framework specifically for its classroom application.
Dornyei’s Motivational Framework for Teaching Strategies
Dornyei’s teaching strategies aimed at enhancing both the individual’s and the group’s motivation through a combination of visualizations of possible selves and structured, interactive learning experiences. Dornyei’s framework is divided into two main branches: strategies based on the learner’s inner vision and strategies grounded in the student’s classroom experiences. The former focuses on asking students to develop strong, compelling visions of their desired future selves to counter-balance their linguistic struggles, while the latter focuses on the design of high-interest activities and interactive group learning experiences that encourage pro-social learning behaviors.
Sample Assignments for ELL Students at Baruch
Below are five activities derived from Zoltan Dornyei’s motivational strategies for teaching English Language Learners (ELLs) at Baruch College. These activities are designed to engage students in individual reflection and group interaction, fostering a supportive and collaborative learning environment while simultaneously focusing on personal growth and linguistic improvement.
Activities Based on Dornyei’s Motivational Strategies on Future Vision
Activity 1: To Envision a Fluent Ideal Future Self
Objective: To encourage students to visualize their future selves and how English fluency, may impact their personal and professional lives.
Description:
Part A: Visualization Exercise – Students close their eyes for a few minutes and visualize themselves after achieving their linguistic goals. They should imagine their future jobs, the opportunities available to them, where they live, and how being fluent in English has given them an edge in the professional world.
Part B: Letter Writing – After the visualization, students write a letter from their future selves to their present selves. This letter should include advice on overcoming current challenges, the importance of perseverance when learning English, and personal reflections on how achieving fluency has benefited their lives.
Part C: Journal Writing and Group Discussions:
a) Students write descriptions of their ideal future selves. Prompts include identifying their aspirations, the roles they wish to play in their professional fields, and how mastering English could enhance their career prospects and personal growth.
b) Students read Amy Tan’s “Mother Tongue” and discuss how one’s usage of language relates to one’s audience. They visualize actual situations from their lives when they’ve made linguistic adjustments or shifts, and free-write two distinctly different dialogues illustrating the types of English they use. In groups, they discuss when and why they might choose to speak a particular language or dialect with particular people in their lives or within different social contexts, and how these shifts in language usage may impact the content of their messaging.
c) Students close their eyes for a few seconds to visualize an experience when their ability to communicate in more than one language has helped a person close to them and write journals. They share their journals with group members and discuss how improvements to their English literacy skills may help them, not only in the US, but internationally.
d) Students brainstorm in groups about how being multilingual might offer them unique advantages. In their journals, they write a list of concrete ways that they can retain and expand upon their fluency in all the languages and dialects that they know.
e) Students reflect on their linguistic process and progress. They assess their linguistic strengths and weaknesses and develop detailed plans to improve their English proficiency, incorporating resources such as Baruch’s Writing Workshop and Tools for Clear Speech (TfCS).
f) Students discuss how improving their English will benefit their ability to flexibly navigate between different social groups and work settings in the future.
Activities Based on Dornyei’s Motivational Strategies on Classroom Experience
Activity 2: Artifact Story Sharing
Objective: To foster a deeper connection between students’ cultural backgrounds and their language learning journey.
Description:
Artifact Presentation – Each student brings an artifact that relates to their culture or personal history. This could be a photograph, a traditional item, a piece of music, or even a recipe.
Storytelling Session – In a group setting, students present their artifacts and share stories about what these items mean to them and how they connect to their identities. This activity helps students practice their speaking and listening skills while celebrating diverse backgrounds and experiences.
Activity 3: The Role of Technology in Language Learning
Objective: To discuss and evaluate the use of technology, such as AI, in supporting language learning.
Description:
Group Discussion – Students are divided into small groups to discuss the pros and cons of using technological tools like AI in learning English. Topics might include the benefits of instant feedback, the risk of becoming overly reliant on technology, and how to use these tools effectively without hindering their own learning.
Reflective Essay – Following the discussion, each student writes a reflective essay on how they personally feel about using technology in their learning process, incorporating points from their group discussion. They should also propose personal strategies for integrating technology in a way that supports their learning goals.
Activity 4: Future Vision Conference
Objective: To allow students to create and share their visions of their future selves in a supportive, conference-style environment.
Description:
1. Conference Preparation:** Students prepare a brief presentation on their envisioned future selves, which they previously explored in journal entries and visualization exercises. They should include their career goals, how they envision using English in their future, and the steps they plan to take to achieve their linguistic and professional aspirations.
2. Mock Conference:** Organize a classroom event where students present their future visions. Each presentation should be 5 minutes long, followed by a question and answer session where peers and the instructor can ask questions to encourage deeper thinking and clarification.
3. Feedback Session: After each presentation, provide structured feedback focusing not only on the content but also on language use, encouraging students to think about how they express their future selves linguistically.
4. Reflection: Students write a reflective piece on how envisioning their future in such a structured and public way has influenced their motivation and approach to learning English.
Activity 5: English Around the World
Objective: To enhance students’ appreciation for English as a global language and to explore its diverse uses in different contexts.
Description:
1. Research Assignment: Students select a country where English is spoken either as an official language or widely used as a second language. They research and prepare a short presentation on how English is used in that country, covering aspects like common phrases, cultural nuances, and any unique linguistic features.
2. Cultural Exchange Fair: Host a classroom event where students set up stations representing the countries they researched. Each student or group presents their findings, and classmates visit different stations to learn about English usage worldwide.
3. Interactive Discussion* Conduct a roundtable discussion where students share their insights about the global nature of English and discuss how understanding these international perspectives can enhance their own use of the language.
4. Language Practice: As a practical application, students create dialogues or write short essays using the phrases and linguistic styles they learned about, adapting them to hypothetical situations they might encounter in those countries.
Works Cited
Dornyei, Zoltan. “Motivation in Second Language Learning.” Motivation in Second and Foreign and Foreign Language Learning. Cambridge UP, pp. 518- 529.