motivating students to read

8/10/2019 Motivating Students to Read

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Rei ko Ko mi y ama

CAR: A Means for Motivating

Students to Read

Reading is an important skill

for English language learners

in todays world; it supports

the development of overall proficiency

and provides access to crucial infor-

mation at work and in school. With

English being the dominant language

of the Internet, international business,

and academia (including science),

beginning and advanced students alike

face pressures to develop their second

language (L2) reading abilities.

The acquisition of reading skills,

however, is never easy, and students

need consistent practice to become

fluent readers. Successful readers have

to solve many puzzles, such as learning

to recognize unfamiliar letters, words,

syntax, and discourse patterns. These

challenges can be overcome more eas-

ily if students are highly motivated

to read. But what can teachers do tomotivate students to read in English?

Some research on this subject points

to successful methods and techniques,

such as choosing reading topics that

appeal to students, assigning material

and tasks at the right level, organiz-

ing collaborative work, and offering

positive feedback and other incen-

tives for students efforts. However, in

their efforts to motivate students to

read, teachers often do not realize that

different instructional methods actu-

ally promote different types of student

motivation. The purpose of this article

is to distinguish among these differ-

ent types of motivation and illustrate

how to apply motivation-supportive

instructional strategies in the class-

room to create a dynamic environment

where reading comes alive.

Motivational orientationsWhen students read in an L2, the

experience can easily become over-

whelming when students lack vocabu-

lary, grammar, and content knowledge.

These frustrating reading experiences

can result in decreased motivation to

read in the L2a truly unfortunate

consequence considering the impor-tance of reading for most of our stu-

dents. Nurturing students motivation

to read, therefore, should be an essen-

tial part of L2 reading instruction.

The complexity of motivation as

a behavioral construct has compelled

researchers to identify different types


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of motivations and examine how they influ-ence student learning. For example, Self-Determination Theory (SDT)proposed byDeci, Ryan, and their colleagues (e.g., Deciand Ryan 1985; Ryan and Deci 2000)con-

siders what types of motivation may initiateand sustain interest in learning. Two basicforms of motivation are extrinsicand intrinsicmotivation. Extrinsic motivation is typicallydriven by factors outside of the learner; extrin-sically motivated students read to receive goodgrades, please the teacher, and outperformtheir classmates, but not because they findreading interesting or enjoyable. Intrinsicmotivation, on the other hand, is free fromthe influence of external factors such as rewardor punishment. Intrinsically motivated stu-dents read because they find it interesting orenjoyable; therefore, motivation comes frominside and is self-determined. SDT suggeststhat the more self-determined students moti-vations are, the more likely they are to developand sustain their learning ability. To enhanceself-determined motivation, SDT proposesthat teachers support students psychologicalneeds for competence (C), autonomy (A), andrelatedness (R)the set of principles referredto as CAR in this article. Teachers can effec-tively use these CAR principles to nurturemore self-determined readers who rely less on

external reinforcement, such as grades, andmore on internal motivation, such as curios-ity. However, it is important to realize thatsome forms of extrinsic motivation are moreself-determined than others, as the followingexamples illustrate.

Degrees of self-determinationImagine that you are an English as a For-

eign Language (EFL) teacher at a Japanese col-lege. (It is assumed that for each Japanese EFLstudent described here, there are almost identi-

cal counterparts in other English teaching set-tings.) You have assigned your students someNew Yorkermagazine articles as optional read-ings for extra points. Notice how the follow-ing students approach the task (see Figure 1).

Ken reads the articles because he wantsthe extra points. His motivation is con-trolled by an external reward and thusis not self-determined.

Erika reads the articles not so muchfor the extra points but because she

would feel guilty if she did not readthe materials assigned by her teacher.Her actions are driven by her internalfeelings rather than an external reward;thus, her motivation is slightly moreself-determined than Kens.

Ichiro and Maya both read the assignedarticles because they realize that it isimportant for them to develop goodEnglish reading skills in todays world.Maya, who believes in the need forgood reading skills, has more self-deter-mined motivation than Ichiro, whosimply accepts the need for good read-ing skills as a value widely recognized inJapanese society.

Ken, Erika, Ichiro, and Maya are allextrinsically motivated toward the assignmentbecause their motivations are influenced byfactors external to the reading activity itself(i.e., extra points, feeling of guilt, and a valueimposed by society). Kens motivation is theleast self-determined, while Erikas motiva-tion is not as self-determined as Ichiros andMayas. Yoko is different.

