We all know that learning English takes time and effort, and that’s why being (and staying) motivated is really important if we are to succeed. Which of these reasons here do you feel are important for you?
I’m learning English …
1. because I want to go on holiday to other countries.
2. because I need it for work.
3. because people around me learn English and I want to do the same.
4. because I want to live and work abroad one day.
5. for greater access to the internet.
6. because I like the language – it’s beautiful to me.
7. because it’s the number one language.
8. to study at university.
9. because it’s difficult and I like a challenge.
10. because American, British or other English-speaking cultures interest me.
11. to be able to understand movies, books and songs better.
12. because I’m good at it and I like the success I have in learning English!
13. so that I can pass my school exams.
14. to be able to make friends with people from different cultures.
15. because I’ve studied English for a long time; it would be strange to stop now!
16. to get a boyfriend or girlfriend!
Did you say yes to more than one of these reasons? That’s good because it means you don’t have to rely on just one reason to see you through. We think that good learning involves knowing why you are learning, monitoring your motivation levels, and finding ways to keep up your interest and enthusiasm.
If you said yes to any of these numbers: 1, 2, 4, 8, 11, 13...
...you have clear reasons for learning English. These reasons are really important because with them in mind you can decide what to learn and you are able to set long-term and short-term goals for yourself. Reasons like these are called ‘extrinsic’, or coming from outside of you.
If you said yes to any of these numbers: 6, 9, 12, 15...
...you see learning English as its own reward, and you get satisfaction from learning itself. This is called ‘intrinsic’ motivation and it’s a fantastic resource in your learning journey because it shows that you benefit from the learning process itself even if you don’t need English for any extrinsic reason.
If you said yes to any of these numbers: 1, 3, 4, 10, 14, 16...
...you see speaking English as having important social advantages. Motivation comes from the people you speak with and this is perhaps the most powerful incentive – for friendship, group identification and love!
One really useful exercise is to write down your reasons and keep them somewhere safe. Use the list as a checklist and way of monitoring your motivation on a regular basis. If one source of interest in learning English is letting you down, then maybe you can see another to take its place for a while.
Do you have other reasons that aren’t in the list above? You can write them this way: I’m learning English because… / so that… / to… / to be able to…. Now add them to your list!
Another useful exercise – complete these sentences so that they are true for you:
I think the most important reason why I’m learning English is…
But I also think that…
It’s definitely true that…
Maybe in the future I will…
You probably have an English-learning notebook, but you might like to try your own online notebook. Try penzu.com, a great place to keep your thoughts and notes. It looks just like a notepad but saves what you write so you can see it any time from any computer. If you click here, you can get some help on how to make penzu work for you as a learner – thanks to Nick Peachey for that!
Finally, here is a YouTube clip of learners from different countries talking about their reasons for learning. (you'll have to open a separate tab and paste in the address). Listen and think about the following questions:
What are their reasons?
Where do you think they are from?
Which is your favourite accent? Why?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eCuhdbXuw0
We are really interested to find out about your motivations. Have you got other reasons for learning English? How do you keep your motivation levels high?
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