The use of poetry to enhance motivation in tenth graders

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(1)UNIVERSITY OF PEDAGOGICAL SCIENCES “FÉLIX VARELA”. FOREIGN LANGUAGES DEPARTMENT MAJOR PAPER. TITLE: THE USE OF POETRY TO ENHANCE MOTIVATION IN TENTH GRADERS AUTHOR: Julio César Paz González. ADVISER: Msc. Matilde Patterson Peña.. 2010-2011.

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(3) INTRODUCTION The expectations for the new millennium and the changes that have been happening throughout the world have affected all spheres of life. This means that there is a need to form more integral and humane individuals to face today’s challenges. Education stan ds as the foundation to meet these challenges since its main objective should be to educate people to be able to operate in the modern world. As Fidel Castro Ruz expressed in 2002, “the overall goal of Cuban education is the seek for a general education…”, and then he added… “we will be the best-educated people in the world by a broad margin and in a short period of time… ” (Castro Ruz 2002:11). Consequently, enrichment in the development of education and culture has been taking place all over the country. Following these new precepts and ambitions of parity and justice for the Cuban nation, an intense and thoughtful revolution has been carried out in our Educational System. In so doing, curricula and syllabi have been improved at every level of tuition, so as to renovate the teaching-learning process looking for a greater integration between each subject area, for a change from the structuralism of traditional teaching, to the implementation of student centered classes through which, among other things, students can diagnose themselves, and lead consciously to their own learning. Gleams of transitions have made the Cuban pre university enter upon a new phase which adds to the perfection of the general, all round education as a consequence of the myriad of changes adopted within the scope of the educational policy. The need for learning languages is more and more relevant each day. As Fidel Castro alleged on September 28, 2003, “hoy me he atrevido a afirmar que alguien que tenga buenos conocimientos acerca de matemáticas y del lenguaje podría ingresar en una universidad; no es que no valga lo otro, sino que el dominio adecuado de esas dos materias abre el camino de cualquier estudio.” (Castro Ruz 2003:6) As part of the goal to become ‘the best-educated people in the world’, learning languages has motivated many Cuban students and people in general the desire to study English and other languages. The integrated, all round, and global training of profitable learners involves the assimilation of at least one foreign language as a means of broadening their background knowledge and contemplation of the universe and its culture. 1.

(4) INTRODUCTION In the history of language teaching in Cuba, many methods and approaches have been used. Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) has been the a pproach that best fits the purposes of Cuban learners of English as a Foreign Language (EFL), since CLT is an approach to teaching that places great emphases on helping students use the target language in a variety of contexts. Its primary focus is to help learners create meaning rather than to help them develop perfect grammatical structures or acquire native -like pronunciation. This means that effective learning of a foreign language is assessed in terms of how well learners have developed their communicative competence, which can loosely be labeled as their ability to be able to communicate. These educative goals for the pre university students would be unapproachable if students’ motivation is set apart the process, as it directs the development of every human activity. Taking into consideration that each matter related to learning is unalienable human, and that every activity within the process of schooling is indissoluble to motivation and to the learning needs of those who study, an examination of 10th grade was done to inquire about a problem that many teachers have been interested in solving, and which is related to the lack of motivation on the part of many students in the pre university level. Even though, there have been some intention to improve materials for the pre university level and adapt some of the new transformations to the teaching of English at this level, there are still some weaknesses in terms of students’ lack of motivation towards the English lessons shown through inhibitions, lack of involvement and heed, and monotony. The causes may be varied, but what has become evident is that the materials that are being used still do not help to meet the challenge. Although there is some research related to this field, students do not feel enthusiastic toward learning English. Papers such as Geidys García’s major paper (García, Geidys 2010) addressed to solve this situation in the pre university level, but focused mainly on particular points of language teaching like reading or listening skills s pecifically; disregarding thereby the integrity of language as a social phenomenon, which means, not only focusing on the instructional aspects of the language, but also trying to help the individual become a more integral man in the society he is supposed to live in.. 2.

(5) INTRODUCTION Teachers in general try to adapt their lessons to students’ interests and needs. However, not all teachers aim at arousing creativity to make the lessons more appealing to students. There is not enough attention to finding ways to increase motivation, mainly among 10th graders. When secondary school students get to the pre university level, their expectations are usually high, so it is the teachers’ task to find ways to make them enjoy the level since the very beginning. As it has been experienced by the researcher and confirmed by observations and interviews, this represents one of the major problems faced by fo reign language teachers in the pre university level. With the maxim of deepening into the problem, a research was made to corrobo rate the fact that there is some rejection towards this subject. Because of what has been said before, the present paper pretends to give an answer to the following Scientific problem: How can teachers increase students’ motivation within the teaching learning process of English in the pre university level? Object of Study: students’ motivation within the teaching learning process of English. Field of Action: students’ motivation within the teaching learning process of English in10th grade. Objective: To propose a system of learning tasks to increase students’ motivation through the use of poetry in group 10.1 at Wilfredo Pérez Pérez pre university. In order to carry out this research the following Scientific Questions were elaborated: . Which theoretical and methodological judgments back up the use of poetry as a means to awaken 10th graders’ motivation within the teaching learning process of English in the Cuban pre university?. . What is the current situation regarding students’ motivation within the teachi ng learning process of English in 10th grade at Wilfredo Pérez Pérez pre university?. 3.

(6) INTRODUCTION . What system of learning tasks should be designed to help increase students’ motivation through poetry within the teaching learning process of English in10th grade at Wilfredo Pérez Pérez pre university?. . What is the specialists’ assessment of the proposal?. . What are the results of the implementation of the proposal in the educational practice? The answers to those questions are covered throughout the following Scientific Tasks:. . Determination of the theoretical and methodological judgments that support the use of poetry as a means to awaken 10th graders’ motivation within the teaching learning process of English in the Cuban pre university. . Diagnosis of the current situation regarding the students’ motivation within the teaching learning process of English in 10th grade at Wilfredo Pérez Pérez pre university.. . Elaboration of a system of learning tasks to help increase students’ motivation within the Teaching Learning Process of English in 10th grade at Wilfredo Pérez Pérez pre university.. . Assessment of the proposal by specialists.. . Evaluation of the proposal throughout its implementation in the educational practice.. The Population of this research is composed of 107 students who study in 10th grade at Wilfredo Pérez Pérez pre university, and the Sample is composed of 31 students of Group 10.1. The sample is purposefully selected on a non-probabilistic basis since the problem under study has a general connotation and can be present in any class from this level. In this specific case, it is a group that is at the threshold of the pre university level and has an English teacher willing to collaborate with the research. The following Variables were taken into consideration in this paper: . Dependent variable: motivation within the teaching learning process of English.. 4.