Yoko reads the New Yorker articlesbecause she is interested in the latestnews and trends in the United States.Yokos motivation is fully controlled bythe self; in other words, she is intrinsi-cally motivated.

Intrinsic motivationthe most self-deter-mined form of motivationhas been foundto produce better reading outcomes (Gottfried1990; Wigfield and Guthrie 1997; Lau andChan 2003; Wang and Guthrie 2004; Guthrieet al. 2007). A student like Yoko tends to readmore than her peers, understand texts bet-ter, and use more effective reading strategies.

Ken

Intrinsically

motivated

Less self-regulated More self-regulated

Autonomy

Competence Relatedness

Extrinsically motivated

IchiroErika Maya Yoko

Figure 1. CAR principles develop more self-determined formsof student motivation



Nurturing self-determinedmotivation

Employing teaching practices that enhancestudents intrinsic motivation to read is impor-tant. Yet, in many English teaching settings,because of individual differences, it is unreal-

istic to expect all students to be intrinsicallymotivated. Therefore, in addition to develop-ing students intrinsic motivation, we shouldtry to shift students less self-determinedforms of extrinsic motivation (like Kens andErikas) to the more self-determined forms ofextrinsic motivation (like Ichiros and Mayas)that are closer to intrinsic motivation. Thechallenge for teachers is how to facilitate thisswitch in motivational orientation.

According to SDT, teachers can enhancethe development of intrinsic motivationand more self-determined forms of extrinsicmotivation by supporting students needs forCARcompetence, autonomy, and related-ness (see Figure 1).

1. Competence. Competence refers to stu-dents feelings that they are capable ofcompleting L2 reading activities (i.e., Ican do it!). Competence can be affect-ed by the levels of difficulty of texts andtasks, as well as by teacher feedback. Toincrease and maintain students feelingsof competence, reading activities mustbe optimally challengingnot too easy,nor too hard. Also, teacher feedbackshould help students build confidencein their abilities rather than attributetheir success to luck.

2. Autonomy. The need for autonomy issatisfied when students feel that theyare in control of their own behaviors(i.e., I decided to do this!). Autono-my can be influenced by factors such asmaking choices, receiving rewards, and,again, feedback. When students receiverewards for their reading activities (e.g.,

extra points), and if the rewards makestudents feel as if they are under exter-nal control, students may lose theirintrinsic motivation to read. Eventeachers positive commentswhichusually boost motivationcan nega-tively impact students intrinsic moti-vation if they are perceived by studentsas controlling. So, whereas a commentlike You used great strategies mayincrease intrinsic motivation, a slightly

different comment, You used greatstrategies, just as I expected, could, infact, deteriorate intrinsic motivation.

3. Relatedness. The third CAR compo-nent, relatedness, refers to studentsfeelings of being connected with theirclassmates and teachers (i.e., I am notalone!). Students thrive in educationalenvironments in which they feel safe,supported, and cared for. Relatedness isparticularly important for students todevelop more self-determined forms ofextrinsic motivation because these typesof motivation often involve studentsacceptance of communal values. Forinstance, compared to students who feelisolated, those who feel related to theirclassroom community find it easier to

accept the importance placed on shar-ing reading materials with classmates.

When CAR principles are met, studentsare likely to develop the motivational ori-entations associated with desired readingbehaviors. They will read more, understandtexts more deeply, and use strategies moreeffectively. Let us now turn to the means forimplementing these principles in our everydayEnglish reading classes.

Applying CAR principles to reading

instructionSeveral variables must be considered when

planning language classes. For example, whenapplying CAR principles to our own class-rooms, we need to take into account the par-ticular conditions of our situation, includinglearner variables (students ages, grade levels,and proficiency levels) as well as instructionalvariables (the type of class, the textbook, andcourse objectives). The teaching techniquesintroduced below are easily adaptable and can,therefore, be used in a range of English teaching

settings. For ease of discussion, techniques thataddress each CAR component are introducedseparately. Nonetheless, the techniques can eas-ily be combined, allowing teachers to promotemore than one CAR component at a time.

CompetenceThe need for competence is satisfied when

students accomplish reading activities that arechallenging but not overwhelming, so thatstudents feel that they are capable of com-pleting the reading task. The suggestions dis-



cussed below support feelings of competence.

Introduce reading assignments in small,simple steps. Breaking down a readingassignment into manageable steps isone way to help students experience

success. For example, we can incorpo-rate a pre-reading stage into our les-sons where students activate their back-ground knowledge about the topic,preview the passage, and predict thecontent of the reading.

