The Best Predictor of Success in Second Language Is Motivation, Essay Example

The ability to learn depends mostly on the individuals willingness to do so. For a teacher who is trying to infuse young minds with a passion for acquiring proficiency at French as a second language, there is a hurdle to overcome and that is motivation. Motivation is key to successfully learning anything, especially a second language. Part of the difficulty that a teacher encounters in teaching a second language such as French is that it is typically not used anywhere where the student normally goes, except in the classroom, unless of course that teacher/student lives in Quebec, Canada or near another French speaking province. In order to motivate students to learn French successfully, there are a few tools the teacher can utilize in order to get students excited about mastering the French language.

One of the best ways to get children excited about learning French is to introduce them to French culture.  There have been many scholars who have written about the importance of appreciation of a language community in successfully mastering their language (Reynolds, 1991).  While appreciation of French culture is not solely responsible for being able to learn French, it will help considerably in motivating students to learn the language. Showing French films and French cuisine are just two ways in which teachers can bring French culture into the classroom adding a visual and tactile experience to a French language class.  Breaking up mundane bookwork with a French cultural experience will give the students the opportunity to put what they are learning in class in a cultural context.

Another important tool that has been explored for learning French as a second language is the use of humor.  Jean-Pierre Berwald explores the use of humor in teaching French in his article, Teaching French Language and Culture by Means of Humor.  He writes, “We [teachers] consider humor to be important for obvious reasons – to enliven our classes, to establish and maintain rapport, to create the appropriate ambiance for learning, and to enhance student acquisition and retention (Berwald, 1992).” Incorporating humor into French textbooks as a learning aide has been done since the 1970’s, and continues to this day. However, teachers don’t have to rely on the textbooks to incorporate humor into the classroom. Teachers can ask students to organize short, comedic skits in French or to write silly rhyming poems.  Humor can also be found in the many faux pas that can occur when students encounter cultural differences. “The humor caused by the clash of cultures serves as an excellent teaching device since it not only points out useful vocabulary but prepares one to function in another setting as well (Berwald, 1992).”

French culture is ripe with humor. There are many wonderful French comedies,and cartoons for younger children, that are appropriate to show in the K-12 classroom. While at first some of the humor may escape students, due to the language and cultural differences, as students continue to grow in their mastery of French they will be able to appreciate it more and more.  Humor is a great motivator, as everyone likes to laugh and enjoy themselves. When learning is fun, it is easier to motivate students, especially the young ones. French teachers who are able to instill an excitement about French language and culture, using motivation tools such as humor, will naturally find their classroom  full of students eager to practice their French during class and after.

Teachers must work hard to keep students motivated to learn a second language, especially when the language is one that is not typically encountered in students daily lives. However, by instilling in students an appreciation of French culture is an effective way of motivating them to successfully master the language. Bringing French culture into the classroom, through media such as films, TV shows, art and food can instill a passion for all things French into students and motivate them to master the language. Who knows, a teacher may be so successful in instilling an appreciation of French culture into students that some may even motivate students to spend a summer studying in France and immersing themselves in the culture.

References

Berwald, Jean-Pierre (December 1992) Teaching French Language and Culture by Means of Humor. The French Review. 66(2), 189-200.

Reynolds, Allan G., Lambert, Wallace E. (1991) Bilingualism, Multiculturalism and Second Language Learning: The McGill conference in Honour of Walace E. Lambert. Hillsdale, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.