Learning English can be fun
MANY educators take time to give their best to their students. A great part of their time is spent seeking out ways, methods and techniques to motivate students to learn English.
Motivating students already fluent in the language is easy, it’s sustaining the motivation that is tough.
As for the less English-savvy students, the tough part is always convincing them that they already know more English than they can imagine and the sooner they start using the language, the easier it will be for them to master it.
Developing your English
If you feel that your English is weak and you are reading this article for some guidance, you should remember that you are already making headway.
To borrow a pearl of wisdom from a fencing coach, “to learn successfully, you must remember that there is still a lot that you don’t know”.
So, how does that help in motivating students who are already good in the language?
Teachers tell them that they are good, but their English probably isn’t perfect.
They probably can’t understand classic literary texts in English, the derivative of certain words and collocations, the nuances of the language, talk to native speakers easily or write letters/essays without mistakes.
If you are already proficient in the language, you should never think that your English is perfect.
Even if you are the best student in your class, always try to find your weak areas and work on them.
Using English is fun
The most effective way to boost your motivation is to use English as often as you can.
It is simply very enjoyable to read a good book, understand a song, watch an interesting movie, get an answer to a computer problem and exchange an e-mail with a native speaker.
The more you use English, the more you will want to use it.
Using English is learning English. When you are reading an interesting article or watching an exciting movie, you are not just “practising” on your English, but you are also learning new words and phrases.
When you’re writing a message in an English language discussion forum, you are practising your writing.
English can also improve your general attitude towards the language and increase your motivation
to study it in other ways.
Other strategies
Talking to people about English is a very simple but effective method of motivating yourself to learn English. Here’s how it works:
You can usually talk about things which interest you. But the opposite is true, too. If you start talking about a boring subject, you will begin to get interested in it.
Imagine you are studying a subject that you hate.
If there are people near you, you have two options: you can tell everybody how much you are suffering or you can tell those people about the things you’ve learned. If you choose the first option, you will only feel worse.
If you choose the second option, and start a conversation on the “boring” subject, you will begin to look at it in a totally different way. Suddenly, it will become a subject worth talking about – therefore, an interesting subject.
How can you begin such a conversation? Find a friend who is learning English and is on a similar skill level as you.
You should meet your friend regularly. Ideally, he/she should live near you, or go to the same school or language centre as you.
This also means that you should spend some time and money on learning English.
If you spend your money on something, you will want to use it.
For example, if you buy an expensive badminton racket, you will probably go out and play badminton as often as you can.
This is also true for learning English. If you want to increase your desire to learn the language, buy an interesting English book or join an English language centre.
A Progressive English Language Centre – Cambridge English For Life (CEFL) has been offering quality English language courses since 2001. Now there are more than 50 centres around Malaysia providing courses for children and for adults.
CEFL’s approach to teaching is communicative which means that learners young and old are encouraged from the start to use the language both inside and outside the classroom. Classes are never static. Learners are engaged via developmental activities which are not only instructive but also enjoyable.
CEFL allows learners to sit for a Cambridge certificated test or examination. This will provide them with a qualification that will help them gain acceptance from colleges and universities worldwide and also help them in the job market.
Besides the Cambridge ESOL examinations, from this year, CEFL will be offering a range of preparation courses for IELTS (International English Language Testing System), which is widely used by universities to determine the English language proficiency of applicants.
To give your children the best possible opportunities for advancement and to provide them with the key to a successful future, visit www.cambridgeforlife.org, e-mail info@cambridgeforlife.org or call 03-7883 0912.