Provide visual support to complementtexts and aid comprehension, includingillustrations, charts, tables, and graphicorganizers. Using graphic organizers,for instance, has proven effective forhelping students understand text struc-

tures (Jiang and Grabe 2007). Distribute reading guides to enhancecomprehension and interest. Includetext summaries (identifying such thingsas theme, plot, characters), comprehen-sion questions, and prompts for post-reading activities.

Provide definitions of key vocabularyto reduce the difficulty of the read-ing. We might also want to teach stu-dents how to use dictionaries effectivelyand efficiently. This can yield a posi-tive long-term effect because studentsequipped with dictionary-use skills aremore likely to sustain their feelingsof competence across multiple readingtasks in the future.

Allow students enough time to finishreading. From a motivational perspec-tive, giving students enough time tofinish their reading is highly important.If students constantly run out of timewhen completing assigned readings,they could easily lose confidence intheir reading abilities.

Give students meaningful opportuni-ties to reread texts. When students haveopportunities to reread, they feel thattheir reading skills have improved. Wecan design meaningful exercises by ask-ing students to reread texts for differentpurposes, from different perspectives,or with a different pedagogical focus,such as reading to acquire vocabulary,identify the main idea, or analyze thetexts structure.

AutonomyStudents needs for autonomy are satisfied

when they feel that they are in control of theirown behavior. Their sense of autonomy can beinfluenced by opportunities to choose topics

and tasks as well as factors such as rewards andfeedback. The suggestions that follow supportstudent autonomy.

Have students choose a topic for addi-tional reading within a thematic unit.When we give students a choice, weneed to make sure that the choice isreasonable for our teaching contexts. Ifour lessons center on specific themes, itmakes little sense to allow students tochoose whatever topics they would liketo read. In such cases, it behooves us

to narrow down topics for students tochoose from so that their reading activi-ties can be linked to, and support, ouroverall themes. We must also be awarethat having a choice can sometimesmake students feel overwhelmed, espe-cially for those unaccustomed to beinggiven choices (Katz and Assor 2007).

Begin giving choices with small, con-crete, and nonthreatening tasks in set-tings where students are unfamiliar oruncomfortable with making choicesof their own. As an illustration, for anafter-reading activity, giving students aset of comprehension questions (e.g.,five questions) and asking them toanswer a subset of those questions (e.g.,three questions) might be a good wayto introduce choice.

Arrange programmed Sustained SilentReading activities where studentschoose the topic, genre, and level ofdifficulty of the reading material andsimply read for pleasure. This helpsstudents find enjoyment and interest in

reading. It is fine if students choose easyreadings, as long as they keep reading.

Avoid giving controlling feedback.Teachers comments and their com-munication styles can weaken studentssense of autonomy if perceived as con-trolling. Comments that could suggestour control over students behaviors(e.g., Great, you did exactly what Iwanted you to do!) should be avoided.We may also want to stay away from



excessive use of shouldand mustwhengiving directions.

Avoid overemphasizing the importanceof rewards. Teachers are not the onlysource of potential external control overstudent behaviors. When students aregiven rewards for their reading activities(e.g., extra points), and if the rewardsmake students feel as if they are underexternal control, students can lose theirintrinsic motivation to read. Test scores,grades, and other forms of rewardscould also be perceived by students ascontrolling. We should therefore notoveremphasize the importance of theseexternal rewards. The key to sustainstudents sense of autonomy is to helpthem feel in control of their own behav-

iors, rather than feeling that teachers,parents, or peers are controlling them.

RelatednessRelatedness lets students connect with

their classmates and teachers. The followingsuggestions support feelings of relatedness.

Incorporate activities that nurturecooperative interactions among stu-dents. Group work such as a jigsawreading can be quite effective for thispurpose because it engages students

in meaningful interactions with eachother. In typical jigsaw reading activi-ties, students are divided into smallgroups, and each group is assigneddifferent reading material (or a differ-ent portion of the same text). Afterreading, students discuss the mate-rial in their groups to become fullyfamiliar with the piece. Then, groupsare re-formed so that each new groupincludes students who have read dif-ferent materials. In their new groups,students share what they have read withother students. A notable strength ofthis activity is that it allows students tocontribute to discussions (in re-formedgroups) as experts on their own piece,which fosters respectful relationshipsamong students.