(7) INTRODUCTION . Independent variable: a system of poetry based learning tasks to increase students’ motivation. The following Research Methods have been used in this paper: From the theoretical level:. . Analysis-synthesis and Induction-deduction: to determine generalizations and empiric laws to define and confirm theoretical presuppositions from which other logical conclusions can be deduced and submitted to experimental testing. This has enabled the researcher to establish the relationship between motivation, language teaching and its contribution to the teaching learning process of English.. . Logical-historical: to understand the evolution and development of the phenomenon object of study, to reveal its history, the main stages of its development, and its major historical connections.. . Systemic approach: to explain the internal structure of the elements of the proposal, and model the interrelatedness among them. . . From the empirical level:. Surveys given to students of the target class: to determine students´ motivation toward the English lessons, and to presuppose the possible impact that the implementation of ‘Poetry-based learning tasks’ would have on encouraging them.. . Interviews given to teachers: to determine the factual situation on the teaching of English regarding materials and students’ motivation during the research and implementation stages.. . Class Observation: To assess the reaction of the students to the English lessons, their interest and involvement in the lessons during the research and implementation stages.. . Document analysis: to diagnose the orientations about motivation and methodological suggestions regarding the teaching learning process of English in 10th grade.. . Specialists’ criteria: to assess the system of learning tasks proposed. . From the mathematical level: 5.

(8) INTRODUCTION . Percentage analysis: to process and quantify the data obtained during the research and implementation stages.. . Inferential statistics: to graph the data obtained throughout the research and implementation stages which helped to draw conclusions. . Practical Contribution and Scientific Novelty.. The significance and innovation of this paper lies on the design of a system of learning tasks aimed at increasing students’ motivation within the teaching learning process of English rooted in the knowledge and appropriate use of poetry. This is the first time that such a system of tasks is implemented in 10 th grade at Wilfredo Pérez Pérez Pre-university within the English subject, which aim is twofold. This duality is based on the fact that students will be encouraged to improve their skills in the target language in a motivating way, and they, as well, will consciously attain communicative competence by going through these tasks, intended at developing the elementary level expected for 10 th grade.. This paper is structured in seven parts: Introduction, Development, Conclusion, Recommendations, Bibliography and Annexes. The Development looks at the theoretical framework for a system of learning tasks on poetry to aid motivation. It identifies learning needs about motivation as a means to develop foreign language skills with 10 th graders at Wilfredo Pérez Pérez pre university. It also offers a theoretical and procedural rationale for the system of learning tasks and provides the consequent evaluation of the application of the proposal that has been designed and implemented.. 6.

(9) DEVELOPMENT 2.1 Theoretical and methodological judgments that back up the use of poetry within the teaching learning process of English in 10 th grade 2.1.1 Historical Background on the Teaching of English in pre university Under the materialistic conception of history, the different pedagogical theories, curricula, and teaching methods have been determined by the social and economic conditions of the society in which these are substantial basis for its proper and active development. The subject of English, within the national system of education, is an innovative answer to the political, economical, social, and cultural significance of foreign languages in today’s world. It is to this extent that the subject of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) plays an important role in helping the growing relationships between Cuba and the rest of the world. This subject helps the students understand, trouble-free, the scientific conception of the world, considering as a starting point the language as a social phenomena, and the relationship between thought, language, and culture. It, thus, provides the necessary tools for the analysis of language in order to deepen into the innermost features of that connection. Within the syllabus of pre university, the teaching of EFL has established as its main goal the achievement of an elementary level of communicative competence. By communicative competence, in this scope, is meant the comprehension, production, and management of meaning in the interaction between two or more people, or between a person and a text, written or oral. The subject of English has been the object of multitude changes since the revolutionary triumph, and has been the aim of several researches through the years. As a direct consequence, this subject has been taught under the conceptions of different methodologies and approaches. Methods like the audio lingual, audio-visual, chiefly structuralists, were used for many years until the seventies when course books started to be written for the pre university level. Although they remained structuralist, they used situations more related to the Cuban reality.. 7.

(10) DEVELOPMENT In the eighties the teaching of language turned its trends toward a communicative end, whose goal was to achieve a competent language user letting behind the linguistically idealness, resulting on diverse paradigm shifts. In the nineties, the earliest steps to renew the teaching of English in pre university were given, and have continued to our days. With the beginnings of the millennium, the curricular delineation of the subject of English in pre university has been nationally improved: the use of television and the introduction of new materials (tabloids) started to be implemented. The traditional structuralism teaching turned into the contextualized communicative perspective of teaching. Regarding the communicative approach, this change has meant the implementation of methodological principles to achieve communicative competence. Then, the teaching of EFL must not only add to the notional linguistic expertise, but to the capacity to acquire and improve new ideas and knowledge, which is to develop in the students the basic formulae and abilities which set them ready to interact in the foreign language in topics related to their school activities and social lives. Subsequently, it is imperative to teach English in an interactive and integrative way to help in the enhancement of the four major skills of foreign language teaching. Although this research is not aimed at dealing with the topic of methods of language teaching, it is essential, in a few words, to deal with the history of the teaching of English in pre university, as the goal of this work lies within its perspectives. 2.1.2 Motivation Before going any further in this work, the author considers indispensable to deepen into the psychological views of motivation, as it represents the object of study of this research. Trying to define motivation became the key aim of this part. One of the elements that foster constructive learning is interest. When an activity is not interesting, students are less likely to be motivated to accomplish it. The design of motivating activities is not a simple task, and teachers must be 8.

(11) DEVELOPMENT precise when doing so, as motivation is a determining and complex factor in the teaching learning process. 2.1.2.1 Definition of Motivation All along the literature reviewed were found diverse definitions of motivation as a psychological process. The definitions all agree upon the fact that it is a direct consequence of internal and external forces to the individual, and that it modifies behaviors and interaction. According to Geen (1995), motivation refers to the initiation, direction, intensity and persistency of human behavior. It is a reason or set of reasons for engaging in a particular behavior. The reasons may include basic needs (e.g., water, food, shelter) or an object, goal, state of being, or ideal that is desirable, which may or may not be viewed as positive. The motivation for a behavior may also be attributed to less-apparent reasons such as altruism or morality. Van Lier (1996:100), however, points out that the meaning of motivation depends on the perception of human nature that is used, in which context distinguishes between mechanistic and organismic theories, the former seeing the human organism as passive (e.g. behaviorism), and the latter seeing it as active (being volitional and initiating behaviors). The affiliation between psychology and pedagogy has had a wide spectrum of numerous implications. Nevertheless, in pedagogical sciences there are still some areas where the psychological study of the relationship between teaching, learning, and students’ achievement becomes pertinent. Precisely, one of those areas is the analysis of the particularities of motivational development in terms of the teaching learning process. Keller (1983:389) sees the individual as consciously aware, with motivation referring to "the choices people make as to what experiences or goals they will approach or avoid and the degree of effort they will exert in that respect ". Williams & Burden (1997:94) describe it as "state of temporary or prolonged goaloriented behavior which individuals actively choose to engage in", this state being context bound, but also amenable to change. The skill and will to learn and Snow & Farr's (1983) "purposeful striving" continue the focus on conscious 9.

