i have 2 step daughters, 6 and 14 year old. The 6 year old is keen to learn english, talks to me in english whenever she knows the word (i speak some Thai), and is always asking me "papa, what you call?".

the 14 year old on the other hand doesn't seen to give a s##t. it's a real up hill struggle getting her to read an english teaching book even through she reads english very well; she will not talk to me in english even if she knows the words. i'm sure part of it is shy, part lazy, and part 14 year old (i have a 14 year old son who is equaly unmotovated by everything except video games)

so i was wondering if you teachers out there have any advice for how to deal with an unmotivated 14 year old. i was thinging about a maybe if there is a leaning english computer game, or something.

any ideas?

thanks, steve

She sounds like any other teenager. Try beating her with anything that comes to hand

At that age it's very difficult to motivate them. If you try to force her to learn English, it will make her less likely to want to learn.

The only things that might help are letting her do things she enjoys. This might make her more co-operative. If she feels it's cool to learn English it could encourage her. Perhaps watching MTV or English movies might interest her.

Figure out what she likes and then figure out a way so that if she learns some english then she gets more of it.

get someone else to teach her...teaching family will only lead to grief....either between you and her or her mother and you!!

The most important thing, surely, is does she want to learn or need to learn. If I were 14 and I had a step-father who was trying to teach me Thai, I'd tell him to get to ****.

any ideas?

Send her abroad, someplace where she'll have to communicate in English, perhaps Paris.

As something sponsored by you (the parent) at that age she's hardly likely to show any enthusiasm at all. Don't take it personally.

If she could spend some time abroad with "cool" foreigners her own age who only spoke English, she'd have motivation enough... but otherwise you'd be better off not to push it and wait until she's a bit more mature.

She sounds like any other teenager. Try beating her with anything that comes to hand  

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that's my wife's prefered teaching method. not sure how effective it is.

i'm going to look for a computer game that teaches english, maybe write one if i can't find one (i'm a computer programmer)

do not worry,

when she will need the english, she will get it fast.... she proabably knows more then u think but is just being a prepubescent 14 yr old.... especially since u are step dad...

mtv movies comics teen girl magazines shopping (only in english or it doesnt get bought), and dont harp on it.... (i have three kids and english is their second lang., only when on a trip to the states did they suddenly really want to 'speaka the english'

forget computer games unless she's a computer geek (girls usually dont like computer stuff as much, boys can do with FIFA etc in english the english teaching games on computer are boring boring boring boring... )... soap operas,

DO NOT CORRECT HER IF SHE DOES SPEAK EVEN IF ITS INCORRECT... this will stop her short very quickly... just repeat what she said usuing proper grammar etc and then reply, dont make a big fuss about it

(how new are u to her? shyness is a hard thing to overcome with child/adult authority relationships, especially fairly new ones)

when she hits 16 and realizes that english is a plus, it will happen, complete with slang etc... and then u may wish she would shut up...

(how new are u to her? shyness is a hard thing to overcome with child/adult authority relationships, especially fairly new ones)

when she hits 16 and realizes that english is a plus, it will happen, complete with slang etc... and then u may wish she would shut up...

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we've had the kids for about 9 months now and the little one will not shut up so I know what you mean. i'm not worried, i just think it would be good for her to try a bit harder to learn english because it's very useful when she's looking for a job around here.

i'm actually more worried about the general lack of ANY education in schools in Ko Phangan. it's pittiful what she knows about math, history, geography, you name it.

kids, male and female love computer games so i'm still looking for a quality, educational game. i starting to thing there is a big hole in the market for such a product.

If you speak to her in English she is surely picking up some language. When she is in school she will have to perform a bit what she hears at home will probably help a lot. Does you wife speak English to you? You should make sure that everyone else is trying to use it at home too. If everyone uses it she'll eventually pick it up.