Authentic Learning and Student Motivation: Building Instructor and Student Confidence through Genuine Interaction and Authentic Classroom Materials

Abstract

This chapter moves beyond authentic materials in the university instructional setting to an examination of the reality of individuals in the classroom.

Section 1 looks specifically at the role of teacher authenticity. Instructors reflect on their own insecurities about having to know all the answers. They question the long-held belief of teacher as all-knowing giver of knowledge. Strategies are offered for situations when teachers do not know the answer to students’ questions. A new perspective on teacher errors emerges that is less top down and more teacher-student partnership. The result is that students feel less threatened and embarrassed when they make mistakes, increasing their motivation to take risks in language interactions.

Section 2 focuses on communication with students. Teachers discover how to ask real questions from genuine curiosity. They see how to make authentic assignments and respond to student errors. They encourage students to be their authentic selves, thereby increasing confidence and enthusiasm for learning. The chapter concludes with examples of the old model of classroom communication compared with new, more authentic interaction paradigms.