Stages Providing Motivation
The first three stages build the learner’s interest in
and motivation to change. Teachers sometimes underestimate
the importance of cultivating motivation before
asking learners to engage in the difficult tasks involved
in language acquisition. Dornyei and Ushioda (2011)
point to motivation as an essential starting place for
learner engagement in language learning, and it certainly
must be the starting point for a goal as difficult to
attain as the correction of fossilized errors.
Awareness of Language Deficiencies
Explanation: The catalyst for change occurs when
errors are recognized. For students coming from
systems in which their English teachers had either poor
proficiency or poor teaching skills, or both, having
speech and writing corrected by a proficient English
speaker can be very eye-opening. Such students often
discover multiple language deficiencies that they did not
really know they had. Through various types of interactive
course work, students are able to discover discrepancies
between their passive grammar knowledge
and their active language use.
Is contact with a proficient speaker within a context
appropriate for correction a requirement for this first
stage of awareness to take place? For many students, it
is. Without such intervention, students may know that
their English is not perfect, but they may likely believe
that the problem is that they do not know enough
English. They do not understand that the much greater
problem is their failure to use what they theoretically do
know.
Learner Perspective: “In the past, I thought that
my English would be good enough to teach English,
communicate, and fully understand in-depth
conversations because I graduated from the English
Department in my country and taught English, but I was
wrong. I did not really recognize my own errors in
speaking and writing before this. Then, I came to the
realization that I had poor proficiency in English. I was
very frustrated and embarrassed with myself. At that
time I started recognizing my own weaknesses, especially
in my pronunciation. It sounds like I am blaming
my language teachers when I say that I was never
taught how to pronounce English words correctly during
my language learning, but in reality I did not have
enough support or opportunity to hear correct pronunciation
or accurate word choices. In addition, I did
not know how to correct myself when I did notice
myself making mistakes.”