Motivating Adult students through anecdotes
Adult learners are too challenging but when you achieve to ” win their hearts”, they are too supportive of each other, they share experiences, and what is more important they learn English. But how do I win their hearts? How do I show them what I expect them to learn? What was that that would motivate my students to take part in discussions, to use English? According to Wlodkwoski “teacher’s experiences are very important to the students”. They want to know more about their teachers, their private life, their experiences, and their different stories.
For these reasons I use anecdotes. Anecdotes are short stories that could work as ice-breakers, or as a way to give them an important message. In my classes I have used anecdotes as a way to motivate, communicate and enhance cooperation in the learning process.
In every class that I teach I try to use anecdotes to attract their attention. I always relate the anecdotes with the topic that will follow. I use them as ice-breakers and also as a motivational tool for the class.
Why do we use anecdotes ?
First, anecdotes enhance classroom interaction and personalize the language tasks.
Second, through anecdotes we can enhance cooperation.
“Fragmented groups, characterized by uncooperative cliques, can easily become ineffective, thus diminishing the individual member’s commitment to learn” (Ehrman & Dorney 1998). to share their stories.
Third, students come to the EFL classes to learn English. What is our job? To impart this knowledge through the most effective means. Students learn best when they enjoy their classes. So, by using anecdotes we turn the English classes into ones of enjoyment and participation
So it is best advised that the students spend time together and share group history, learn about each other. An effective instructor should make use of the anecdotes in very class. He should ask all of them to participate and cooperate with their classmates,