(12) DEVELOPMENT choice and on applied awareness (attention) in the individual, a theme made more explicit by Kanfer & Ackerman (1989), who define motivation as: “The direction of attentional effort, the proportion of total attentional effort directed to the task (intensity), and the extent to which attentional effort toward the task is maintained over time (persistence).” (1989:661) The psychology of foreign language teaching is a new branch of pedagogical psychology, and it is aimed at revealing the nature and regularities of language assimilation. Psychologists on this area, base their presumptions on the verbal activity theory, and show how this theory can influence students’ habit formation. They have also deepened into the psycho-pedagogical views of motivation and motivating foreign language learners. Gardner & Smythe's (1975:222) original model of motivation contains four main components:. Motivation. Group Specific Attitudes. Learners’ motives for learning the target languages. Favorable versus unfavorable to the users of the target language. Motivational intensity. Integrative motivation. Instrumental motivation. Affective factor. Extrinsic and Intrinsic motivation. 1. Intersting in foreign language. 2. Anomie. 3. Need for achievement. 4. Ethnocentricism. 5. Authoritarianism. 6. Machiavelianism. In this chart are outlined the elements, according to Gardner & Smythe, that motivate students to learn a foreign language. Some other authors have also. 10.

(13) DEVELOPMENT named factors that encourage foreign language learning, but the graph above sums up the most relevant to our research. 2.1.2.2 Motivational Theories Foreign language learners place a dividing line between the vernacular and foreign language as a psychological response to the process of assimilation. This obstacle can be shown throughout assorted reactions such as inhibition, carelessness, or demotivation. It is up to teachers to meet the task of overcoming that psychological line. There is an ample repertoire of psychological theories regarding motivation. However, they can all be gathered into two main tendencies: behaviorism and cognitivism. The following chart best illustrates this:. Behaviorism Stimuli. provoke. Cognitivism immediate. response.. Stimuli. incite. a. series. of. mechanisms that mediate response.. Foster extrinsic motivation.. Foster intrinsic motivation.. Focused on the product.. Focused on the process.. After reviewing the chart, and not under appreciating the benefits that rewards and punishments could have on schooling; students that learn on the basis of behaviorism motives will soon assume passive attitudes toward learning, as they are just interested in the consequences of learning: reward. On the other hand, cognitivism claims for active students’ involvement in learning. Motivation is not an isolated term; it is closely related to affective and cognitive elements of individuals; as well as to social factors. Motivation is dynamic, and there is no such a global motivational theory that covers all its dynamism. Not all the several theories will be of our attention, but we attempt to describe those which are most remarkable to the research. 1. Need theories: in the first theory of needs and motivation, Maslow (Brown 1997) proposes a hierarchy of needs:. 11.

(14) DEVELOPMENT a. physiological needs: Students need to satisfy physical needs (hunger, warmth, avoidance of pain, sleep, etc.) before being able to give attention to learning. b. safety and security: risk-taking cannot occur unless students feel secure. Insecure learners can be very anxious. c. belongingness and love: Teachers can reduce anxiety and foster psychological security and feeling of belonging by developing a non-threatening climate, helping students relax, developing peer-support networks, and promoting self-confidence. d. esteem: self-esteem and self-perception are important factors in motivation for learning. e. self-actualization: students can regress in motivation and performance if needs (especially higher-order needs) for psychological security are not met. 2. Attribution theory: according to this theory people's causal ascriptions of past failures and successes determine future goal expectancy and therefore motivational achievement. Bandura (1989) suggests that ability attributions are associated with high self-efficacy, and the literature on causal attributions suggests that they have motivational properties based on their influenc e on expectancy. This theory states that higher satisfaction occurs when success is self-attributed (e.g. ability, effort) than when success is attributed to external factors (e.g. luck). 3. Equity theories: (Oxford & Shearin 1996:129). These are characterized by attention to the ratio between inputs (ability, personality, experience, student input) and outcomes (grades, ratings, praise, rewards), perceived discrepancies resulting in unhappiness and demotivation. The learner must believe that the expected results are worth the effort expended. 4. Expectancy theory: proposes that organisms anticipate events and that their behavior is thus guided by anticipatory goal states. The higher the expectancy for a behavior to produce a specific outcome (e.g. learn a language), the greater tends to be the motivation. Bandura (1989) suggests that the most. 12.

(15) DEVELOPMENT important expectancy is self-efficacy, referring to an individual's beliefs in his/her capacity to reach a certain level of performance or achievement. 2.1.2.3 Motivation in pre university Releasing the motivational triggers in teenagers is particularly complex, since stimulus has to be based on attractive activities which satisfy the peculiar needs of this unstable age. Some of the psychological needs of teenagers are: . Strong admiration to relevant personalities.. . Eagerness for novelty.. . Importance on group opinions.. . Awakening of sexuality.. 2.1.2.3.1 Motivational Strategies A briefly examination of some concepts, techniques and strategies which teachers can employ to motivate teenager students must be done. As Dornyei (2001: 116) notes, "teacher skills in motivating learners should be seen as central to teaching effectiveness". Thus, our main goal is to familiarize with a set of "motivational strategies" for motivating foreign language students. Prior to presenting some of these motivational strategies, it would be of relevance to say a few things about the teacher-learner relationship. Whichever way we look at it, this relationship is riddled with power and status. For many, power plays a large part in the relationship. The rights and duties of teachers and learners are related to power. In any social encounter involving two or more people, there are certain power relationships "which are almost always asymmetrical" (Wright, 1987: 17). Social psychologists distinguish between three different types of power - coercive, reward-based, and referent. The basis of coercive power is punishment. The basis of the second type of power is reward. Some individuals or institutions have the power to reward what they see as appropriate behavior. The basis of the third type of power is motivation. In this case, individuals or institutions appeal to the commitment and interest of others. In view of this three-fold paradigm, it is of importance to concern ourselves with. 13.

(16) DEVELOPMENT the fostering of learner motivation, as it is considered to be the most effective and proactive, so to speak, power relationship. According to Barrie Bennett (Bennett 2001:52), there are four concepts that teachers can control in the classroom; the proper management of these concepts may increase the chances the student will be motivated. Nonetheless, if teachers do not alternate strategies to engage the students ’ thinking actively within the teaching learning process, then these concepts will have illusory effects. Success: students are to experience success. In so doing, teachers need to teach at the correct level of difficulty and in a manner that actively involves the students in a meaningful learning. Concern: it increases the possibilities of conscious learning. In order to control concern, teachers can apply one or more of the following aspects: . Increase accountability: framing the question, wait time, checking. homework, and having standards all increase or decrease the students’ level of concern. . Visibility: moving around the room increases the chances students will. be involved in the lesson. . Time: if students know how much time they have to complete a task,. they are more concerned about the intensity of their effort. Meaningful: the more the learning relates to the students’ lives, the greater the chances the students will be involved in the learning. Interest: students are motivated to do those things that they find interesting. Humor and enthusiasm are two teachers’ behaviors that create interest. Curiosity also peaks students interests. Bennett also enumerates some strategies that could help teachers to induce motivation toward a task and to invoke active participation. Framing questions: provide the opportunity to rehearse within the safety of one’s mind or between partners prior to sharing publicly with the class.. 14.

