You Can Bring a Horse to Water, But…
Willy A Renandya, 14 April 2025
We’ve all heard the saying: “You can bring a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.” It’s one of those old proverbs that sticks with us because it feels so true. At its heart, this saying reminds us that motivation has to come from within. No matter how hard we try to push someone or something, real change only happens when they decide to take action themselves. This idea is especially important in second language education, where teachers often struggle to spark students’ interest in learning a new language.
But here’s the thing: while inner drive (what experts call intrinsic motivation) is powerful, it’s not the whole story. External factors, like good teaching and engaging classroom activities, play a huge role too. In fact, these external motivators can actually help build up students’ natural desire to learn. So instead of thinking about the proverb as an either/or situation (either the horse drinks on its own or doesn’t), let’s reimagine it in ways that give both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation their due credit.
The Power of Quality Teaching
Imagine bringing a horse to fresh water flowing from a mountain spring. Wouldn’t that be more appealing than dirty, stagnant water? The same goes for your classroom. When lessons are well-prepared, interactive, and relevant, students are far more likely to engage. Zoltan Dornyei, a leading expert on second language motivation, says it best: “The best way to motivate our students is to improve the quality of our teaching.”
Imagine you’re teaching English as a second language. Instead of relying on repetitive drills, you could turn the lesson into an interactive “detective mystery” game. Start by telling the students that something unusual has happened — for example, a famous painting has gone missing from the museum, or someone has stolen the principal’s lunch. Their task is to figure out what happened, who did it, and how.
Divide the class into small groups and give each group a set of clues written in English. These clues should include useful language they’ve been learning, such as directions (“The thief turned left at the library and ran toward the park”), descriptions of people (“A tall man with glasses was seen near the museum at 3 p.m.”), or statements about where someone was at a certain time (“Sophie was in the cafeteria from two to three o’clock”).
Students must read their clues aloud, discuss their meanings, and work together to understand what happened. As the activity continues, they can exchange information with other groups or collect more clues from around the classroom. Eventually, each group presents their solution to the mystery in English — explaining who they think committed the act, what happened, and why.
This kind of activity turns language practice into a fun and collaborative experience. Instead of passively memorizing words and grammar, students are using English as a tool to think, communicate, and solve problems, making the “water” of language learning feel far fresher and more inviting.
Another way to improve the quality of teaching is by incorporating technology. For instance, apps like Quizlet can turn vocabulary practice into an engaging and interactive experience. With Quizlet, students can access digital flashcards, play games like “Match” or “Gravity,” and take quizzes to reinforce their learning. The app also offers features like progress tracking and leaderboards, which provide instant feedback and a sense of achievement. These elements not only make studying more enjoyable but also help students see their growth over time.
The two examples above show how improving the quality of instruction taps into what researchers call extrinsic motivation. By making the class enjoyable and meaningful, you’re giving students reasons to participate even if they don’t yet feel intrinsically motivated. Over time, these positive experiences can lead to genuine curiosity and excitement about the language.
Creating a Student-friendly Environment
Another twist on the proverb could be: “You can bring a horse to its natural habitat, and it will drink the water and eat the lush green grass without you asking it.” Translated to the classroom, this means creating an environment where students feel comfortable taking risks and exploring the language without fear of making mistakes.
In a second language classroom, building such an environment starts with fostering trust and confidence. For instance, encourage group work where students collaborate rather than compete. Pair stronger learners with those who need extra support, allowing everyone to shine in their own way. Celebrate small victories, such as when a shy student finally speaks up during a discussion. These moments remind students that progress is possible and that mistakes are part of the journey.
Say you’re teaching a beginning-level English class, and you notice some students hesitating to speak because they’re afraid of making mistakes. To ease their fears, you might introduce games like “Two Truths and a Lie,” where students share statements about themselves in English. For example, a student might say, “I love playing basketball, I’ve never travelled outside my country, and I can cook Tom Yum Soup.” The rest of the class has to guess which statement is false. Since the focus shifts from perfection to participation, students begin to relax and enjoy practicing the language. Before long, they start engaging more confidently, driven by the positive energy of the activity.
Creating a supportive atmosphere also involves setting clear expectations and providing constructive feedback. Instead of simply marking answers right or wrong, explain why something works or doesn’t work. For instance, if a student says, “She go to the store yesterday,” gently point out that the verb should be “went” because it’s past tense, and praise them for attempting the sentence. You might say, “Great job trying! Let’s just change ‘go’ to ‘went’ to match the past tense.” Positive reinforcement helps students see errors as opportunities to grow rather than failures to avoid. Over time, this approach builds their confidence and encourages them to take more risks in using English, gradually fostering a sense of independence and intrinsic motivation.
Bridging Extrinsic to Intrinsic Motivation
Extrinsic motivation such as grades, rewards, or praise isn’t the ultimate goal. Rather, it’s a stepping stone toward developing intrinsic motivation. Think of it like training wheels on a bike. They provide stability until the rider gains enough balance to pedal confidently on their own.
Here’s an example: Many language teachers use stickers, points, or certificates to reward effort. While these incentives might seem superficial, they serve an important purpose early on. A student who earns a sticker for completing a challenging assignment might initially work hard just to get the prize. But over time, they may discover that they enjoy the sense of accomplishment that comes from mastering difficult material. That’s when the shift happens—from doing something for the reward to doing it because it feels good.
To keep this momentum going, teachers should gradually reduce reliance on external rewards and focus more on nurturing students’ personal goals. Ask questions like, “Why do you want to learn this language?” or “How will speaking another language benefit you in the future?” Helping students connect their studies to their dreams makes learning feel purposeful and self-driven.
Consider a scenario where a student wants to travel abroad someday. You might assign projects that involve researching countries where the target language is spoken or planning imaginary trips. As they explore cultural topics, they’ll realize how valuable knowing the language can be. This helps them see that learning the language isn’t just schoolwork — it’s something useful and exciting.
Tweaking the Proverb for Success
So, back to our original saying: “You can bring a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.” With a few tweaks, we see that there’s a lot of things teachers can do to increase the chances of success:
- Make the water irresistible: Offer high-quality lessons that captivate students’ attention.
- Provide the right environment: Build a supportive space where students feel safe to explore and grow.
- Guide them gently: Use extrinsic motivators as tools to ignite intrinsic passion.
By combining these strategies, educators can transform reluctant learners into eager participants. After all, every horse needs a little encouragement before it discovers how refreshing a cool sip of water can be. And once that thirst kicks in, there’s no stopping them!
Language learning is a marathon, not a sprint. Students won’t always feel motivated right away, and that’s okay. What matters is creating conditions where motivation can flourish over time. Whether it’s through exciting lessons, a supportive classroom culture, or thoughtful guidance, teachers hold the key to unlocking students’ potential.
So next time you think about that stubborn horse at the watering hole, remember: sometimes, all it takes is a little sparkle in the water or a dash of creativity in the classroom to get things flowing.
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