Authenticity and Teacher-Student Motivational Synergy

Richard Pinner is a language teacher and associate professor at Sophia University in Tokyo. He holds a PhD in ELT and Applied Linguistics and has published several articles on language teaching, most recently in Language Teaching Research, English Today and Applied Linguistics Review.

'This second book from Richard Pinner explores the synergy between two concepts traditionally associated with language learning: motivation and authenticity. Combining a unique theoretical perspective with practical ideas for language practitioners, Pinner here firmly establishes himself as ‘one to watch’ in this field.' — Dr Freda Mishan, University of Limerick, Ireland'This book offers a fascinating insight into the dynamic evolving relationship between teacher motivation and student motivation in the classroom. Through a rich illustrated reflexive narrative of his exploratory practice as a teacher of English at a Japanese university, Richard Pinner discusses how the motivational synergy between teacher and students is bound up with the classroom community’s experience of ‘social authentication’—i.e. the affective sense of social connectedness and shared investment in the teaching–learning process. The book will be valuable reading for researchers, teachers and teacher-researchers interested in understanding or exploring the social dynamics of classroom motivation.' — Professor Ema Ushioda, Director, Centre for Applied Linguistics, University of Warwick'Despite recognition of its importance, few empirical studies have been able to convincingly portray the vitally interconnected and emergent nature of teacher and learner motivation. In this enlightening book, Richard Pinner does just this, from an insider perspective. The book relates his experiences as he works as a practitioner-researcher to understand and replicate conditions in a particularly vibrant and meaningful class that he taught in the past. This is a deeply reflective account of Pinner’s classroom research, combining autoethnography with exploratory practice as he seeks to understand both himself and his learners more profoundly. The book grounds numerous useful ideas developed through the research, such as a socially-constructed sense of shared positive energy known as motivational synergy, in the narrative of the author’s emerging identity as a classroom practitioner. It also draws strong parallels with Ushioda’s (2009) person-in-context relational view of motivation, arguing convincingly that authenticity in the classroom ought to be reconceptualized as a process whereby teachers and learners socially validate language use. For me, the most intriguing aspect was simply the capacity of the book to allow the reader to enter not only Pinner’s classroom, but also his thinking, over a year of teaching.' — Richard Sampson, Associate Professor, University Education Centre, Gunma University, Japan'Exploring interactions between teacher and student motivation from an authenticity perspective, and drawing on complementary methodologies which emphasize the value of classroom-based practitioner-led research, this book provides rare insights into a dynamic and underexplored relationship. Pinner’s investigations into his own identity development, and the influences that his strivings for self-authenticity have on his practice and his student’s motivation provide insights that will resonate with other practitioners dedicated to providing meaningful and enriching learning experiences.' — Professor Alastair Henry, University West, Sweden

• 1. Introduction 2. Theoretical Framework: Stepping Stones 3. Research Methods: The Evolution of my Design 4. Spring Semester 5. Autumn Semester 6. Bridging the Gap: Synergies into Praxis 7. Vignettes 8. Conclusions 9. Afterword