scholarly journals Teachers’ Strategies for Decreasing Students’ Anxiety Levels to Improve Their Communicative Skills

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 32
Author(s):  
Takako Inada
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Classroom Management ◽  
Group Dynamics ◽  
Classroom Environment ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Language Performance ◽  
Communicative Skills ◽  
Individual Interviews ◽  
Language Classroom

Students’ high levels of foreign-language classroom anxiety (FLCA) are reported to have a negative impact on their target language performance in classrooms. There are some anxiety studies from the students' perspective in the existing literature, but few from the teachers' perspective, particularly in Japan. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate how teachers managed students' levels of anxiety, which may lead to an improvement in their communication skills. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with six teachers. Various strategies that teachers could use to decrease students’ levels of anxiety were introduced. In communicative lessons, students need to practice speaking and listening in class as much as possible to improve these skills in an English as a foreign language (EFL) context. Therefore, teachers should use various methods to increase the opportunities for students to speak a target language in class, and to create an unthreatening classroom environment in which students can speak without hesitation. In addition, teachers could use group dynamics effectively to ensure seamless classroom management.

scholarly journals Classroom Management in Foreign Language Education: An Exploratory Review

2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 153-166
Author(s):  
Diego Fernando Macías
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Classroom Management ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Foreign Language Education ◽  
Language Instruction ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Foreign Language Instruction ◽  
Language Classes

This review examines studies in the area of classroom management in foreign language education. It is organized into three large areas: The first area focuses on the distinctive characteristics of foreign language instruction that are more likely to impact classroom management in foreign language classes. The second area provides a description of classroom management issues that foreign language teachers usually encounter in their practice; and the third area centers on the different alternatives to reduce the negative impact of classroom management on foreign language classes. Conclusions suggest a need for more research particularly on the relationship between classroom management and aspects such as target language use and teaching methods. 

Teacher Beliefs and Practices in Advanced Spanish Classrooms

2005 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-107
Author(s):  
Manel Lacorte ◽  
Evelyn Canabal
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Classroom Environment ◽  
Latino Students ◽  
Advanced Level ◽  
Beliefs And Practices ◽  
Teacher Beliefs And Practices ◽  
Proficiency Level ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
University Instructors ◽  
Large Research

The growing presence of Latino students in U.S. colleges and universities is evident in foreign language (FL) classrooms. Latino students with a high proficiency level in Spanish are usually placed in advanced language or content-based courses along with other non-Latino students. This paper examines university instructors’ beliefs and practices concerning interaction in advanced Spanish courses with heritage and nonheritage students. The participants were 15 instructors of diverse academic and professional backgrounds teaching advanced Spanish courses at a large research-oriented public university. Following a process of selection, verification, and generalization of linguistic metaphors used to talk about the topic, this qualitative study analyzes data collected through a questionnaire, interviews, and non-participant observations. The discussion addresses the instructors’ beliefs and perceptions with regard to: (1) the classroom environment; (2) their role as teachers of advanced-level courses; (3) the students enrolled in these courses; and (4) the contrast between what teachers consider to be the desired interaction in an advanced language classroom, and what actually happens.

scholarly journals Group Dynamics and Student Participation in a Chinese Setting: Teacher and Observer Perspectives

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
John Harper ◽  
Hui-ju Chen
Keyword(s):  
Classroom Management ◽  
Group Dynamics ◽  
Student Participation ◽  
Chinese Students ◽  
Effective Teacher ◽  
Teacher Student ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Institutional Contexts ◽  
Management Techniques

This article addresses the frequently discussed notion of Chinese students’ supposed reticence and passivity in the English as a Foreign Language classroom. Using the concept of group dynamics as a starting point, it examines teachers’ classroom-management techniques in terms of promoting (or not promoting) active student participation. The study, using a grounded theory of research, analyzed classroom data obtained from class observations and from class filmings and supplemented these data with post-lesson interviews with the four involved teachers. Findings suggested that Chinese students were not necessarily reticent or passive but rather engaged actively when given a learning environment conducive to active engagement. The study pointed to three practical implications for classroom teachers: (1) promoting participation by working toward group cohesion, (2) promoting participation by providing effective teacher-student scaffolding and by providing opportunities for student-student scaffolding, (3) promoting participation by actively replacing textbook materials in order more effectively to offer students adequate support in terms of both language and affect. Acknowledging the fact that different institutional contexts may require different classroom-management techniques, the study calls for further testing of the present findings in other Chinese settings.

