Stimulating Student Interest in Language Learning

Theory, Research and Practice

Tan Bee Tin

• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
• Year: 2016
• ISBN:
  9781137340429
• Topic: Sprachen & Linguistik
• Subtopic: Sprachwissenschaft

This book explores the issues and concerns many language teachers have in not just helping able students to learn a foreign or second language but more importantly how to get reluctant learners to become interested in language learning. Tin proposes 'interest' as an important construct that requires investigation if we are to understand second language learning experiences in a modern globalised world. The book offers both theoretical explorations and empirical findings arising from the author's own research in the field. Chapters demonstrate how various theoretical and empirical findings can be applied to practice so as to raise the awareness of the importance of interest in language learning and teaching. For teacher trainers and educators, researchers, and practising language teachers, this comprehensive study provides tools to stimulate student interest in language learning for successful language learning.

Part I
Interest: Definitions and Theories

© The Author(s) 2016

Tan Bee TinStimulating Student Interest in Language Learning10.1057/978-1-137-34042-9_1

Begin Abstract

1. Introduction (‘Interest’ as a New Conceptual Lens)

Tan Bee Tin¹

(1)

The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand

End Abstract

1.1 Introduction

The term ‘interest’, which is widely researched in the learning of various disciplinary subjects, is a missing anomaly in second language learning and teaching research. This absence is partly due to a widespread view of language as a non-content-specific, communicative tool. Despite being a popular term used by second language practitioners with regard to selecting ‘interesting’ language teaching materials, its definition has rarely been discussed in detail. In a globalised world, where language learning and teaching occurs in various diverse contexts, new conceptual lenses have been offered as alternatives to motivation to understand students’ complex language learning experiences. Among them, ‘interest’, a content-specific and context-specific construct, is a key to understanding second language learning in a formal educational setting in a modern globalised world.

1.2 ‘Interest’—A Missing Anomaly in Second Language Learning and Teaching Research

Despite being a widespread term used in everyday language as well as in education, ‘interest’ is a missing anomaly in the discipline of applied linguistics and language learning/teaching research. This absence seems to lie in our view of language as a tool rather than an object, as a means to an end rather than an end in itself. Unlike other subjects such as maths, arts or science, when we talk about language learning, we see language as a non-content-specific vessel, a mediating or subsidiary tool to assist students with the learning of other subjects, and the performing of various communicative activities. This view of language as a ‘non-content-specific’ or a ‘content-less’ tool which can be filled with any content may have led to the absence of ‘interest’ (a content-specific construct) in the discipline of language learning/teaching research.

However, ‘interest’ has been widely discussed and researched in various disciplines such as science (e.g. Swarat et al. 2012), maths (e.g. Köller et al. 2001), physical education (e.g. Sun et al. 2008), history (e.g. Dan and Todd 2014; Del Favero et al. 2007), general education (e.g. Pregitzer and Clements 2013), literacy (e.g. Guthrie et al. 2006), literature (e.g. Ainley et al. 2002), art (e.g. Silvia 2009), and so on. This book proposes that ‘interest’ is an important construct to be considered in the domain of language learning and teaching and that ‘interest’ is all the more important because any kind of non-language content (‘content’ in a general sense encompassing materials, activities, topics, texts) can enter our language curriculum, with differences in their potentials for stimulatingstudents’ interest.

1.3 ‘Interest’—A Popular but Ill-Defined Term in Second Language Teaching Materials

Despite its virtual non-existence in second language teaching/learning research apart from a few studies in recent years (e.g. Doran 2013; Tin 2013; Wiśniewska 2013), the term ‘interest’ has been widely used by second language practitioners in their discussions of language teaching materials, especially with reference to choosing interesting texts for reading and learning language (e.g. Macalister 2011; Tomlinson 2013; Tomlinson and Masuhara 2013). For example, the word ‘interest’ (or ‘interesting’) appears as one of the items in Tomlinson and Masuhara’s (2013) evaluation of language teaching materials: ‘texts with potentially interesting content’ (p. 235); ‘the texts and activities do not engage the interest of foreign students’ as one of the most common complaints language teachers make about language teacher materials (p. 247). Similarly, Macalister (2011) proposes ‘interest’ as one of the important criteria for reading materials and language curriculums (e.g. ‘the texts and tasks interest the learners’ (p. 162); ‘the text should interest the target learners because of its content; looking for answers to their own questions should also interest the learners’ (p. 165)).