Involve students in discussions aboutmain ideas, themes, and strategies forunderstanding texts to make them feelpart of the classroom community. Inaddition, we can set up pre- and post-

reading activities that allow students towork in small groups of perhaps threeto five students.

Have more-advanced readers help less-advanced readers to create feelings ofsupport and collaboration.

Encourage students to share theirwork with each other (e.g., answersto comprehension questions, complet-ed graphic organizers, and responsepapers). This may seem simple, but itcould very well promote students senseof belonging.

Discourage excessive competition inreading. Competition among studentshas the potential to prevent them fromestablishing cooperative relationshipswith each other. Thus, we need to make

sure that the competition that oftenexists among students remains at ahealthy, rather than a disruptive, level.

Combining CAR principles

Each of the three CAR componentscom-petence, autonomy, and relatednessis a vitalpart of building reading motivation, just as thebody, engine, and tires are vital parts of a car.Yet, it is quite possible to combine techniquesto reinforce more than one aspect of CAR atthe same time. For example, if we ask students

to work in groups while learning to use diction-aries, we develop students sense of relatednessas well as competence. If we allow students tochoose a portion of a text for dictionary prac-tice, we can support students need for autono-my as well. We can be creative and flexible whenimplementing CAR, as long as we rememberthat the principles will not work if any of thethree aspects is missing, just as a car will not runif it is missing its body, engine, or tires.

The principles of CAR can be applied toeveryday EFL reading instruction to promoteintrinsic motivation as well as more self-deter-mined forms of extrinsic motivation. Thetechniques introduced in this article do notrequire teachers to alter their overall instruc-tional methods or existing reading curricula.The practices of finding ways to give studentschoices and offering appropriate feedback, forexample, can be easily integrated into readingactivities already in place. It should be notedthat EFL students motivation to write, listen,and speak in English can also be successfullyenhanced through CAR principles. The tech-



nique of breaking an assignment into doablesteps, for instance, can be easily utilized acrossskill areas and will support students sense ofcompetence in completing other skill activities.

Conclusion

With each and every year, EFL studentsexperience a greater need for improved Eng-lish reading abilities. To respond to theseneeds, we teachers need to reconsider ourreading pedagogy and move beyond tradition-al approaches that focus on vocabulary, gram-mar, and text structure. Strengthening andmaintaining student motivation are crucial toreading instruction because reading in an L2requires a lot time, effort, and perseverance.As teachers, we need to be aware of the linksbetween motivational approaches and read-

ing development; we need to nurture studentmotivational orientations that are most likelyto yield positive results.

References

Deci, E. L., and R. M. Ryan. 1985. Intrinsic motiva-tion and self-determination in human behavior.New York: Plenum Press.

Gottfried, A. E. 1990. Academic intrinsic motiva-tion in young elementary school children. Jour-nal of Educational Psychology82 (3): 52538.

Guthrie, J. T., A. L. W. Hoa, A. Wigfield, S. M.Tonks, N. M. Humenick, and E. Littles. 2007.

Reading motivation and reading comprehensiongrowth in the later elementary years. Contem-porary Educational Psychology32 (3): 282313.

Jiang, X., and W. Grabe. 2007. Graphic organizers inreading instruction: Research findings and issues.Reading in a Foreign Language 19 (1): 3455.

Katz, I., and A. Assor. 2007. When choice motivatesand when it does not. Educational PsychologyReview19 (4): 42942.

Lau, K., and D. W. Chan. 2003. Reading strategyuse and motivation among Chinese good andpoor readers in Hong Kong.Journal of Researchin Reading26 (2): 17790.

Ryan, R. M., and E. L. Deci. 2000. Intrinsic andextrinsic motivations: Classic definitions andnew directions. Contemporary Educational Psy-chology25 (1): 5467.

Wang, J. H., and J. T. Guthrie. 2004. Modelingthe effects of intrinsic motivation, extrinsicmotivation, amount of reading, and past readingachievement on text comprehension betweenU.S. and Chinese students. Reading ResearchQuarterly39 (2): 16286.

Wigfield, A., and J. T. Guthrie. 1997. Relations ofchildrens motivation for reading to the amountand breadth of their reading. Journal of Educa-tional Psychology89 (3): 42032.

REIKOKOMIYAMA, PHD, is an assistant

professor of TESOL at California State

University, Sacramento. She has taught

EFL in Japan and ESL in the United States.

Her areas of interest include motivation,

L2 reading development, and TESOL

teacher education.

motivating students to read

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