How to motivate school students to learn English? How to motivate school students to learn English?

I think the key
to being successful at teaching any topic, but particulary one that students are reluctant (I'm
being diplomatic!) to learn is knowing your motivation. Why is it important to you and can you
truthfully and specifically answer "Why do we have to learn this?" without resorting
to "because it's the curriculum" or other such responses. If you don't know why you
are teaching it, then they won't know or care why they are learning it. I think the poster who
talked about bringing in a former student was on the right track. Maybe it worked in past eras,
but the nature of today's students is that they cannot be taught in a vacuum. Learning for it's
own sake is beautiful and precious, but is a skill that students must come to on their own.
First we have to show them why and how English not only important and neccessary, but beneficial
to them. The more real world type assignments you use, the more this will make sense to
them.