Motivation and Demotivation in CLIL, EFL & SLA
1. Motivation, Demotivation and CLIL
Motivation is very important in CLIL because students learn both content and language at the same time. When lessons are interesting and connected to real subjects like science or geography, students feel more engaged and motivated. CLIL can increase motivation because learners see a clear purpose for using the language. However, demotivation can appear if the language level is too difficult or if students do not understand the content. Teachers should support students with clear explanations, visuals and scaffolding strategies. By providing help and meaningful activities, CLIL lessons can become motivating and help students develop both language and academic skills successfully.
2. Motivation and Demotivation in EFL
In EFL learning, motivation plays a key role in students’ success. When learners are motivated, they participate more, practise the language and feel confident using English. Teachers can increase motivation by using games, songs, stories and communicative activities that make learning enjoyable. However, demotivation can happen when lessons focus too much on grammar or when students repeat the same topics every year. This can make them feel bored and think they are not progressing. To avoid this, teachers should introduce new content, encourage communication and create a positive classroom environment where students feel comfortable using English.
3. Motivation, Demotivation and SLA
In Second Language Acquisition (SLA), motivation is one of the most important factors for successful learning. Students who are motivated usually make more effort to practise the language and interact with others. They are also more willing to take risks and communicate even when they make mistakes. On the other hand, demotivation can slow down the learning process. It may appear when learners feel anxious, bored or believe that learning a language is too difficult. Teachers can reduce demotivation by giving comprehensible input, interesting activities and positive feedback. A supportive learning environment helps students stay motivated and continue developing their language skills.
Hard CLIL vs Soft CLIL
Hard: is subject-led, where a subject teacher aims for dual learning of content and language.
Soft: is language-led, where a language teacher uses content topics primarily as a vehicle for language instruction.
Using the Terms BICS and CALP
BICS (Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills) refers to the social language used in casual conversation, typically acquired in 1–3 years. However, learners may not yet have developed the CALP (Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency) needed to understand the complex, abstract, and context-reduced language of a history lesson, which can take five or more years to acquire.
a) Who are the teachers in EFL? Two types and competences
The two main types of EFL teachers are:
- Homeroom primary teachers (generalists)
- L2 language specialists
These teachers need competences such as:
- Proficiency in the target language
- Instructional competences (lesson planning, scaffolding, assessment)
- The ability to create a motivating classroom environment