The Language Teacher
November 2001
A System of Choice for Motivating Big Classes
Christopher Cuadra
Shokei Women's Junior College
The Problem
Many teachers at the secondary and tertiary level of education are faced with the perennial problem of how best to teach very large English classes (i.e., 30 or more students). Problems of maintaining discipline, checking attendance, and basic classroom management are just some of the headaches teachers have to deal with every time.
Such is the situation we presently face at Sendai College of Physical Education, in which 322 non-English majors must attend one 90-minute compulsory English class each week. With only five teachers (three Japanese and two foreign) available to teach this course, making it a ratio of about 64:1, the educational issues involved in teaching these classes are quite daunting.
The Solution
To solve this problem, a new course has been developed wherein the responsibility for learning is put squarely on the students' shoulders. As responsible learners are given the choice to direct their learning, they are expected to carry out courses of action, in the form of different tasks and activities, which are rewarded with points earned for their efforts (Burns & Candlin, 2001: 5).
Such a flexible system started a year ago, in which four self-access centers were created Listening/Speaking, Intensive Reading, Speed Reading, and Grammar where students, during class time, can learn on their own, choosing tasks according to their level of ability. Two more areas of study, Extensive Reading and Writing, were done by students outside of class. A goal of 500 points, established by the teachers, was the minimum set to pass the course. Within this framework, the system controls the choices made concerning what type, when, and how much effort will be expended.
The course is compulsory for two years so, although it may sound somewhat paradoxical, students are being forced to choose. Only by making a choice, making the effort, and achieving a result can they pass the course. This is based on the assumption that choice is a good thing and leads to increased motivation (Brown, 1994). Immediate feedback is given on their actual performance. As teachers, we hope there will be a "rub off" effect on their long-term motivation towards learning English.
Choice and Responsibility
A range of materials are available to allow individual students to choose tasks appropriate to their English proficiency level. How and when students study is left entirely up to them. They can visit any number of areas within a 90-minute class. Each week the students alone decide how long they stay in a class. They even have the choice to not come at all. Attendance is not taken.
Responsibility for learning starts with the student. In exchange for an element of choice, the student must accept the responsibility for learning. Likewise, the teacher must be willing to let go of controlling the class. The student must also accept the responsibility of solving any problems encountered by asking the teacher for help. The teacher, in turn, has a responsibility to ensure that the amount of effort made by the students directly correlates with the reward they receive in the form of points.
Reward
Motivation is the extent to which you make choices about (a) goals to pursue and (b) the effort you will devote to that pursuit. (Brown, 1994: 34)
The awarding of points is seen as an extrinsic force that motivates students into action, not only for a particular task on a given day, but on a consistent basis leading to the desired goal of achieving 500 points. As students become successful in completing the different tasks, the accumulated points heighten their self-esteem and build their self-confidence, thereby contributing to a positive cycle of achievement (Ellis, 1985: 119).
At the same time, the points provide immediate feedback, which is crucial to maintaining this cyclical process. The points are posted the following week for everyone to check their progress. This serves as the motivating factor that directs them to choose what they want to do next, such as try a more challenging listening task or write a philosophical essay, all for higher points. The tendency, therefore, would be to strive harder in order to get more and more points.
By reinforcing the students' behavior with points that have been externally imposed, they have a clear sense of direction characterized by tasks and activities that are moderately difficult knowing that the set goal of 500 points is obtainable within each year. Although the tasks are challenging, they can be completed within a reasonable amount of time. It is hoped that this reward system will foster the desired behavior and greater effort (Littlejohn, 2001), thus enhancing self-worth, for as Brown (1994: 37) puts it, "Motivation is highest when one can make one's own choices, whether they be in short-term or long-term contexts."
Results of Last Year's Course
The system began in April 2000 with 497 first year students. Two thirds passed the course, that is, they got over 500 points in a year. The average attendance was approximately 70% (where attendance is equal to the number of students who scored points each week).
50% of those who passed said the points system encouraged them to study. Of the remainder, 46% said it did not discourage them from studying, the reason being that most of them liked English anyway.
The three full-time English teachers are pleased with the change in the majority of student attitudes and effort being made. Students' queuing at doors before class time is now a regular occurrence. However, we would still like to see more students directly asking questions to the teachers.
Teacher preparation time outside class initially rose then stabilized at about an hour a week. Early in the year, about 20 students (4%) were caught cheating and had to start again from zero. Two students cheated again and were expelled from the course for a year.
Plans for the Future
Over the coming years we will try to expand the level and the range of content of the materials to adequately match the students' different levels of ability, hopefully by finding more material which is sports- or health-related. This is an on-going project, as relevant commercially available language learning material has to be carefully selected and some of them usually need adapting.
Another important issue to be considered is accountability - some way to measure the success or failure of the system. Getting 500 points is one measure, but the next step is to try to show a correlation between the number of points students get and their proficiency and attitudes towards English or studying in general.
A qualitative approach to this may be for selected students to keep a "diary" to be completed each week about the main activities completed, how they performed, the difficulties encountered and their feelings about them, and what they intend to do next (Dickinson, 1987). Not only will it guide them in their self-assessment, but also in selecting material more appropriate to their level. On the other hand, a quantitative approach that could also be used is a pre- and post-test to be given to a randomly selected sample of students. This is currently being considered.
References
Brown, H.D. (1994), Teaching By Principles, Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall.
Burns, A. and & Candlin, C. (2001), Problematising Language Learning and Teaching: Asking the right questions in the 21st century, The Language Teacher, 25 (6), 3-8.
Dickinson, L. (1987), Self-instruction in Language Learning, Cambridge: CUP.
Ellis, R. (1985), Understanding Language Acquisition, Oxford: OUP.
Littlejohn, A.P. (2001), Motivation: Where does it come from? Where does it go?, English Teaching Professional, 19, 5-8.
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