How to Stay Motivated To Improve Your English Communication

Find definitions for green-highlighted words at the bottom of the page to expand your vocabulary!

Do you come home from work intending to learn English, but you’re tired, so you tell yourself "I'll do it tomorrow"? Then tomorrow comes & you know you should practise English, but you find yourself going out with friends instead?

Before you know it months pass, your English fluency is stagnant & you feel guilty for not acting on your goals to improve your English communication skills.

We all have our own reasons for wanting or needing to learn English. We also have many things happening in our lives- work, families, studies, hobbies…. the list goes on!

While all learners have the same goal- to 'speak English’, why is it that some can effortlessly take consistent action towards their goals, but others struggle to do it?

It all boils down to motivation!

If you have a habit of not taking action towards your English goals, you are lacking motivation.

In this post, we'll explore why motivation is so important in language learning & how you can find it to improve your English speaking & fluency for the long term.

Motivation fuels consistent practice, which leads to faster English fluency.

Desire vs Motivation

Many have the desire to learn English, but not everyone is motivated to put in the consistent effort & work needed to reach English fluency.

What’s the difference?

Desire is having the feeling, intent, want or need to do something. "I want to learn English"

Motivation is the inner driving force that allows us to take action to our desire. It sounds like:

"I'm so tired today, but I want to speak English as quickly as possible so I'm going to practise anyway!".

Motivation is what keeps you going even when life gets busy or when you’d rather skip your learning session. It’s the difference between feeling guilty & feeling empowered to take action every day.

As an English Communication Coach, I know when clients are acting on desire or motivation based on their habits, behaviours & attitudes.

'Desire Learners' attend sessions consistently for a few weeks & will feel good in their progress. Then, they will have a holiday or a work deadline and take a short break- nothing wrong with that!

But these breaks can turn into weeks and then months.

When 'Desire Learners' return, they complain of feeling frustrated with their English skills & that they haven't made the progress they want yet. So they come back invested in their learning & disappear again for another thing. The cycle continues, with their English communication skills developing at a snails pace, or sometimes it can even regress!

'Motivation Clients' always make time & energy for English. Many have sessions before work, in lunch breaks, stay after work, or have sessions at 11pm to ensure they incorporate their development into their busy schedules. Of course they take holidays or give attention to other areas of their lives, but they continue with independent English learning- even if it is for 5 minutes a day. When they return to coaching, they've maintained their fluency or made some progress in their time away. For them, learning & speaking English is part of their lifestyle because they are driven to do it.

Desire Learners	Motivation Learners
Attend sessions for a few weeks, then take long breaks when life gets busy.	Incorporate English practice into their daily routine, even when tired.
Don't make independent English learning a daily or routine part of their life.	Keep pushing forward despite their moods and see consistent improvement.
English fluency stalls, and they often feel frustrated by lack of progress.	Are committed to sessions, even if they only have time at 11pm in their pyjamas!

One learner's motivation type is not better than the other, but it can affect how quickly you progress with your English fluency.

As a coach I'm here to support your English communication journey and that looks different for everyone! But if you're a 'desire learner' you may need a different approach to keep you motivated. It's my job as a coach to help you understand your motivation blocks & guide you through the periods you feel unmotivated & help keep you on track.

Continue reading for a simple 3 step guide to find your motivation!

Why Motivation Matters for Improving English Fluency

Motivation is the fuel that keeps your English language learning journey going.

Without it, you might find yourself easily distracted, skipping practice, or doubting your progress.

But when you're motivated, you're more likely to stick with your practice, seek opportunities to speak & push through challenges.

Psychologist Jeanne Ellis Ormrod¹ claims that motivation affects:

• Behaviour: It directs your actions toward your goal.

  
  

• Effort: It helps you put in more effort & keep going when the going gets tough.

  
  

• Persistence: Motivation builds the resilience to overcome obstacles.

  
  

• Performance: With higher motivation, you’re likely to perform better & see faster improvement in English speaking.

Of all the different factors that contribute to the successful completion of any goal, desire or skill, motivation is by far the most critical aspect. Experts refer to motivation as ‘the combination of effort plus desire to achieve the goal of learning the language plus favourable attitudes toward learning the language.’ ²

Now, follow these 3 steps to discover & maintain your English fluency motivation!

Keep motivation strong & every practice gets you one step closer to English fluency!

Step 1- Finding Your English Motivation

To achieve a goal, you must understand WHY you want to achieve it. When the bad days come & you want to quit, you can use this to keep you on track & reminder to keep going.

