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Autonomy and motivation in foreign language classrooms
1. Autonomy and Motivation
In Foreign Language
Classrooms
R e A ssist. A li D İ N ÇER
s.
Er z i n c a n Un i v e r s i t y , F a c u l t y
o f Ed u c a t i o n , ELT De pa r t me n t
8. • Motivation, one of the
key concepts in
psychology, is often
used by teachers and
students alike and has
a very significant role
in explaining failures
and successes in
second language (L2)
learning contexts
(Dörnyei, 2001;
Dörnyei & Csizér,
1998).
17. Extrinsic Rewards:
“It seem that bigots were eager to rid their town of a Jewish man who
had opened a tailor
shop on Main Street, so they sent a group of rowdies to harass the
tailor. Each day, the ruffians would show up to jeer. The situation
was grim, but the tailor was ingenious.
One day when the hoodlums arrived, he gave each of them a dollar
for their efforts.
Delighted, they shouted their insults and moved on. The next day
they returned to shout, expecting their dollar.
But the tailor said he could only afford a dime and proceeded to hand
a dime to each of them. Well, they were a bit disappointed, but a
dime after all is a dime, so they took it, did their jeering, and left.
The next day, they returned once again and the tailor said he had
only a penny for them and held out his hand. Indignant, the
young toughs sneered and proclaimed that they would certainly
not spend their time jeering at him for a measly penny.
So they didn’t.
And all was well for the tailor.”
18. A STORY FROM TOM SAWYER:
BEN ROGERS &TOM
“Hello, old chap, you got to work, hey?”
Tom wheeled suddenly and said:
“Why, it’s you, Ben! I warn’t noticing.”
“Say - I’m going a -swimming, I am. Don’t you wish you
could? But of course you’d druther work - wouldn’t
you? Course you would!”
Tom contemplated the boy a bit, and said:
“What do you call work?”
“Why, ain’t that work?”
Tom resumed his whitewashing, and answered
carelessly:
“Well, maybe it is, and maybe it ain’t. All I know it
suits Tom Sawyer.”
19. “Oh, come now, you don’t mean to let on that you like it?”
The brush continued to move.
“Like it? Well, I don’t see why I oughtn’t to like it. Does a boy
get a chance to whitewash a fence every day?”
That put the thing in a new light. Ben stopped nibbling his apple.
Tom swept his brush daintily back and forth - stepped back
to note the effect - added a touch here and there - criticized
the effect again - Ben watching every move and getting
more and more interested, more and more absorbed.
Presently he said:
“Say, Tom, let me whitewash a little.”
Tom considered, was about to consent; but he altered his mind:
“No-no-I reckon it wouldn’t hardly do, Ben. You see, Aunt
Polly’s awful particular about this fence - right here on the
street, you know - but if it was the back fence, I wouldn’t
mind, and she wouldn’t. Yes, she’s awful particular about
this fence; it’s got to be done very careful; I reckon there
ain’t one boy in a thousand, maybe two thousand, that can
do it the way it’s got to be done.”
20. “No-is that so? Oh, come now - lemme try. Only just a little
- I’d let you, if you was me, Tom.”
“Ben, I’d like to, honest injun; but Aunt Polly - well, Jim
wanted to do it, but she wouldn’t let him; Sid wanted to
do it, and she wouldn’t let Sid. Now, don’t you see how
I’m fixed? If you was to tackle this fence and anything
was to happen to it --”
“Oh, shucks, I’ll be just as careful. Now lemme try. Say -
I’ll give you the core of my apple.”
“Well, here - No, Ben, no you don’t. I’m afeared --”
“I’ll give you all of it!”
Tom gave up the brush with reluctance in his face, but
alacrity in his heart. And while Ben Rogers worked and
sweated in the sun, the retired artist sat on a barrel in the
shade close by, dangled his legs, munched his apple,
and planned the slaughter of more innocents.
There was no lack of material; boys happened along every
little while; they came to jeer, but remained to
whitewash.
23. The term “autonomy-supportive
context” means an environment that
decreases the salience of external
incentives and threads, avoids controlling
language, and recognizes the learners’
frame of reference (Black & Deci, 2000;
Chua, 2010).
In other words, autonomy-supportive
environment can be described as mostly
connected with intrinsic motivation and
promoting self-identification (Black &
Deci, 2000).
