The Expert English Teachers’ Use of Motivational Strategy and Learning Styles for Teaching Young English Learners

Abstract

Objectives The aim of the current study is to analyze the expert English teachers’ use of motivational strategy and learning styles to suggest an effective teaching model for teaching English to young learners.
 Methods The teaching video clips of 7 expert teachers were randomly chosen for analysis from the EBS program titled, “The Best English Teachers”. Then Keller’s ARCS model (1987; 1994; 2010) was used as the framework to capture the motivational strategy use. In addition, Dunn & Dunn’s learning style model (1992; 1999) was adopted as the tool for analyzing how the expert teachers accommodated the students’ different learning styles.
 Results The result showed that the expert teachers made good use of ARCS motivational strategies. Consequently, the students were able to stay focused throughout the lesson, find the learning relevant to them, gain confidence in English, and feel satisfied with the lesson. Moreover, the expert teachers employed diverse tasks, satisfying the learners’ wide range of learning styles and preferences.
 Conclusions The findings of the study can be applied to developing English teaching programs specifically designed for young learners. Moreover, the suggested teaching model can serve as a useful guide, particularly for novice teachers who want to motivate and engage young English learners in the classroom.