Psychologists have identified two types of motivation: intrinsic & extrinsic.

Intrinsic motivation comes from forces deep inside of us.

You are likely to be intrinsically motivated if you:

• feel a genuine enjoyment when learning English

• feel an energy ‘high’ by knowing that you will have an English session

• have a natural drive for achievement & self-accomplishment

• have a natural curiosity & need for more knowledge of English language & culture.

The energy will feel very light & inspiring.

Extrinsic motivation comes from outside forces that are separate to us.

You may be extrinsically motivated if you:

• Continue English even if you don’t enjoy it, but know there is benefit to this skill.

• Are only interested in learning English to get a related reward- a promotion, a pay-rise etc

• You would not choose to engage with English if a reward wasn’t present.

• You engage to avoid a punishment or negative consequence for not doing it.

• You are engaging to satisfy someone else’s desires or expectations.

Psychologists say that those with intrinsic motivation have a higher probability of developing English fluency. That's because the joy or pleasure they get from interacting with the language will keep them naturally focused & disciplined. If you're only motivated for a reward- you can be less likely to reach fluency, not because you're not able to, but simply because deep down you don't want English fluency. You want that other reward. So this means you need super self-discipline to ensure you actually show up for yourself.

Are you intrinsically or extrinsically motivated?

Ask yourself these questions:

• Do you have an inner sense of enjoyment learning English?

• Is learning or engaging with English exciting and something you look forward to?

• Do you have a genuine love of English language or culture?

• Do you feel wholly motivated and inspired by the language alone?

• Would you learn English if you didn’t have another benefit like a pay rise or new job?

• Do you take consistent steps to your English goals?

If you answered yes to most of these questions, you have a dominant intrinsic motivation towards English.

If you answered no to most of them, you have a dominant extrinsic motivation.

Sometimes people can be motivated by both intrinsic & extrinsic desires.

While being extrinsically motivated still yields positive results, if you don't naturally enjoy learning English, you will need a different strategy to keep you on track! This is where English Communication Coaching is incredibly beneficial compared to traditional English teaching methods. We go deep into true motivations & I construct a personalised plan that keeps you inspired & engaged. As this is coaching & not teaching, we can also work through any fears you may have around English or speaking that effect your motivation. Traditional methods expect you to turn up & learn English- they don't consider how you feel & if this affects your learning.

In coaching, we can transform both your English and your mental & emotional barriers.

Do you love learning English—or are you in it for the raise? Either way, know your why!

Step 2- Identifying Your Motivational ‘Selves’

The psychological ‘Self-discrepancy Theory’, claims we have three different ‘selves’ we operate by.

Our different ‘selves’ are created from our unconscious programming, beliefs, and expectations we have about our different ‘selves’- compared to that which we experience. Together these three selves form our ‘self-concept’- that is how we see ourselves to be.

They are:

• The actual self: the qualities you or somebody else, believes you actually have.

  
  

• The ideal self: the qualities you or somebody else would like you to have

  
  

• The ought to self: the qualities you or somebody else believes you should posses

This theory has been applied to language learning into what Hungarian linguist Zoltan Dörnyei’s brands the ‘L2 Motivation Self-System’. It is built on the premise that people’s behaviour is influenced by an ‘ideal self’, the person who we would like to be by acquiring a second language (L2). ³

We can think of the selves as:

• The ‘actual self’- who we are now- our circumstances, thoughts, beliefs, feelings, mood, habits, routines, abilities

  
  

• The ‘ideal self’- who we want to be in the future- our circumstances, thoughts, beliefs, routines, abilities

  
  

• The ‘ought to’ self- what you know you should do, or be like to be your ideal self; OR what other people want you to be like, do or achieve.

When our ‘actual self’ doesn’t match or meet the expectations of our own or another person’s concept of our ‘ideal’ and ‘ought to’ selves, it can have positive and negative effects on our motivation towards the ‘ideal self’.

Self	Definition	Examples in English Learning
Actual Self	Who you are right now – your current circumstances, habits, beliefs, abilities, and emotional state.	- Feels nervous speaking English - Studies irregularly - Can hold basic conversations
Ideal Self	Who you want to be – your future self, shaped by your dreams, values, and goals.	- Confidently speaks English in meetings - Watches movies without subtitles - Practices daily
Ought to Self	Who you feel you should be – based on responsibilities, expectations, or pressure from yourself or others.	- Needs to pass IELTS for a job - Family expects fluency - Thinks a fluent speaker “should” never make mistakes

Stopping to explore your different 'selves' can help you immensely. Not only will it help identify where you can focus your attention, but you see where you may be operating by your own or someone else's unrealistic beliefs or expectations for you.

