When working with English language learners, it is important for the teacher to understand the importance of reducing the affective filter of the learner. The goal of an English language learner’s teacher is to present comprehensible input and ensure that the students effectively acquire the language (Steward, 2010, p. 4). In doing research on learning a second language, Krashen recognized three personal issues that affect the success or failure of English language learners. These issues are said to be motivation, self-confidence and anxiety (Zafar, 2011, p. 144). In order for an English Language Learner to acquire a second language, it is up to educators to do everything necessary to ensure the personal issues are addressed. Krashen felt that a high affective filter can keep comprehensible input from reaching the language acquisition device and lowering the affective filter allows the input to be acquired. He also states that that affective filter is not present in acquiring a first language, only second languages. Comprehensible input cannot be useful if the English language learner’s language acquisition device is blocked from profiting from it. The filter goes up when the learner feels unmotivated or does not have the confidence needed and it goes down if the learner does not feel anxious and is motivated to become a member of the group (Du, 2009, p. 162). What we need is to find ways to use the ideas of Krashen’s hypothesis to help English language learners acquire their new language. As educators, it is necessary to get to know your students and figure out what motivates them to learn. Students may not be motivated to learn due to lack of interest or confidence in their abilities. Sometimes the teacher’s attitude can affect how a student learns and educators have to be aware of how their attitudes might hinder a student's chances of learning a new language. (Du, 2009, p. 164). Teachers need to be aware of their attitude and how they are portrayed when they are teaching students new things. If a teacher does not seem to be interested in whether the students learn, they are not helping motivate the students. By introducing a diversified teaching method and using positive and humorous language, teachers can “create a harmonious and light atmosphere for learning.” (Du, 2009, p. 164). Another way teachers can help students when learning English is to help build their self-confidence which will lower their anxiety.
During the first day of ESL academy, I realized the inadequacy of my knowledge concerning the needs of ELL students and how woefully lacking my instruction had been for former students whose first language was not English. Partici...
With the rise of immigration, English Language Learners (ELL) population is growing fast. By 2025, 25% of the k-12 students will be ELLs. Therefore, a big challenge would be to help such ELLs improve their English language proficiency while there are English-speaking students (non-ELL) in the classes too.
English is a Language that many people struggle with in the U.S. It can be a daunting task that many American’s have to face. Especially because of all of the domains that make up the English Language.(reading, writing, speaking and listening). There are many factors that can lead to the failure of learning of the English Language. One component is English being a secondary language that is not attended to correctly. Even though there is many reasons the lead to English Language Learners lack of proficiency (example Mr. O’Malley classroom), a strong instructional input, scaffolding, theory, research, ELD standard, and a intervention will not be one of them.
Short, D., & Echevarria, J. (2004). Teacher Skills to Support English Language Learners. Educational Leadership, 62(4), 8-13. Retrieved from Academic Search Complete database.
There are many challenges that Moises faces. One problem he faces is with affective filter. When the teacher begins explaining directions for the day, Moises cannot “hear” the correct information because his brain is overloaded with the English information; Moises has subconsciously raised an affective filter and formed a “mental block.” According to Stephen Krashen’s Theory of Second Language Acquisition, in order to learn a second language at a faster rate, the affective filter must be low, so that the student will be prepared to learn the information (Schutz, 2005).
3 Cleary, M. N. (2012). Anxiety and the newly returned adult student. Teaching English in the
Of the several challenges that ELL students may face at school, one of the most important to remember is that these students not only have the pressure of learning at the same pace of their peers that have most likely spoken English their whole lives, but they have to do so while attempting to understand the English language. Graves' makes a paramount point on page 411 of his text where he states "it is not that English language learners come to school with a language deficit. They come with a lack of knowledge of the particular language that is used in the schools they will be attending-English."1 Therefore, it is easy to assume that even the most ready-to-learn student will have huge amounts of trouble trying to learn everything in a language that is foreign to them.
Schütz, Ricardo. (2007, July 2). Stephen Krashen’s Theory of Second Language Acquisition. Sk.com. Retrieved April 9, 2014 from http://www.sk.com.br/sk-krash.html.
