Motivation in the ESL Classroom
William T. Lile

Introduction
Motivation is the key to all learning. Lack of motivation is perhaps the biggest obstacle faced by teachers, counselors, school administrators, and parents. Behavioral problems in the classroom often, or always, seem to be linked to the lack of motivation. Ruth Peters states that, "academic achievement is more a product of appropriate placement of priorities and responsible behavior than it is of intelligence." (Peters) Intelligent students are often out-performed by less bright students with high motivation. If a child is motivated enough he/she can accomplish learning of any scale.
Intrinsic Motivation
The main idea of motivation is to capture the child`s attention and curiosity and channel their energy towards learning. Intrinsic motivation is motivation from within the student (Lumsden). An intrinsically motivated student studies because he/she wants to study. The material is interesting, challenging and rewarding, and the student receives some kind of satisfaction from learning. I have one such student. She is a senior at my high school. She never misses a homework, is always using her dictionary when a word comes up she doesn`t know, and as a result of these kinds of habits she always does well on her tests. One time I just checked to see if the students had their homework done or not, and after class she asked me if she had any mistakes on her homework or not. She prefers tasks that are moderately challenging. She demands more effort from herself and has a need for deep understanding. To have an intrinsically motivated student is the goal of all motivational development.
Extrinsic Motivation
An extrinsically motivated student studies and learns for other reasons. Such a student performs in order to receive a reward, like graduating or passing a test or getting a new shirt from mom, or to avoid a penalty like a failing grade (Lumsden). Here is a description of one of my  extrinsically motivated students. She is a very good student, and actually shows signs of being intrinsically motivated, but in general she is inclined to put forth the minimal effort necessary to get the maximal reward. When I give an assignment in class, she often tries to chat with her friends or fails to get started, but if I say this will be taken up and graded, she is often the first one finished. Her intrinsic motivation shows when the material is of great interest to her, or something she feels strongly about. Also, if I can get her curious about something, without her being distracted, she works hard at it. She performs well, as with many of my students who are extrinsically motivated, if I give her a task where she has control, the task is very clear, and she is involved in the dynamics of the class. It seems that when intrinsic motivation is low or absent, extrinsic motivation must be used. Although extrinsic motivation can, and should, be used with intrinsically motivated students, too. If students aren`t given a reward or credit for their efforts, and no feedback is given to the student, then most students` intrinsic motivation would begin to decrease.
Becoming Intrinsically Motivated
There are many ways teachers can help their students become intrinsically motivated. Krashen writes of a mild level of anxiety, or "low affective filter" in the classroom and in the whole learning environment (Cerny). The attitude the student has towards the learning environment, the teacher, the material, and towards him/herself all affect this level of anxiety (Bantjes). A student will find it difficult to perform in a stressful environment.
Proper Instruction
Proper classroom explanation is needed by the teacher, so the students can well understand what is expected of them (Harris). In the ESL classroom this is more apt to create anxiety because the explanations are given in another language that takes even more effort by the students to comprehend than their own language. A well-planned lesson is essential. The teacher must be creative and flexible. Depending on the nature of the class and the students` levels, the dynamics of the class must be appropriate. I teach a first year high school class of 12 boys who are very energetic. I can generally teach at the i+1 level, a little above what they already know. But sometimes when they don`t understand, I have to change gears and think of another way as to not lose the energy of the class. I also teach a class of 12 second year boys who are not energetic at all. The lessons must be very simple, yet fun and interesting, with a lot of changes from a writing exercise, to a speaking, a listening, back to writing, and so on, all in the same class. The students` span of attention and levels are lower, so if something is a bit challenging they don`t have what it takes to do it. Unlike the first year boys who enjoy challenging materials and will try harder to understand some things on their own. The type of student I am trying to mold is one who, when faced with something he doesn`t understand, will say "Hmm, I think I know what he means, I`ll give it a try