(17) DEVELOPMENT Providing knowledge of the results: feedback from other students, parents, and own reflections, helps students to make decisions on what to do next. Knowing how they are doing motivates students to continue. Distribution of Responses: is the ability to balance questions in such a way as to encourage voluntary and compulsory participation. Complexity of thinking: is the ability to apply taxonomy of thinking to design questions of varying degrees of difficulty to meet the individual needs of students. Covert and Overt: shifting from covert to overt provides students safety to avoid negative forces such as fear of failures, and perception of being dependen t on others to help them. Responding to students’ responses:. understanding the student’s. response, and knowing how to maximize the response influence whether the student wishes or not to continue being involved in the process of learning. On the other hand, Gerry Abbott (Abbott 1989:268) mentions three ways of maintaining attention and momentum; interest, challenge, and enjoyment. The former is based on choosing adequate topics and withholding an outcome from the class until the right time comes. Guessing the ending is both fun and good practice, and students will be inquisitive. Challenge is about giving students’ intelligence some work. The latter is to release tension within the classroom. Eric Jensen (quoted by Forward-Houriet 2004) numbers eight strategies for eliciting intrinsic motivation within a classroom. . Meet perceived needs and goals: teachers must appropriately meet the. particular learning needs of the target class. . Positive social bonding: teachers must avoid stress and helplessness. creating a propitious learning environment. . Curiosity: teachers must design activities so as to keep students. inquisitive.. 15.

(18) DEVELOPMENT . Engage strong emotions: teachers must choose appealing materials to. work with. . Frequency of feedback: teachers must give immediate and cheering. advice. . Provide hope of success: teachers must encourage students to. persevere providing them experiences of success. . Physically & emotionally safe: teachers must evade dependency,. childish criticism in order to create a sensation of safety for students to be involved. . Positive beliefs: students’ involvement and success is determined by the. teacher’s correct orientation and reinforcement. 2.1.2.4 Intrinsic-Extrinsic Motivation Many psychologists have differentiated motivation into two categories. Motivation is often labeled as extrinsic or intrinsic "depending on whether the stimulus for the behavior originated outside or inside the individual" (Van Lier 1996:101) Intrinsic motivation occurs when people are internally motivated to do something because it either brings them pleasure, they think it is important, or they feel that what they are learning is morally significant. This is often labelled as ¨natural¨ motivation. Extrinsic motivation comes into play when a student is compelled to do something or act in a certain way because of factors external to him or her. This is often labelled as ¨artificial¨ motivation. Van Lier (1996) defines intrinsic motivation in terms of drive theories "certain basic psychological needs which are innate in the human being” [1996:108]), and Deci & Ryan (1991) propose three such innate needs (competence, relatedness, and autonomy), which are transformed by the individual, via social interaction and cultural patterns, into goals. However, they also see intrinsic motivat ion as voluntary and spontaneous, independent of reinforcement or biological drives, and needing no external reward: "... a non-derivational motivational force” (Deci. 16.

(19) DEVELOPMENT & Ryan 1991:263). Van Lier proposes two layers of intrinsic motivation: I) a basic, organismic motivation consisting of intentionality, affect and effort; and II) a specifically human motivation, grafted onto this organismic one, consisting of consciousness and choice (hence, deliberation) (1996:100). The distinction between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation brought about a further functional issue which is measured in terms of efficiency. Intrinsic motives, according to Ausubel, Novak and Hanmesian, have a tendency to lead motivation for learning, “…al nivel humano la pulsión cognoscitiva es más importante en el aprendizaje significativo y es la clase de motivación más importante en el salón de clases. Esto se debe a su potencia inherente y a que el aprendizaje significativo proporciona automáticamente su propia recompensa. Esta es, como en el caso de todos los motivos intrínsecos, la recompensa que satisface la pulsión de la tarea misma.¨( Ausubel, Novak and Hanmesian, 1993:349). In the view of this, intrinsic motivation is most valued. But, motivational efficacy can not be calculated by the predominant type of motives within a classroom. Its effectiveness is, thus, determined by the integration of the diverse motivational aspects, and by the structuring of external aspects (e.g., contents and tasks) that provide students the opportunity to have a volitional implication on their motivated learning.. In order to summarize this part, the researcher likes to point out some valuable aspects. Although the definition of motivation is quite different for each person; in terms of students, it could be simply defined as “something that encourages the student to learn.” When students are motivated to learn they learn more and learn faster. Also, they are less likely to misbehave. Motivation in education can have several effects on how students learn and their behavior towards subject matter. It can: 1.. Direct behavior toward particular goals. 2.. Lead to increased effort and energy 17.

(20) DEVELOPMENT 3.. Increase initiation of, and persistence in activities. 4.. Enhance cognitive processing. 5.. Determine what consequences are reinforcing. 6.. Lead to improved performance.. Ideally, all learners exhibit an inborn curiosity to explore the world, so they are likely to find the learning experience per se intrinsically pleasant. In reality, however, this "curiosity" is vitiated by such inexorable factors as compulsory school attendance, curriculum content, and grades- most importantly, the premium placed on them. Apparently, unless teachers increase their learners' "goal-orientedness", make curriculum relevant for them, and create realistic learner beliefs, they will come up against a classroom environment fraught with lack of cohesiveness and rebellion. ‘Quiet performance’ is not always a synonymous of ‘demotivation’: a fallacy commonly adopted by teachers. Motivation can not be directly observed, it is inferred by external expressions of the individuals. A shy and silent student can be regarded as demotivated; but, at the same time, this student can be regarded as well-focused. Besides, we must bear in mind that motivation is one, not the sole, of the factors determining students’ behaviors.. There are, anyhow, some clues as far as motivation concerns: . Foster active involvement and co-operation between pupils.. . Select topics that are likely to interest students, particularly if they relate to students’ own experiences.. . Draw their attention to what they can do and understand now ,. compared with before the course of work began. . Indicate to students the usefulness, relevance and importance of the. topic or activity to their needs.. 18.

(21) DEVELOPMENT . Influence students’ behaviour in ways that promote greater progress. and produce a ‘self-fulfilling prophecy’ effect. . Ensure the tasks are challenging and offer students a realistic. chance of success, taking into account their ability and previous learning. . ‘Hook’ what is to be learned to existing experience or knowledge to. aid memory, help assimilate new learning and raise expectation. . Make sure that the activities are worthwhile and of interest.. . Monitor students’ progress closely providing quick and supportive. feedback when students encounter major difficulties. 2.1.3 Theoretical perspectives on literature, poetry and language teaching Prior of dealing with literature and poetry, the author feels the need to define the context in which these two aspects will be used. 2.1.3.1 The Communicative Language Teaching Approach Communicative competence emerged as a result of the communicative approach to language teaching in the late 70’s. This approach starts from a theory of language as communication. The goal, then, of foreign language teaching is to acquire both knowledge and ability for language usage. The goal of language teaching is to develop what Hymes (1972) referred to as communicative competence. He held that linguistic theory needed to be seen as part of a more general theory incorporating communication and culture. Dell Hymes’ view of communicative competence was a definition of what the language user needs to know in order to be communicatively proficient in a speech community. Communicative competence implies not only the notionallinguistic knowledge, but the capacity to identify the appropriateness of language as well, that is, to know what to tell to each person and how to express it properly within a specific context, and to provide a sense of social-reality to the language beyond its inherent feature of linguistic -reality. Thus, the communicative approach to foreign language teaching has as its primary goal to develop communicative competence, but this development must. 19.

