Universidad Del Valle

Lic. en Lenguas Extranjeras

Applied Linguistics Seminar
Professor Carlos Mayora
Diego Julin Arcos Carrero
Cdigo 228470

Classroom Management in EFL Mainstream School Classrooms: A Case for

Motivation
Success, regardless the field of endeavor, has always been associated to
motivation and in language learning, this has not been an exception. Moreover, the
role of motivation and the different factors which influence our attitudes towards
second language learning have been the subject of a great deal of research. The
effects of age, sex, social factors among others have been analyzed in detail by
researchers throughout the past decades. However, when we come to think about
motivation an important question is raised: Is motivation permanent? Well, the
answer is simple: No and neither is bathing *. That is why it is a practice that, as
bathing, should be exercised on the daily basis and all the elements that might
constitute an influential factor to increasing or not motivation inside the classroom
are worth giving some thought. Therefore, the purpose of this paper addresses the
role of motivation and its relation to classroom management within a context on
which little research has been conducted; mainstream school system on EFL
educational contexts. This will be done by means of an analysis of the existing
theory on classroom management, as well as motivation; enriched by a spate of
observations and interviews I conducted at a bilingual school in Colombia in 2013,
as well as practical reflections based on several years of experience.
Classroom management
Classroom management is often inadvertently misassociated to misfits in the
class and disruptive behavior. In fact, in 1981 the US National Educational
Association reported that 36% of teachers said they would probably not go into
teaching if they had to decide again. A major reason was

* Hilary Hinton "Zig" Ziglar, American

author and motivational speaker

"negative student attitudes and discipline" (Wolfgang, 1986). Although this is not
entirely wrong, it is a very limited view of the issue. Spratt, Pulverness & Williams
(2005) point out four main aspects related to effective classroom management, i.e.,
a) Teachers roles, b) Grouping learners, c) Correcting learners and d) Giving

feedback. They explain that the eachers role varies according to the different
stages of teaching; these roles are based on the SSBI Model (Cohen, 1998).
Furthermore, they emphasize that the correct choice of appropriate teacher roles
will help lessons run more smoothly and make teaching more effective. Regarding
grouping, they consider that it should be determined by three aspects; interaction
patterns (open class, group work, pair work, and individual work), learning styles
(learners needs, personalities, and relationships with other in class), and the
teachers aim. This will give you better control of the class, in terms of dealing with
mixed-ability groups (scaffolding) or personality differences (shy learner with an
outgoing one to promote fluency). The way we correct our students is also
important, bearing in mind that correcting every mistake learners make might
become a constant heckler to the class dynamics. Finally, feedback given to
learners regarding their skills not only motivates learners but also helps them
understand what their problems are and, above all, how to improve them. It is
important to point out that, besides the aforementioned benefits proposed by Spratt
et al, these last two aspects have another greater influence on students
motivation, that is, how we correct our students and the type of feedback we give
them may help us, or not, build rapport, which is essential to effective teaching; in
the end, no one wants to be taught by someone they do not like.
Motivation
In 2005, Zoltn Dornyei proposed a new motivation model to account for the
different outcomes of L2 learners with a wider applicability than the previous model
(Dornyei, 2005). The L2 Motivational Self System, which is based on learners
mental representations of their future selves, proved to have overcome the
limitations of scope of its predecessor, which was based on a very particular
context, the Canadian French Immersion Programs. The L2 Motivational Self
System introduced a new conception of motivation based on the self-discrepancy
theory, which proposes that motivation is the desire of reducing divergence
between the Ideal self and the Ought self; the former is related to attributes of L2
someone would like to posses whereas the latter is related to the attributes ofL2
one believes ought to possess. Furthermore, it not only provided applicability in a
wider range of context, but also gave a deeper understanding of Instrumentality,