What is implied in such uses is a view of interest as a textual property, residing in the text or the task. The focus has been on one aspect of interest, often known to interest researchers as ‘text-based interest’ (‘an emotional state aroused by specific text features’ (Schiefele 1996, p. 4)) which is different from ‘topic interest’ (a specific form of individual interest) which is conceived of as an individual’s ‘relatively stable evaluative orientation toward certain topics’ (Schiefele 1996, p. 4). In the field of language learning and teaching, there has been a dearth of discussion concerning what ‘interest’ really means, what may make some texts, topics, or tasks more interesting than others, and how students and people may develop a particular kind of interest in the first place. It is often assumed that the use of certain authentic genres and text types such as jokes, songs and stories (narratives) or some activities (such as ‘looking for answers to their (learners’) own questions’ as indicated in Macalister’s (2011) discussion of reading materials) are inherently interesting and will engage students affectively.

However, as language teachers, we may have encountered students who don’t like reading literature, don’t like reading at all, don’t like songs, or don’t like ‘looking for answers to their own questions’. We may have also met students enrolled in an ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) writing class wanting to practise speaking instead. We may have also encountered students who do not like learning grammar or vocabulary and simply learn it to pass examinations. So, how do we help such reluctant language learners in learning language and performing various language learning activities they are not interested in? How do we help students who don’t like reading to develop an interest in reading in a second language? How do we nurture an interest in writing among students who prefer to practise speaking despite being enrolled in a writing class? How do we stimulate students’ interest in learning grammar or vocabulary? Language teaching materials have often been accused of appealing to a particular group of people such as middle-class, urban students (e.g. see Gray 2010; Wajnryb 1996). How do we make sure that they appeal to other groups of students as well?

Many discussions concerning teaching language skills (e.g. reading, writing, listening, speaking) and language systems (e.g. vocabulary and grammar) have focused on the cognitive aspect of language learning. The focal point of such discussions has been on investigating the cognitive structure of various components of language and the cognitive processes involved in learning them. For example, if we look at how to teach reading, there is an abundance of discussion concerning the cognitive processes involved in reading such as top-down processes and bottom-up processes and the various types of knowledge involved in reading such as schematic knowledge (knowledge about the world) and systemic knowledge (language-specific knowledge). Similarly, if we consider teaching writing, many have documented the cognitive processes such as brainstorming, drafting, editing, revision involved in writing and the implications for teaching writing. Likewise, discussions concerning teaching grammar or vocabulary have also centred on the cognitive aspects: the nature of grammar or vocabulary as consisting of form and meaning and the cognitive processes involved in learning grammar (e.g. noticing, hypothesising, restructuring) or vocabulary (e.g. passive or active vocabulary knowledge, memorisation, use of meta-cognitive and cognitive strategies).

The affective aspect of various language skills and language systems has often been neglected. A pertinent issue that concerns many language teachers is not just about how to help students to learn grammar, learn vocabulary, learn to read or write efficiently (i.e. developing relevant cognitive skills related to grammar, vocabulary, reading or writing) but more importantly about how to get reluctant readers, unenthusiastic writers or learners lacking interest in grammar/vocabulary to become interested in reading/writing in a second language, or learning grammar/vocabulary respectively. ‘Interest’ is an important construct to be investigated in order to help us address some of those issues.

1.4 ‘Interest’—A New Conceptual Lens for Second Language Learning in a Globalised World

We can no longer treat all language learning experiences and languages the same in the modern globalised world. Languages vary in their currency in the share market of languages. While some languages such as English have increased in status as international languages, becoming highly sought after global commodities, other languages are treated as heritage languages with emotional attachment, for example an ethnic minority group learning the language of their heritage which is at the brink of extinction. Yet some other languages may be learned for various personal purposes, for example, learning foreign languages such as Korean, Chinese, or French by students in Myanmar (also known as Burma) in order to help with job hunting in the booming area of hotels and tourism in Myanmar; or Vietnamese sellers learning Russian in a seaside town in Vietnam which is a popular holiday destination for Russian tourists.

Among various languages, English language in particular is nowadays taught, learned, and used in various diverse contexts. As the context in which English language learning, use and teaching diversifies, the status of English language and the activity of English language learning too have diversified. Various conceptual lenses and concepts have been proposed as alternatives to motivation in order to understand diverse language le...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Frontmatter
• 1. Interest: Definitions and Theories
• 2. Exploring the Interest Construct with Reference to Second Language Learning/Teaching
• 3. Stimulating Student Interest in Language Learning: Applying Theory and Research to Inform Teaching and Practice
• Backmatter