CIU!: Well attended CIU seminar on increasing student motivation

Cyprus International University School of Foreign Languages hosted a seminar entitled “Motivating the Unmotivated” with the theme of increasing student motivation.

Ken Wilson, a trainers’ trainer affiliated with the Oxford University Press, spoke at the seminar, which was aimed at the English Language Teachers in public institutions of education as well as university instructors and lecturers in English Language.

An actor, playwright and a writer for BBC TV and radio programs, Ken Wilson gave an efficient presentation during the seminar. The event took place at Çevik Uraz Conference Hall and lasted two days, during which time Wilson provided the participants with critical know-how about attaining the highest point in motivating students when teaching English. Various exercises were carried out concerning student motivation during the seminar.

Pointing out that teacher is the single most important factor in maintaining student motivation, Ken Wilson said “Teacher motivation must be at its peak, just as is the case with students.” Underlining the significance of the fact that motivated students must also be provided with meaningful and useful lecture material and be allowed to have fun with it, Wilson stated that to this end the teachers must create an environment whereby students would be effective, and mentioned ten different rules that may be used in facilitating this.

At the conclusion of the seminar, Director for The School of Foreign Languages Prof. Dr. Mehmet Ali Yavuz provided the CIU Press Agency with information on student motivation at CIU. Yavuz said, “One of the critical elements in successful education is how to motivate students. When the students are not motivated, it is not possible for them to be a willing actor in education. Should the student be willing to partake in educational activities, so can we speak of motivated students. In order to motivate the students the coursework should capture the attention of students, should spark the interest of students, should include the fun factor, should be neither too difficult nor too easy, should be convincingly useful for the students, and should involve active participation of students.”

Gamze Atay, The Coordinator of In-Service Training Activities for The School of Foreign Languages, expressed her gratitude to İlhan İlçay on behalf of Deniz Plaza for their support in organizing the seminar, and she stated that similar educational activities would be repeated in the future.

Credit: CIU