The six Cs of Motivation In English Language Learning: Challenge

The third C in our motivation series, Challenge, suggests that when students are given challenging tasks, they are more motivated to learn. When the task is too easy, they get bored and disinterested.  Challenging, in language learning, may be the language level of the resource the student is confronted with (written text, audio/video, etc.) or the cognitive challenge of the task.

Regarding language level challenges, our platform provides a placement test to ensure that students enter a course at the appropriate language level to provide sufficient challenge to motivate and engage them. Teachers can also identify individual students for whom the level is too high (too challenging) or too low (not sufficiently challenging) by looking at the online reports and create an individualized learning path that will be on the level to engage the student.

Regarding the cognitive challenges, our platform provides tasks requiring lower order thinking and higher order thinking. The intensity of higher order thinking tasks (tasks requiring analysis, evaluation, or creation as opposed to simply remembering or understanding facts) increases towards the end of each course thereby, contributing to student motivation.

In all cases, the student must be given challenges with sufficient knowledge skills and support to be able to deal with them. When this is the case, student motivation is likely to be increased.