scholarly journals The Relationship Between The Male And Female Language Performance And The Level Of Anxiety Among Iranian EFL Students

2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 397-401
Author(s):  
Abusaied Janfaza ◽  
Yousof Rezaei ◽  
Afshin Soori
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Female Students ◽  
Language Performance ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
English Class ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
Class Test ◽  
The Relationship

This study tries to investigate the relationship between the male and female language performance and the level of anxiety among Iranian EFL students. The participants of the current study were 26 Iranian EFL students studying English in Islamic Azad University, Larestan, Iran who were selected in terms of the administering of an Oxford Placement Test. Then, the students were given The Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale. Finally, they were given an English class test which consisted of 40 multiple-choice items. The researcher calculated the correlation between the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale and the performance of both Iranian male and female students on English Class test. The findings indicated that there was a negative correlation between the level of anxiety and the students' performance on English Class Test scores. Moreover, Iranian male students were more anxious in learning English than female students.

A contextualised examination of target language use in the primary school foreign language classroom

2004 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 104-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
David R. Carless
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Primary School ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Language Use ◽  
Study Data ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Foreign Language Learners ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Classroom Language

Abstract This article discusses an issue which is of longstanding and central importance to foreign language teachers in a variety of contexts, namely teacher use of classroom language. It uses detailed qualitative case study data to explore how and why an expert practitioner uses English in her Hong Kong Primary school language classroom. Through the interplay between teacher beliefs, experiences and classroom transcript data, the paper develops a contextualised picture of classroom language use with young foreign language learners. The paper suggests that it is not necessarily the language proficiency of the learners which plays a major role in the quantity of target language use, but the teachers’ own proficiency, experience and beliefs.

scholarly journals Are foreign language learners’ enjoyment and anxiety specific to the teacher? An investigation into the dynamics of learners’ classroom emotions

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-Marc Dewaele ◽  
Livia Dewaele
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Single Point ◽  
Target Language ◽  
School Students ◽  
Foreign Language Learners ◽  
Frequency Of Use ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Item Level ◽  
Group Characteristics

Previous research has considered fluctuations in students’ foreign language enjoyment (FLE) and foreign language classroom anxiety (FLCA) over months or years (Dewaele & MacIntyre, 2014, 2016). However, there has been no investigation of the effect of the teacher on these emotions at a single point in time. In this study, we investigate the question whether FL learners experience similar levels of FLE and FLCA in the same language if they have two different teachers. Participants were 40 London-based secondary school students studying modern languages with one Main Teacher and one Second Teacher. Statistical analysis revealed that while FLCA was constant with both teachers, FLE was significantly higher with the Main Teacher. Predictors of FLE such as attitudes towards the teacher, the teacher’s frequency of use of the target language in class and unpredictability were also significantly more positive for the Main Teacher. Item-level analysis revealed that the teacher creating a positive emotional atmosphere in class contributed to the higher FLE score. Items that reflected more stable personal and group characteristics varied less between the two teachers. The findings suggest that FLE is more teacher-dependent than FLCA, which is more stable across teachers.

scholarly journals Observing Anxiety in the Foreign Language Classroom: Student Silence and Nonverbal Cues

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 116-141
Author(s):  
Kate Maher ◽  
Jim King
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Negative Evaluation ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Language Anxiety ◽  
Nonverbal Cues ◽  
Multiple Forms ◽  
Image Protection ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Foreign Language Classroom