(22) DEVELOPMENT be based on the encouragement to practice communicative activities regarding as a starting point the maxim of ‘language is used for communicative purposes’. 2.1.3.2 Communicative Competence Under the umbrella of this communicative approach, there is much freedom for individual understanding as far as design and procedure concern. But, in order to best understand the theoretical consistency of the CLT approach, its primary goal should be plainly stated: The term communicative competence was coined by a sociolinguistic (Hymes. 1971). to. include. knowledge. of. sociolinguistic. rules,. or. the. appropriateness of an utterance, in addition to knowledge of grammar rules. The term was later redefined by two Canadian applied linguists (Canale and Swain 1996) to bring together several views of communicative competence and place linguistic competence, or sentence-level grammatical competence into a proper perspective. within. the. larger. construct. of communicative competence.. Communicative competence consists of four components or sub-competences, which together suggest a model of communicative competence as a basis for curriculum design and classroom practice. These four components are: Grammatical competence or linguistic competence is that part of language performance with which we are most familiar, that is, the grammatical wellformedness that has provided the focus of second language study for centuries. Grammatical competence is mastery of the linguistic code, the ability to recognize the lexical, morphological, syntactic, and phonological features of a language and to manipulate these features to form words and sentences. Grammatical competence is not linked to any theory of grammar, nor does it assume the ability to make explicit the rules of usage. Sociolinguistic competence requires an understanding of the social context in which a language is used: the roles of the participants, the information they share, and the function of the interaction. Only in a full context of this kind can judgments be made on the appropriateness of a particular utterance . Strategic competence is the strategies that one used to compensate for imperfect knowledge of rules—or limiting factors in their application such as 20.

(23) DEVELOPMENT fatigue, distraction, and inattention. They are the strategies that one uses to redirect and repair communication breakdowns. Discourse competence is concerned not with the interpretation of isolated sentences but with the connection of a series of sentences or utterances to form a meaningful whole. Considering this, A. Camacho declared that the subject of English in preuniversities must be aimed at the development of an elementa ry level of communicative competence, by means of which students could satisfy their basic needs of social interaction and of information-research; serving, thus, as a means towards the interdisciplinary relationship, and contributing in the integral, all round formation of students based on autonomous learning. In order to help in the achievement of those goals, the use of interactional language is the main strategy of the teaching of EFL in Cuba. Nonetheless the employment of transactional language is given more emphasis in th e pre university level. 2.1.3.3 Communicative Language Principles Regarding the major goal of this research, these aspects have helped in the searching and design of the system of learning tasks by using these principles as underlying doctrines. Whereas there are some communicative language principles coined by K. Morrow (1983) and N. Naiman (1989), and which have been restated by A. Camacho (2003) to guide the teaching learning process of English.  Classes should be active and centered on students' educative needs, interests and experiences.  Materials, tasks, activities and resources should be chosen on the basis of educative and linguistic criteria, and should provide for learning and acquisition.  Practice should be carried out through meaningful tasks, which engage students in thinking and activity.  Practice should provide for strategy development.. 21.

(24) DEVELOPMENT  Students should be engaged in monitoring, self-correction and selfevaluation tasks; they must as well be asked to question and reflect on what they have learned and how they have learned it.  Opportunities should be given to learn content from other areas of the curriculum through the medium of English.  Practice should engage students in cross-cultural comparison.  Classes should foster an atmosphere of co-operation and open communication among students and teacher. 2.1.3.4 Benefits of Using Literature After having dealt with the ground where part of the research is rooted, a deepening into literature and, then, poetry is needed. First of all, any method or approach towards using literature in the classroom must take as starting point the definition of literature. Literature / noun 1. Stories, poems, and plays, especially those that are considered to have value as art and not just entertainment (c) Macmillan Publishers Ltd. 2003 Many authors, critics and linguists have puzzled over what literature is. One broader explanation of literature says that literary texts are products that reflect different aspects of society. They are cultural documents which offer a deeper understanding of a country or countries. Other linguists say that there is no inherent quality to a literary text that makes a literary text; rather it is the interpretation that the reader gives to the text. This brings us back to the above definition in the sense that literature is only literature if it is considered as art. Literature has been a subject of study in many countries at a secondary level, but until recently has not been given much emphasis in the teaching learning process of foreign languages. It has only been since the 1980s that this area has attracted more interest among EFL teachers. However, some teachers could reject this idea, considering as counteract the question: why use literature?. 22.

(25) DEVELOPMENT There is, of course, a rich literature to endorse the use of literature as a means of language teaching; nonetheless Lindsay Clandfield has, best, summed up various good reasons for using literature in the language classroom within five norms (Clandfield 2003:73):  Literature is authentic material. It is good to expose learners to this source of unmodified language in the classroom because the skills they acquire in dealing with difficult or unknown language can be used outside the class.  Literature encourages interaction. Literary texts are often rich in multiple layers of meaning, and can be effectively mined for discussions and sharing feelings or opinions.  Literature expands language awareness. Asking learners to examine sophisticated or non standard examples of language makes them more aware of the models of language use.  Literature educates the whole person. By examining values in literary texts, teachers encourage learners to develop attitudes towards t hem. These values and attitudes relate to the world outside the classroom.  Literature is motivating. Literature holds high status in many cultures and countries. For this reason, students can feel a real sense of achievement at understanding a piece of highly respected literature. Also, literature is often more interesting than the texts found in course books. 2.1.3.5 Approaches to teach Literature There have been several approaches and methodologies proposed on the teaching of literature to EFL learners. They all differ greatly from one to another; anyhow, we will not go through them all. We will try to exemplify the most remarkable to our research. These are named below: . The cultural model approach.. . The language model approach.. . The personal growth model approach.. 1. The cultural model views a literary text as a product. This means that it is treated as a source of information about the target culture. It is the most. 23.

(26) DEVELOPMENT traditional approach, often used in university courses on literature. The cultural model will examine the social, political and historical background to a text, literary movements and genres. There is no specific language work done on a text. This approach tends to be quite teacher-centered. 2. The language model aims to be more learner-centered. As learners proceed through a text, they pay attention to the way language is used. They come to grips with the meaning and increase their general awareness of English. Within this model of studying literature, the teacher can choose to focus on general grammar and vocabulary (in the same way that these are presented in course books for example) or use stylistic analysis. Stylistic analysis involves the close study of the linguistic features of the text to enable students to make meaningful interpretations of the text – it aims to help learners read and study literature more competently. 3. The personal growth model is also a process-based approach and tries to be more learner-centered. This model encourages learners to draw on their own opinions, feelings and personal experiences. It aims for interaction between the text and the reader in English, helping make the language more memorable. Learners are encouraged to “make the text their own”. This model recognizes the immense power that literature can have to move people and attempts to use that in the classroom. 2.1.3.6 Characteristics of Poetry As the definition of literature reads, poetry is a literary text; and regarding that this work is more concerned with it as motivating element within the language classroom, we will briefly explain some of its characteristics as a substyle of literature. Poetry dates back to the misty beginnings of mankind, and it has a long history. Early attempts to define poetry focused on the use of speech in rhetoric, drama, song, and comedy. Later attempts concentrated on features such as repetition, verse form and rhyme, and emphasized the aesthetics which distinguish poetry from prose. From the mid-20th century, poetry had sometimes been more loosely defined as a fundamental creative act using language.. 24.

