Previous section was Project

Teaching EFL is a game of opposites with trying to motivate the students. On the other hand they don't really want to learn EFL. They don't want to learn languages. It’s dull. It’s boring. Or at least so they feel, so you have to try to make it exciting. On the other hand, they see languages around them all the time. Hollywood has pervaded the entire world for better or for worse, and much of the information on the media is in English. Wherever they might live there are tourists who speak English and if they want to tour other places, they realize that they’re going to have to speak the international language. If they’re older only older people do research? How old is older?, they realize that they’re going to have to do research in English. These things don't really have to be told to them, although we’re expected to tell the students these things in order to motivate them. Well, they know it already and on the one hand it’s a motivation and on the other hand it’s not. It is a motivation because they want to be able to communicate with people from around the world. On the other hand, it’s not a motivation because it’s English. So we have a bit of circular reasoning over here, and the way to speak to them is going to be complicated. Perhaps a class discussion about the needs for studying English or the reasons for studying English will bring out all of these factors and others and as a result maybe these fine students will choose or select the type the reason that they that interests them the most for studying English. At any rate, it’s a job which involves constant reinforcement of that motivation and reminders of the motivation during the entire time of the lessons.

An important factor with teaching EFL is the need for variety. That is the topic for the next section.