English Language Learners range from Newcomers learning survival English and developing foundational literacy skills to Long-Term English Learners who have had 6 years or more of their education in English yet continue have significant language gaps. These students may speak English with little or no accent and still lack the vocabulary, grammar and grade level literacy to be successful in school. English language learners may remain silent in the classroom as they adjust to a new school, environment, and culture unless he is a native language comrade to interact with. The English language learners are concerned about decoding verbal and non- verbal communication as well as understanding the social culture framework of the school. Most of the time English language learners are observing during instruction, trying to repeat words used by others, memorizing simple phrases and sentences, tired by midday or be frustrated attending long lectures unaccompanied by visual and gestures, relying on first language translation used peer translation or bilingual dictionary, as the students begin to learner they become more involved in the classroom, they can respond non-verbally to commands, statements, and questions in simple form. As their oral comprehension increases, they begin to use simple word and phrases and may use English spontaneously. They can understand short conversation on a simple topic when reading students can understand a narrative text and authentic materials, although they will be below
The question of whether receiving error corrective feedback can actually hurt an ELL student’s ability to learn is the focus of the Error Correction Hypothesis. Stephen Krashen, in his Affective Filter Hypothesis, puts forth the idea that learners have an Affective Filter which is triggered by emotional variables such as anxiety or stress. Once activated, this filter can operate as an unintended barrier, hindering one’s ability to receive input, and therefore learning. As a result, Krashen advocates for limited error correction in second language instruction, and primarily as a clarification in meaning.
Thus, the book answers numerous practical questions that teachers have often struggled with; for example, how to increase the chances of academic success for language learners, how to use technology to teach language effectively, or how to teach language and content material concurrently. From the preface, the author makes it very clear that the book is designed to support language teachers in their journey as new teachers and throughout their teaching careers. In total, the book contains eleven chapters, which have been divided into four parts. The first part, "What Do Language Teachers Think About?" includes topics of foreign/ second language acquisition theories and language teaching methodologies. This part introduces the background knowledge readers will need in their journey as language teachers. The second part, "How Do You Teach a Language?" introduces approaches to teaching and learning that improve students’ writing, listening, speaking and reading abilities. Each chapter in this part includes suggestions for how students can be motivated and describes teaching and testing approaches to assess students ' language skills and academic literacy. The third part, "How Do I Know What to Teach?" is instrumental in helping teachers adopt teaching practices to particular teaching settings. The fourth part, "Where Do I Go from Here?" helps teachers gain a clearer perspective of what language teaching is all about; this section also considers teacher 's self-assessment and personal
Teaching students a language that is foreign can really be challenging for students as well as for the teachers. The dynamic rule for implementing instructing in a diverse class to English-learners is to use resourceful life skills such as diligence, hard work and patience. There are also methods that are involved in teaching English as a second language that can be creative for the teacher, yet beneficial to the student. First building a strong foundation that is essential to English learners will promote the language acquisition process. To do this teacher’s should always start with preparation. Advance preparation is essential in order to provide necessary adaptations in content area instruction and to make content information accessible for second language lear...
Long, M, H. & Doughty, C, J. ( Eds.).(2009). The Handbook of Language Teaching. Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
As a teacher language is the most important tool in order to support student learning. The book Elementary Classroom Management by Kerry Williams discusses how language is an important tool to use “language can be a powerful vehicle for activating thought, and as teachers we need to be aware of the role it is playing” (ref pg. 196). The use of words and tone that the teacher uses to the students is significant in the behaviour of students. For example if a student is displaying
In most institutions of learning today, the classes are made up of students from different ethnic backgrounds. These have different traditions and also speak different languages. In a typical classroom, the majority of the students will speak the same language. The teacher must then employ strategies which will accommodate all the students in the class. This will ensure that every learner gets the best quality of education. This will enable them to be better prepared for career and expressing themselves. In this paper, strategies to assist learners of the English language in their literal development for third grade learners. In the paper, three strategies that can be used by the teacher will be discussed. New strategies and research that will help the English language learners to gain in depth mastery of the language will also be discussed. Due to the widespread learning of the English language in most schools, addressing issues of the language learners is of vital importance. Teachers should have the understanding that cultures are what give someone identity and therefore no student should leave their culture for another. Instead, there should be the blending of different cultures so that students can appreciate and learn from each other.