(27) DEVELOPMENT Poetry often uses particular forms and conventions to suggest alternative meanings in the words, or to evoke emotional or sensual responses. Devices such as assonance, alliteration, onomatopoeia, and rhythm are sometimes used to achieve musical or incantatory effects. The use of ambiguity, symbolism, irony, and other stylistic elements of poetic diction often leaves a poem open to multiple interpretations. Similarly, metaphor, simile, and metonymy create a resonanc e between otherwise disparate layering of meanings, forming connections previously not perceived. Kindred forms of resonance may exist, between individual verses, in their patterns of rhyme o r rhythm. The structure used in poems varies with different types of poetry. The structural elements include the line, couplet, strophe and stanza. Poets combine the use of language and a specific structure to create imaginative and expressive work. The structure used in some poetry types is also used when considering the visual effect of a finished poem. In addition to the particular elements of poems, poetry is often thought of in terms of different genres. The distinctions among the genres are based on t he subject matter, style, or other broader literary feature. Several commentators view the study of genres as the study of how different works relate and refer to other works. As we are not so much concerned with elements and genres but with the diverse forms of poetry, we will go through some of them. Specific poetic forms have been developed by many cultures. In more developed, closed or "received" poetic forms, the rhyming scheme, meter and other elements of a poem are based on sets of rules, ranging from the levels of complexity that govern the construction of poems. Described below, are some common forms of poetry, the most relevant to our research, widely used across a number of languages. The Diamante, a poetry pattern invented by Iris M. Tiedt, is a simple diamond shape poem expressing contrast. It may have any number of lines. The first line contains one word, the second two, the third three, and so on until the middle line, which introduces an idea opposite to the idea developed in the lines. 25.

(28) DEVELOPMENT up to that point. Each line following the middle decreases by one word until the last line, which consists of the direct opposite of the opening word. Haiku is a form of verse invented in Japan centuries ago. The English interpretation of Japanese haiku is three short lines of five, seven, and five syllables respectively. Translation of the Japanese haiku into English may result in more lines and syllables. The words of a haiku speak of a mood, a strong feeling, or an atmosphere. Although the poem is usually abou t nature, a person’s thoughts and emotions are often included. The magic of good haiku lies in the power of suggestion. The general purpose of a haiku is to present one simple observation, and no more. But this one visual image creates a tension designed to make the reader think. This tension is usually produced by presenting contrast and forcing the reader to make the connections between the seemingly disjointed parts of the image. A cinquain is a short poem whose form was invented by Adelaide Crapsey, an American poet. A cinquain may be considered an English form of haiku or tanka, more suited to the rhythms of English. Crapsey developed the form for a five line poem, in which the first line has two syllables, the second line has four, the third line has six, the fourth line has eight, and the fifth line ends the poem with two syllables. This form offers more than a simple syllabic arrangement. There is an elastic effect to it. The first four lines stretch; the final line snaps and releases. This startling factor throws the poem into harsh relief - the short last line with only two syllables makes noticeable impact. Picture poems are those made of letters or words which create an actual picture or form on the page. Picture poems may look experimental today, but, for centuries, letters of the alphabet had been transformed into flowers, trees, animals, etc. Most visual poetry appeals to the eye more than to the heart and mind. Often there is no use trying to pronounce it. The poem ’s message springs not only from the meaning of the words but also from its arrangement of words or letters, which make a picture. The poem becomes visual by taking a shape appropriate to the subject matter.. 26.

(29) DEVELOPMENT An acrostic is a poem in an alphabetic script, in which the first letter, syllable or word of each line spells out another message. A form of constrained writing, an acrostic can be used as a mnemonic device to aid memory retrieval. The term nursery rhyme is used for ‘traditional’ songs for young children in Britain and many English speaking countries, but usage only dates from the nineteenth century and in North America the older ‘Mother Goose Rhymes’ is still often used. It has been argued that nursery rhymes set to music aid in a child's development.. Research also supports the assertion that music and rhyme. increase a child's ability in spatial reasoning which leads to greater success in school in the subjects of mathematics and science. Another form of folk verse is the limerick. Like most forms of poetry, its specific origin remains baffling. The limerick supposedly began as a king of song which was passed around orally. Limericks follow a definite form of rhyme arrangement. Besides the rhythmical pattern, limericks also have a specific pattern of thought:  Tell about the subject and where s/he is from.  Tell something about the person or describe her/him.  Build up the peculiarity mention above.(two lines)  Round off the limerick with an unexpected and funny conclusion based on whatever has been talked about in the first four lines. 2.1.3.7 The use of poetry in language teaching as a means to motivate students Poetry has proven to be a tool of motivation for many people in different spheres of their lives. Teaching in general has also benefited by providing themes and contexts for discussions, reflections and learning as a whole. In foreign language teaching not much has been done in reference to the use of poetry within the English class. There are people who have even found it difficult. 27.

(30) DEVELOPMENT to incorporate poetry as a tool for learning. Some have argued that “there is no real time for playing around with poetry in lessons,” “students find it difficult to understand all kinds of poetry” among other opinions. While it is true that poetry is more specific and imaginative in terms of the language that is used and the technical aspects that the style requires, teachers should not be afraid to incorporate it in their lessons. Teachers who claim that there is no time for playing around with poetry have not realized its full potential. Playing is an adequate word to refer to it, but not playing around. Playing should be seen as a way of manipulating, creating new forms of expressions, enjoying the experience. There are plenty of techniques that can help teachers make their students enjoy their lessons. The English classroom can be a place for fun and interest while exploring the communicative aspects of the language, and the use of poetry can be added to such list. In reference to the difficulty of using poetry as a means of teaching, the issu e here is not with what to teach but how to do it. Different approaches can be tried. If one approach is not successful, others may be used. There is a myth that poetry is a complex genre, and those teachers who are not acquainted with it are afraid of using it. Nevertheless, poetry can be a useful tool to attain variety and motivation within the English class. In order to best accomplish the goal of this research, the learning tasks will be designed using poetry as a way to help teachers understand its ben efits on motivating the students.. After analyzing the different approaches to teach. literature, the personal growth model approach offers the necessary background and offers the starting points for decision making in terms of the tasks that will be designed as the proposal of our work. Though this approach is basically aimed at the use of texts, it also emphasizes the role of the students as the center of the class, and encourages them to draw on their own opinions, feelings and personal experiences, which is an important element to increase motivation.. 28.

