Task #1: Task #1 What do you understand by affective language learning?
Task #1: Task #1 What do you understand by affective language learning?
What are some ways that you can foster it next week?
I believe affective and ‘effective’ teaching is the foundation of success in the classroom environment. When you forge a bond between learners and language/culture, learning takes place in a natural way, it feels pleasant, it builds up motivation and students are not as self-critical as they are in a production-based environment. Regularly, students are assessed according to their production through tests and exercises which work up stress and anxiety, generating a gap between students and the abilities to be taught. Furthermore, students face labels upon themselves, such as ‘good at…’/’bad at…’, ‘intelligent’, ‘smart’ and so on. These labels generate competition and do not stimulate social skills, failure and not fitting in are common feelings. That is why affective teaching is important. It creates safe environments where students are encouraged to cooperate in order to reach a common goal. They are shown that caring and accomplishing objectives together is more important. Next week, I can show how important students are by making activities more personal, interacting with what they bring to class, give them opportunity to do that. Praise them more when they achieve minor tasks. Wrap-up by doing a light and fun activity, let students leave class with a smile upon their faces. I would like to learn more techniques and ways to show my students how much I care about their evolution. This is why I am here.
What are some ways that you can foster it next week?
I believe affective and ‘effective’ teaching is the foundation of success in the classroom environment. When you forge a bond between learners and language/culture, learning takes place in a natural way, it feels pleasant, it builds up motivation and students are not as self-critical as they are in a production-based environment. Regularly, students are assessed according to their production through tests and exercises which work up stress and anxiety, generating a gap between students and the abilities to be taught. Furthermore, students face labels upon themselves, such as ‘good at…’/’bad at…’, ‘intelligent’, ‘smart’ and so on. These labels generate competition and do not stimulate social skills, failure and not fitting in are common feelings. That is why affective teaching is important. It creates safe environments where students are encouraged to cooperate in order to reach a common goal. They are shown that caring and accomplishing objectives together is more important. Next week, I can show how important students are by making activities more personal, interacting with what they bring to class, give them opportunity to do that. Praise them more when they achieve minor tasks. Wrap-up by doing a light and fun activity, let students leave class with a smile upon their faces. I would like to learn more techniques and ways to show my students how much I care about their evolution. This is why I am here.
Hi Thiago!
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree more that labels hinder learning. I think it is important for us not to let students assign themselves labels of how much talent they have. Specially because performance is not an innate trait, it is the result of dedication and effort.
We should always give specific feedback linking their result with their effort to break the myth of good/bad students. I like very much sharing my experience learning English as well as other languages in order to show them that sometimes I have similar feelings about my ability.
The challenge is really what you mentioned, building an affective bond between students and the language. Then certainly affective is effective!
Let me know which different aspects you have noticed in your class after proposing the affective moments you have mentioned.
Hugs from Buddy and me!