which had been poorly developed in the past. It proposed two new conceptions:
Instrumentality-prevention, which was closely related to the Ought-self and
Instrumentality-promotion, which was closely related to the Ideal-self.
However revealing this model might be, other aspects are to be borne in mind
when thinking about motivation. Research has clearly shown that social factors
shape learners attitudes towards the target language and its culture (Ellis, 1994).
The different contexts, whether natural or educational, will foster different attitudes.
Additionally, ESL setting, where the class is usually multilingual and the learners
are living in the culture of the target language, and EFL setting, where the class is
usually monolingual and the learners are living in their own country, affect learners
motivation in a different way (Krieger, 2005). For example, integrative motivation
will be higher on ESL students due to the applicability of the L2 in their daily life
whereas instrumental motivation will be higher on EFL if the education system
emphasizes reward of high score of tests, which is the case of mainstream school
system. Here, it is important to integrate other motivational factors that differentiate
EFL/ESL mainstream school students from EFL/ESL academy students.
Whatever their motivation might be, whether integrative or instrumental,
academy students have a strong reason to attend English classes, while school
students must attend English classes whether they want to or not, since these are
just part of the school curriculum. This type of motivation is certainly incidental,
when referring to disruptive behavior outbursts. Students who feel they would
rather be anywhere else but school might start up a conversation with a classmate
or draw the groups attention by doing something silly, in hopes of getting the fun
they do not find in the school context. Therefore, it is essential not only to promote
positive attitudes in students but also to understand the source of their negative
attitudes. Doing so will give you a steadier ground to assess their behavior and
intervene more efficiently. Students tend to be more receptive when you talk things
over with an understanding approach rather than a punitive one.
Age, sex, and social class might appear to have the strongest incidence in
shaping learners attitudes and disruptive behavior when describing social factors;
nevertheless, family it is also a decisive factor. Parental involvement is usually
higher in immersion school contexts, considering the fact that these are optional

programs (Ellis, 1994). Parents may play an active role, since they monitor
curricular activities and help students form attitudes that may or not contribute to
successful language learning. In addition, family dynamics are not always as
beneficial as they should ideally be. Divorce, separation, or death; for instance,
even though they are not directly related to school matters, these factors tend to
lead to disruptions in class. Rachel Ehmke, from the Child Mind Institute in New
York, explains, After losing a loved one, a boy may go from crying one minute to
playing the next. His changeable moods do not mean that he isn't sad or that he
has finished grieving; rather children cope differently than adults, and playing can
be a defense mechanism to prevent a child from becoming overwhelmed. It is
advisable to consult with the school psychologist when you notice sudden changes
in behavior; this might just be a way to show you that something unusual is going
on. Once more, when dealing with disruptive behavior, understanding is often more
effective than punishment.
Hitherto, negative attitudes and the role they play in classroom management
have been discussed. However, positive attitudes might represent a problem in the
classroom when the focus of that motivation is not the class per se. Paulo Freire,
emphasized on the importance of vernacular practices within the classroom and
teaching (Freire, 1970; Freire, Macedo, 1989). However high integrative motivation
in a group of students is, nobody lives for English, that is, there are always other
motivational elements in their environment which must not be neglected. According
to Freire, students are not empty vessels waiting to be filled up with knowledge,
conversely, they know, think and, most of all, live for many other things different
from the class. Thus, as Freire pointed out, teachers should talk with their students,
instead of merely talking to them; this will lead to a better understanding of their
world outside classroom walls. Furthermore, incorporating their world to class
activities will ineludibly lead to a deeper engagement of students to the class,
smoother and more fun classes, and less occurrence of disruptive behavior.
Conclusions
Classroom management involves more elements than simply disruptive
behavior. Aspects like teacher roles, how students are grouped, how we correct
and give feedback to students will affect the dynamics of the class; especially

those related to building good teacher-student rapport. In addition, issues

regarding motivation such as, types of motivation and social factors which
influence learners attitudes are to be considered when addressing a situation of
disruption. The key is understanding rather than punishing. Nevertheless, it is
important to clarify that this does not necessarily mean being friends with students
or ignoring disruptive behavior, after all, a teacher must be an image of authority in
the classroom and a participant of the students personal growth as a future
member of the community

Reference:
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