(31) DEVELOPMENT 2.2. Needs’ Assessment With the beginning of CLT, the term ‘learning needs’ has aroused great interest on researchers’ minds. Consequently, the educational activity has been improved placing much more emphasis on learning needs. Thus, identifying the learning needs of the target students, and the possible impact that the implementation of the proposal could have on meeting these needs, became the major diagnostic strategy that guided the design of a system of learning tasks aimed at reinforcing motivation to the English lessons. Dependent variable: motivation within the teaching learning process of English. Motivation within the TLP of English is a direct consequence of internal and external forces to the individual which determines behaviors and interaction in a context, and modifies the intensity and persistence to accomplish a task. Independent variable: proposal of a system of learning tasks using poetry to increase students’ motivation. Characterization of the Sample In order to attain the objective proposed in this paper, a sample of 31 students from Group 10.1 at Wilfredo Pérez Pérez pre university was taken. This group of students ranging in age from 15 to 16 is composed of 11 boys and 20 girls. The following tools were used: . Analysis of relevant school documents (program, tabloids). with the intention of determining the link between what has been designed and what happens in the teaching learning process .. 29.

(32) DEVELOPMENT . A survey given to students of the target grade with the. intention of assessing their motivation to the teaching learning process of English, their presumptions about poetry, and to what extent they would like to work with it within the English class. . Interviews carried out to pre university English teachers with. the intention of determining what materials are used to motivate students. . Class-observations with the intention of assessing students’. attitudes and level of motivation toward the lessons throughout the research. The information for the diagnosis was provided by the instruments administered to students and teachers from the school where the research was carried out. The dimensions and indicators taken into account were the following: 1.. Directions toward motivation. (Plan.). . Objectives and contents projected for 10 th grade.. . Types of activities recommended in the tabloid. 2.. Students’ motivation to the lessons. (Process.). . Students’ interests and thematic preferences.. . Level of motivation professed by the students toward the. TLP of English. . Types of texts and activities that motivate the target. students. 3. . Teachers’ strategies. (Process.). Types of texts and activities used by the teacher in order to. motivate the class. 4. . Students’ level of involvement. (Product.). Level of involvement showed by students toward the TLP of. English.. 30.

(33) DEVELOPMENT 1. Directions toward motivation. Document analysis. (Annex.1) In order to determine the directions offered by the normative documents of the target grade, an accurate revision of the program and the tabloid was done. The English Program for 10th grade has five units, going throughout a wide variety of communicative functions which involve several grammatical structures such as simple present, present progressive, simple past, past progressive, simple future, and modal verbs among others. The main objective of the subject in 10th grade is to achieve an elementary level of communicative competence that allow the students to interact, written and orally, in the foreign language. There is an outlining of the contents to convey and objectives to attain. Among those objectives are: . Understand spoken materials related to the unit.. . Express themselves, written and orally, using the given. communicative functions. . Take. out. information. from. authentic. texts. with. an. intermediate level of complexity. . Summarize information from texts.. Although the methodological guidelines declare that the presentation of the communicative functions should be done in a communicative thematic -situational context that reflects the linguistic structures, there is much grammar to deal with which could make the class strenuous. Besides that, there are no specific orientations for motivation, which let this important issue up to each teacher. On the other hand, in the tabloid, there are multiple activities to attain th e goals stated in the program. Such activities are interesting and follow the CLT approach, but they lack creativity, so students do not get actively involved. The tabloid also guides the work along the video classes, but these video classes are not available at this school as a means to support teaching. This means that teachers must find materials in order to awaken creativity and interest in the lessons.. 31.

(34) DEVELOPMENT 2. Students’ motivation to the Teaching Learning Process of English. Survey applied to students. (Annex.2) A total of 31 students were surveyed at Wilfredo Pérez Pérez pre university. Just a 3 % of the students expressed that they did not like the English subject, although the great majority, 80 %, agreed that they did not feel motivated most of the time because of the fact that English lessons were mainly taught in the afternoons. A fact that made lessons tiring. Despite this, they said that their teacher shows a great enthusiasm in an attempt to motivate them. However, they said that there is no variety of motivating activities, while expressing great like towards games, the use of drawings, texts and songs. They assured that their teacher has once used poetry, but some of them, a 75 %, expressed that they would find it motivating, or perhaps interesting. From their answers, the researcher can conclude that only in certain times of the teaching learning process the students are really motivated to learning the foreign language, which directly affects that process. So, as teachers, it is our task to create the appropriate environment in classes in order to get the students actively involved in their own learning. 3. Teachers’ strategies. Interview applied to teachers. (Annex.3) A total of 3 teachers, student-teachers, who are teaching English at this school, were interviewed. As a whole, they argued that there are no orientations towards motivation. They assured that some other types of activities, maybe games, are required, for students to use the target language in an encouraging way not only to play with it but to memorize it as well. They expressed that sometimes the students show themselves demotivated to the class; no matter how hard teachers try. For all these reasons, we can sum up that teachers need to master some techniques to stimulate motivation.. 4. Students’ level of involvement. Class observations. (Annex.4) All along this course, a total of 10 lessons of English at Wilfredo Pérez Pérez pre university were visited in 10th grade with the objective of asserting the students’ level of motivation and behavior within the TLP of English. It was seen. 32.

(35) DEVELOPMENT that in the 90 % of the classes, the orientation toward the tasks was properly done. The level of activities were in correspondence with the learning level of the students, just a 10 % of them was either too low, or too high. There were few activities aimed at motivating students, although all the activities were in themselves communicative, and sometimes used appealing materials. Anyhow, in some cases, the proper control of the class was lost as the activity did not meet the specific needs and interests of the class, or the activity became monotonous as the teacher did not master the procedure for the activity. In the 10 lessons, representing a 100%, it could be seen that the students were not willing to participate. The interaction was mostly commanded, being always between the teacher and a student. Only in one occasion the topic attracted the students so as to start a discussion; it was unit one, when they were dealing with the song Imagine by John Lennon. The majority of the students were afraid of getting involved; and when they did, they were extremely careful about making mistakes. On the other hand, teachers do not know what kind of activities to use to achieve motivation. As a result, students enter the class withdrawn and afraid of being involved, and thus motivation is affected.. Conclusions on Needs Assessment Instrument results : After having analyzed from several perspectives the information obtained on the needs assessment instrument results, it can be conclude that: . The didactical materials used for the 10 th grade English curriculum contain interesting activities, but these materials. lack. methodological or. psychological guidelines to treat motivation. This has somehow depicted the treatment of motivation in the English lessons as optional.. . Lessons are not always centered on the students’ needs, and the tasks are sometimes excessively repetitive. On the same light, teachers do not have a wide repertoire of motivational strategies so as to gain control of the class in quite unpredictable settings.. 33.

(36) DEVELOPMENT . The students of the target class show themselves uninterested during the realization of the tasks assigned, affecting, thus, the assimilation of the elementary level of communicative competence proposed as the goal of the teaching learning process of English at this level.. . The students express a queer interest in poetry as well as in games, favouring the use of these tools in the teaching learning process of English as a way of adding dynamism to the lessons.. . There is a great need of integrating creative and dynamic activities into the lessons in order to awaken students’ interests and increase their level of involvement in the teaching learning process of English at this level.. 2.3 Rationale for the System of learning tasks on poetry: Theoretical and Procedural Criteria The conclusions of the results of the needs analysis instruments reveal that the idea put forward by the researcher is legitimate, that the use of a system of learning tasks will enable 10th graders to increase their motivation within the teaching learning process of English. A system of learning tasks on poetry seems to be a good procedure to help increase students’ motivation within the teaching learning process of English at this level, as it covers all areas of language knowledge and language skills that the target students are asked to deal with. A rough outline of these language knowledge and language skills might look like this.. 34.