This study looked at multiple forms of silence and nonverbal cues of language anxiety in the foreign language classroom to explore their functions from the perspectives of students. Using the Classroom Oral Participation Scheme (COPS) developed by King (2013), 18 hours of observation produced data on learners’ verbal and non-verbal participation behaviours in Japanese university EFL classes. The data was analysed using the COPS participatory categories. Three recurring forms of silent L2 behaviour were identified: short responses, use of L1, and non-talk. Semi-structured follow-up interviews were carried out with 14 studentswhose silent behaviour was observed and transcribed into a corpus of 43,711 words. In addition to facilitative functions of silence such as cognitive processing, interviewees reported using silence to navigate interpersonal interactions with their classmates and fear of negative evaluation by peers. Findings illustrate how anxious learners may limit social exchanges in the target language for image protection purposes. For example, some students used short responses to avoid revealing a different opinion to their partner that might lead to an awkward interaction. The results suggest that awareness of nonverbal cues and silent behaviour - with multiple forms and functions, should be explored further as an approach to detecting language anxiety in EFL contexts.

scholarly journals Emphasizing the use of literature as an effectual technique for teaching Language: A Study

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (37) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abhibunnisha Begum
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Literary Texts ◽  
Teaching English ◽  
Literature Teaching ◽  
Clear Cut ◽  
Basic Language ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Oral Skills

This paper aims at emphasizing the use of literature as an effectual technique for teaching both basic language skills (i.e. reading, writing, listening and speaking) and language areas (i.e. and vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation). Reasons for using literary texts in foreign language that is English and the main criteria for selecting apposite literary texts in foreign language classes are hassled as the only language in which all subjects travel is English. Moreover the teaching of language skill’s benefits is obtained through altered genres of literature (i.e. poetry, short fiction, drama and novel). Literature in a language classroom provides adequate space for the learners to observe, validate and mirror themselves. The purpose of using literature in a language classroom is to formulate the class interactive and it can be assured that an interactive class can apparently develop communicative competence of the learners and remain an enduring impact on their mind. Such a class can develop the decisive thinking abilities of the learners and at the same time preserve a learner centre environment. The use of literature is to focus on the positive contributions of a literary text as it exposes the learner to different registers, types of language use. Literature plays an important role in the English programs of many non-English speaking countries. However, there are some problems encountered by language teachers within the area of teaching English through literature. First, there are very few pedagogically-designed suitable materials that can be used by language teachers in a language classroom. Second, there is a lack of groundwork in the area of literature teaching in TESL / TEFL programs. Third, there is the nonexistence of clear-cut objectives defining the role of literature in ESL /EFL. The teacher has a significant role in teaching English through literature. Literature is not only a device for developing the written and oral skills of the students in the intention language but also is a window opening into the culture of the target language, building up a cultural proficiency in students.

scholarly journals Dunkin’ the Donut: A Study on Students’ Patterns of Language Use through Technology Applications in Independent Language Learning

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 125-132
Author(s):  
Norizul Azida Darus ◽  
Norhajawati Abdul Halim
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
The Other ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Foreign Language Teachers ◽  
Foreign Language Learners ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Technology Applications

Any language can be acquired at any time, but to acquire the language, one needs to learn the language. Learning a second or foreign language is not a favourite among second or foreign language learners. This is because learning a language is a very intense time-consuming activity. Learning is often unsuccessful because learners receive impoverished or insufficient input and lack of motivation. To this, second language or foreign language teachers play the most significant role to help and motivate the students to acquire the said language. The preferred method is to be immersed into the actual ecosystem of the target language and become part of the language ecosystem. The other way is to dunk the learners into the artificial ecosystem of the language classroom. In dunking, the learners are immersed temporarily and repeatedly into the simulated ecosystem language. As can be seen now, technology remains the only viable option to get enough interactive contact with the target language. Using interesting software is one of the methods in making learning more interesting. Furthermore, the students are able to practice the language not only during class time, but on their own free time outside of class hours, that is during students’ independent time of learning. The findings revealed that most students found using the applications has improved their language learning. The role of teachers on the other hand is to provide instructions and assist whenever necessary and needed by the students.

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