Herbert Puchta is the co-author of THiNK and Empower. He also researches how cognitive psychology can be applied in the classroom, speaks at international conferences and is a previous president of IATEFL. In this webinar, he discusses how the ‘if…then’ reward system is not an effective framework for teaching languages. He explains how teenagers can be motivated through 4 key principles.
Behavioural science shows us that the human brain is wired to respond to incentives and rewards. Herbert explains that this derives from the brain’s two basic emotion systems: positive/negative. We want the things that give us pleasure; we run from the things that do not. He argues, however, that higher order cognitive activities such as language learning require a more sophisticated reward mechanism.
4 key principles for motivating teenagers:
In his webinar, Herbert covers the following 4 ways to motivate teenagers who are studying away from their home country. Together, they form a more sophisticated reward system for higher order cognitive activities:
- A firm understanding of what they are learning.
- Content which is relevant and engaging.
- Control over the learning path and the end goal.
- Goal-oriented action or movement towards a goal (whether visualised or physical).
Drawing upon decades of research and using examples from his course for teens, THiNK, Herbert shows how these principles can then be applied effectively in the classroom:
If you are interested in learning more about teaching teenagers, we have an entire section of the blog devoted to secondary education and how the adolescent brain can be motivated in a classroom environment.