(37) DEVELOPMENT. On Julio Leyva’s words, a system may be defined as: “Conjunto delimitado de componentes, relacionados entre sí que constituyen una formación íntegra”. (Julio Leyva, 1999) Taking into consideration Leyva’s ideas, the proposal designed is a system as it is a unified whole with organized relationships among its different and dependent components. This is explicitly shown in the following diagram.. 35.

(38) DEVELOPMENT The system proposed is composed of four dependent components (the subsystems of learning tasks per ability) functioning together to attain the same goal: motivate the students to be actively involved within the teaching learning process of English. Although none of the components of the system must be taken apart as it will fracture its totality, the components could be modified according to the reality in which the system will function due to the fact that the relationship among the subsystems is based on coordination , which means that a variation will neither affect the integration of abilities nor the goal of increasing students’ motivation to learning English.. The idea of a system of learning tasks comes from task-based learning and pedagogy (Foster 1999). The task-based approach to language teaching has evolved in response to a better understanding of the way languages are learnt. Traditionally, language learning has been regarded as a process of mastering a succession of steps, each one building on the one before. Learners must master each part and incorporate it into their knowledge of the target language. The PPP model of language teaching (“presentation, practice, performance”) is based on the assumption that a language is best presented to learners as a syllabus of structures, and that through controlled practice a fluent and accurate performance of the “structure of the day” can be achieved. Errors are evidence of poor learning, requiring more PPP treatment. On the contrary, the contemporary view of language learning, based upon research findings in both linguistics and psychology, is that learners do not acquire the target language in the order it is presented to them, no matter how carefully teachers and textbooks organize it. Language learning is a developmental, organic process that follows its own internal agenda. Errors are not necessarily the result of bad learning, but are part of the natural process of interlanguage forms gradually moving towards target forms (Ellis 1994:69, quoted in Foster 1999) Such a view of language learning has profound implications for language teaching and has led to the development of various task-based approaches.. 36.

(39) DEVELOPMENT These approaches share a common idea: giving learners tasks to transact, rather than items to learn, provides an environment which best promotes the natural language learning process. By engaging in meaningful tasks, such as problemsolving, discussions, or narratives, the learner’s interlanguage system is stretched and encouraged to develop. Interactive tasks are sometimes considered particularly valuable (Pica et al. 1993—quoted in Foster 1999:69). What the author has planned here is a system of learning tasks to influence students to feel motivated within the teaching learning process of English. We now turn to provide the further grounds for the system of learning tasks that has been designed and implemented by the researcher with the target students. From the philosophical and psychological perspectives, the system proposed follows a Marxist orientation based on the dialectical and historical Marxism. This reveals the volitional character of the human psyche that has the need to feel motivated to play part in his social life. Vigotski considered that the material life of a man is influenced by the instruments, and similarly, his psychological activity is also influenced by certain links as a result of his social life, being language the most important one. This, according to him, is one of the most important systems of signs and meaning; its internalization and its use are important via for the development of thought. Pedagogically, this research is backed up by the Socialist Pedagogy. This pedagogy claims the need of an active and conscious involvement of the students in the teaching learning process so that the students become not only the object of education but its subject. This kind of participation occurs when there is the need that encourages the students to learn as every humane action is determined, motivated, and influenced by the need to accomplish a goal. Another pedagogical aspect that supports this work is the use of the communicative approach to language teaching during the design of the learning tasks. This approach is the one that allows the improvement of communicat ive competence.. 37.

(40) DEVELOPMENT 2.3.1 Description of the Proposal. The author offers a system of learning tasks which might have a great value in order to make the students be actively involved within the teaching learning process of the target language. A total of 15 learning tasks were designed and implemented. In detail, the system proposed comprises only one learning task mostly devoted to the development of the listening comprehension ability, three learning tasks emphasizing on the development of the speaking ability, four on the development of the reading comprehension ability, six aimed at improving the writing ability, while using listening materials as a means, developing thereby the listening comprehension ability. The other learning tasks, a total of two, are developed under an integration of abilities conception. Nevertheless, all through the entire proposed system, the mixed ability work is objectively included to some extent. The learning tasks were structured within the units of the course syllabus. An outline showing the structuring of the proposed system can be seen in Annex 6. As essential points considered in so doing were: communicative functions, vocabulary, content, grammatical structures, pronunciation, and writing goals. When collecting the poems and designing the learning tasks, the following aspects were taken into consideration: . Motivational criterion: they must encourage students toward. learning the language. . Linguistic criterion: they must show a correspondence with. the contents of the unit, and be comprehensible for the students. This compilation is aimed at helping reinforce students ’ motivation towards the TLP of English in 10th grade at Wilfredo Pérez Pérez Pre-university, which in turn contributes to improve their level of communicative competence in the subject. The poems were selected from different sources and the proposal includes poems, nursery rhymes, lullabies, songs, limericks, etc. As a whole, this proposal is intended as a reference material where teachers can find learning. 38.

(41) DEVELOPMENT tasks to aid 10th grade students’ motivation and dynamism in classes. The entire proposal can be found in Annex.5. Each learning task is structured following these aspects: . Title. . Unit. . Lesson. . Time. . Aim. . Linguistic Complexity. . Description. . Instructions. . Variations. 2.3.2 Sample Learning Task Title: Persona Poem. Unit: 1. Lesson: Week. 5. Lesson1 Time: 15-20 Aim: the students should be able to practice desc riptive and concise writing about one another through a Persona Poem writing activity in order to get to know more about their classmates in an attempt to achieve an elementa ry level of communicative competence. Linguistic complexity: elementary and intermediate. Description: a structured 8-line poem, biographical in nature. It is a great way for students to find out more about their peers at the beginning of the course, and can be used as the starting point for more interesting discussions . Persona poems make a good class-anthology!. 39.

(42) DEVELOPMENT Instructions:  Students bring in photos of themselves, or draw their own self representative pictures.  In small groups or together as a class, look at an example poem and discuss the structure of the eight lines.. Sample Analysis of a Persona-Poem Line 1: first name of the person in the poem Line 2: 4 adjectives which describe the person Line 3: X of Y formula, describing an important relationship to the person Line 4: 3 things s/he loves Line 5: 3 things that scare her/him Line 6: 3 things s/he wants to see Line 7: resident of...+ place Line 8: last name of the person in the poem  Using the template, students can work alone and write about themselves. TEMPLATE _________________ ____________, ____________, _____________, ____________ ____________ of ____________ who loves ____________, ____________ and ____________ who is afraid of ____________, ____________ and ____________ who wants to see ____________, ____________ and ____________ resident of ____________ ________________  Students revise the poems, and then make a wall-poster with the poems and the photos or drawings of themselves.. 40.