Motivational Teaching Strategies in a Brazilian EFL School: How Important are they and how Frequently are they used?

For over two decades, scholars in the field of second language teaching have proposedextensive lists of strategies to motivate language learners. However, the number ofstudies investigating the actual use of those strategies in L2 classrooms is meager. Thispaper examines the importance and frequency of 43 motivational strategies divided into16 conceptual domains. Twenty-three teachers and 213 students of an EFL school inBrazil participated in the investigation. Quantitative and qualitative data were drawn fromquestionnaires, interviews, and classroom observations. The results suggest that from the16 conceptual domains of motivational strategies, three are potentially motivating.Results also reveal that some strategies regarded as important have been underutilized inthe classroom. In addition, based on the findings, implications and suggestions formotivating learning are drawn. Considerations for further research are also discussed.