24. greater perceived competence
higher mastery motivation
enhanced creativity
preference for optimal challenge over easy
success
increased conceptual understanding
active and deeper information processing
greater engagement
enhanced well-being
better academic performance such as academic
persistence, rather than dropping out of school,
etc.
(Reeve, Bolt & Cai,1999)
25. When teachers understand the importance of
autonomy-supportive environments’ positive
effects on student engagement (a predictor of
academic achievement in language classes),
coping with problems deriving from language
the learner will be much easier. In addition,
teachers should ask themselves how they
can create the conditions within which
people will motivate themselves (Deci & Flaste,
2004, pp. 141-158).
26. By considering these positive effects of autonomy,
teachers’ main concern in language classroom should be on
which behaviours and attitudes in the classroom help intrinsic
regularity styles and intrinsic motivation of students.
In the study of Reeve (2006), some of the basic
fundamental behaviours and autonomy-supportive
characteristics are summarized in a detailed way
27. Nurturing inner motivational resources.
• Intrinsic regulators dealt with students’ preferences,
interests, sense of enjoyment, competencies, and
choice making
Relying on informational, noncontrolling language.
• ‘Study hard, Do your best, Excellent!, etc.
• ‘Today your performance was very good, by trying to
speak a bit slower and using some conjunctions, your
fluency can be more promising’
28. Communicating value and providing rationales.
• Give the reasons of the activity and explain its use, value and
importance. This kind of behaviour helps students internalize
the subject or activity. As a result the learner says him/herself,
“Yes, I will do it, because I want to be happy by learning this
activity.”
Acknowledging and accepting students’ expressions of
negative affect.
• Recognize and accept student’s expressions of negative affect.
Because, forcing students to participate in an activity or to do
their tasks makes everything worse. An autonomy teacher
should aim to look from student perspectives in some cases.
29. In addition to these characteristics, there are some studies
which try to define autonomy-supportive behaviours. These
behaviours can be thought as practical tips for foreign
language teachers who aim to promote inner motivation styles
of their students. Some of these behaviours are listed in related
studies (Reeve, 2006; Reeve & Jang, 2006; Chua, 2010).
30. o Listen carefully
o Create opportunities for students to work in their own
way
o Provide opportunities for students to talk
o Praise signs of improvement and mastery
o Encourage students’ effort and persistence
o Offer progress-enabling hints when students seem stuck
o Respond to students’ questions and comments
o Arrange learning materials and seating patterns so
students manipulate objects and conversations rather
than passively watch and listen
o Communicate a clear acknowledgement of students’
perspectives
31. in sum, we Cannot foster an intrinsiC Love
of Language Learning, But we Can stimuLate and
mediate our students’ motivation to Learn
Language BY Creating autonomY-suPPortive
CLassrooms BY Behaving in autonomous waY.
Discussion Time!
33. REFERENCES
Black, A. E., & Deci, E. L. (2000). The effects of instructors' autonomy support and students' autonomous motivation on
learning organic chemistry: A self-determination theory perspective. Science Education, 84, 740-756.
Chua, L. L (2010). Educational practical tip 22: Differences between autonomy-supportive and controlling behaviours.
Motivation in Educational Research Laboratory, NIE. Retrieved.September.15,.2010.from.
http://merl.nie.edu.sg/documents/Educational%20Tip%2022.pdf
Dinçer A., Yeşilyurt, S., & Göksu, A. (November, 2010). Practical Tips on How to Promote Learner Autonomy in Foreign
Language Classrooms" The 10th International Language, Literature and Stylistics Symposium, 3-5 November 2010,
Ankara, pp.428-433.
Deci, E. L. & Flaste,R. (2004). Why we do what we do: Understanding self-motivation. USA: Penguin Books Ltd.
Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (1985). Intrinsic motivation and self-determination in human behavior. New York: Plenum
Publishing Co.
Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2008). Self-determination theory: A macrotheory of human motivation, development, and health.
Canadian Psychology, 49(3), 182–185.
Reeve, J. (2006). Teachers as facilitators: What autonomy-supportive teachers do and why their students benefit. The
Elementary School Journal, 106(3), 225-236.
Reeve, J., Bolt, E., & Cai, Y. (1999). Autonomy-supportive teachers: How they teach and motivate students. Journal of
Educational Psychology, 91, 537–548.
Reeve, J., & Jang, H. (2006). What teachers say and do to support students' autonomy during a learning activity. Journal of
Educational Psychology, 98, 209-218.
Ryan, R. M. & Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and
well-being. American Psychologist, 55(1), 68-78.
