Unlocking Learner Motivation In The Age Of The Digital Native

Paul Maglione Co-founder

TESOL France27 November 2010

The internetis now20 years old

1910 2010

“A subordinating conjunction always comes at the beginning of a subordinate clause. It

"introduces" a subordinate clause. However, a subordinate clause can sometimes come after

and sometimes before a main clause….”

It’s high time we put these four things together and came up with a more effective

way of motivating learning and teaching English to teens and young adults.

Who Are Teens? What’s going on with their lives?

- hormones / sexual development- independence / autonomy- questioning of authority / rebellion- social hyperactivity / peer pressure

What’s going on with their future? - pressure over education, career

prospects, type of friends, values What are their cultural

references? What is their relationship with

education? English: how do they see it as

relevant to them?

What else do we know about teens?

Their brains are in a very specific state of development.

last

1st

PrefrontalCortex

LimbicSystem

• Physical Coordination

• Emotion

• Motivation

• Reasoning

•Organizing, prioritizing information

• Control of Impulses

Not fully mature until age 25!

Teen BrainDevelopment

Phenomenon #1

Maturing of brain as Grey Matter is lost

age

Adolescent Pruning Of Brain CellsThe brain selectively strengthens or prunes neurons based on activity. Synapses continually used will flourish; those that are not used will wither away.

Teen BrainDevelopment

Phenomenon #2

Teen BrainDevelopment

Phenomenon #3

Mylenation (increase in White Matter)

Speeds the brain’s

information-processing

capacity equivalent to

3,000 X increase in computer bandwidth

The Teen Brain: UNDER CONSTRUCTION

A framework, not an empty structure waiting to be filled

EFL teaching implications

Phased teenage brain development

video, music, movement, news, games, anecdotes

worksheets, lectures, objective texts

+

-

Use teen craving for NOVELTY and EXCITEMENT to get their ATTENTION

Break large, long-term assignments down into short-term objectives

Remind them of concepts, objectives and deadlines frequently.

Teens can only focus on someone talking for 15 minutes at a time they need a change in state of mind every 20 minutes.

Use short formats

For young(13 – 16) teens, don’tmake topicstoo abstract

Keep It Real

INTEGRATE THISinto CommunicativeTask Work

The teenage brain NEEDS to CONNECT

EFL teaching implications

“Use it or lose it” brain cell pruning

Focus material on what they see as relevant and useful to them

• Relationships• The environment• Racism / Diversity• Justice• Jobs / Careers• Independence

Get them to not just read a vocabulary item, but also…

use it in a sentenceuse it in a story

see a photo of itplay a game based on it

hear it in a songunjumble it hear it spoken by a famous actor

Repetition with variation

EFL teaching implications

Explosion in brain processing power

Exposure Input Intake

Multiple exposures to language items in different but similar contexts reinforces retention.

Manageable chunks, always in a context

Ask : How

What Why

Provide ANALYTICAL CHALLENGES that stimulate higher-order thinking

Don’t forget: male and female adolescents mature at different rates

Grey cell pruningstarts at age 10 – 12

Grey cell pruningstarts at age 14 – 16

Boys and girls maybe ready to absorbchallenging materialat different stages.

…also don’t forget: the average teen isSLEEP DEPRIVED

Physiologically,teens require 9.25 hours of

sleep. Most teens

report sleeping 5 hours or less

per 24-hour period.

Sleep deprivation

makes it more difficult for most

students to learn, remember

and think creatively.

WHAT ABOUT EFL PEDAGOGY?

What have we learned these past 20 years?

MOST of these match up with Cognitive Neuroscience-basedprinciples for engaging teens and young adults

NEW EFLApproaches

One of the things they really enjoy, even seem addicted to, is VIDEOGAMES. Why?

What else do we know about teens?

What can we learn (and adopt) from Video Games?

• Failure is part of the game• Try and try again without stigma • Repetition breeds competence• Positive reinforcement all the time• Positive vs. negative stress• Level design: progress to next level is

always a challenge, but achievable• Progress = status enhancement• Social (multiplayer gaming; leader boards;

in-game chat; challenge-a-friend)

Where it all comes together for teens:

MOTIVATION

Understanding Learner Motivation

• The “neglected heart” of our understanding of how to design instruction.

• Particularly an issue for teens, due to:

ZZZZZZZ

Learner Motivation For Teens

Exploit learners’ natural curiosity to explore the world, which is at its most powerful during teenage and young adult years

Learner Motivation For Teens

Make the input material relevant to them. Do they believe that what they are learning will be useful to them soon?

Learner Motivation for Teens

“The simplest way to ensure that people value what they are doing is to maximise their free choice and autonomy”

- Good & Brophy, 2004

Learner Motivation for TeensThree strategies* to encourage positive

self-evaluation:

Promote / Reward

Effort rather than

Ability

Provide

MotivationalFeedback

IncreaseMotivation

via Rewards, not Grades

*Dornyei, 2001

A word about technology…

Class Time Is Precious Time: Technology Can Optimize It

• Exposure / input and repetition: outside the classroom as much as possible.

• Use precious class time for:• discussion• interaction• group work• tasks requiring teacher

supervision• face-to-face intelligent error

correction

The Web allows learners to go beyond learning: to create

#efl #esl #elt #edtech #iatefl #tesol #eltchat

Some Ed-Tech Gurus

Some final points about teens and EFL

Language is part of one’s identity and is used to convey this identity to others.

Teens’ identity is in full-swing evolution, so both L1 sophistication and L2 learning have a significant impact on the social being of the learner.

*Thanasoulas, 2007

If we can integrate English into teens’ idea of self, we turbo-charge their learning, retention, and enjoyment of the process.

*Thanasoulas, 2007

Unlocking Learner Motivation In The Age Of The Digital Native

Twitter: @paulmaglione@englishattack

Web: www.english-attack.comBlog: http://blog.english-attack.com

E-mail: paul.maglione@english-attack.comLinkedIn: Paul Maglione