Watch this video to understand the 'selves' in language acquisition!

Step 3: Maintaining Motivation!

Now you've identified your intrinsic and extrinsic motivations & have got to know your ‘selves’ & their motivators or limitations, here are some practical tips to maintain your motivation for developing English communication skills.

The key to maintaining motivation is to give your brain the dopamine boost it needs to naturally want to continue with the behaviour!

The same way your body craves chocolate because it makes you feel good, by tricking your brain into producing dopamine when you take action in your English, your brain will tell you to practise English again because it wants to feel good!

If you lost motivation or lacked it from the beginning, it is important for your brain that you reward yourself for any English action you do- even if it feels extremely small and insignificant in the moment.

Do this by:

• Focusing on smaller ‘micro’ goals and how they contribute to the larger ‘macro’ goal or improvement. Micro improvements are done daily and are actionable behaviours that contribute to your macro goal.

• Immediately after doing anything involving English- tell yourself something positive like: "you did a great job!", "you made an achievement!", "you did that much better than 2 months ago!". This triggers dopamine & your brain will start to connect English with 'feeling good'. You should automatically feel like you can repeat that behaviour because your brain remembers it made you feel good & the cycle continues.

• Do something you enjoy or feel good about immediately after taking action towards your language goal. This tricks your brain into feeling good & it will think the English action caused the positive feeling!

Trick your brain into thinking English is chocolate—reward yourself, repeat, and watch your English motivation and fluency grow!

Conclusion

Improving your English speaking skills is a journey & motivation is the key to staying on course.

Whether you’re driven by intrinsic enjoyment or external rewards, understanding your motivations a& reflecting on your personal “selves” can help you create a strategy that works for you.

Remember, motivation doesn’t just appear—it’s something you can cultivate with time & effort. So, keep going, & soon enough, you’ll see your English language speaking skills improve in ways you never thought possible!

If you need personalised guidance along the way, book a consultation to discuss a coaching plan that keeps you motivated.

Stay consistent, make learning English fun & keep pushing yourself to your English fluency & communication goals!

Eleanor

About the Author

I'm a British native & English Communication Coach based in Ljubljana, Slovenia.

As a certified English teacher & life coach, I started Utter Eloquence to help you express yourself clearly & confidently in English.

Ready to speak like you in English? Let’s get started!

Featured Vocabulary

Use this to check the pronunciation of the words below!

To intend- to have a plan or purpose in mind to do something; it refers to aiming or meaning to carry out a particular action or achieve a specific result.

Stagnant- not moving, flowing, or progressing; it often describes something that has become inactive, dull, or stale.

Consistent- acting or happening in the same way over time; it suggests reliability, uniformity, or agreement without contradictions

Boils Down- an informal phrase meaning to reduce something to its essential parts or main point.

Snails Pace- extremely slow speed, often used to describe progress or movement that is frustratingly or unusually slow.

To regress- to go back to a previous, often worse or less developed, state or condition.

Driven- motivated and determined to achieve a goal, often showing intense focus and persistence in the pursuit of success or improvement.

Resilience- the ability to recover quickly from difficulties, setbacks, or challenges; the ability to adapt and stay strong in the face of stress or difficult circumstances.

Intrinsic- refers to natural qualities or motivations that come from inside a person.

Extrinsic- coming from outside a person or thing; not inherent or naturally part of it.

Dominant- in psychology or behaviour, it refers to a leading or prevailing trait, force, or motivation that shapes someone's actions or attitudes.

Expectations- beliefs or assumptions about what will happen in the future, especially regarding someone’s behaviour, performance, or outcomes.

Premise- the main idea or starting point of an argument or explanation.

Unrealistic- something that is not possible or not likely to happen in real life.

Dopamine- a chemical in your brain that makes you feel good, happy, or rewarded.

Crave- to really want something strongly.

Micro- very small or tiny; often used to describe small steps, goals, or actions.

Macro- big or large; often used to describe a big goal or the overall picture.

References

Ormrod, J.E., Anderman, E.M. and Anderman, L.H. (2020) Educational psychology: Developing learners. Hoboken, NJ: Pearson.

Baker, Susan C., Watson, Bernadette M., and Gallois, Cindy (2020). Social psychology and language. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Psychology. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.1-15

Dörnyei, Z. (2009). The L2 Motivational Self System. In Z. Dörnyei & E. Ushioda (Eds.), Motivation, language identity and the L2 self (pp. 9–42). Bristol: Multilingual Matters.