When the affective filter is low, the learner is in an emotionally safe place. These feelings of safety lower imaginary walls, promoting more successful language acquisition. This type of environment becomes a welcoming invitation to keep learning! How The affective filter can impact language learning?
What Is the Affective Filter?
What is the goal of the educator?
What happens when the affective filter is low?
What are some examples of inappropriate tasks for ELL students?
What to say to an ELL student?
What is the natural response to someone who speaks a different language?
What would happen if you corrected every word?
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The Affective Filter in Second Language Teaching - ResearchGate
According to Du (2009 is not affected by the affective factors, the affective filters are responsible for the individual variations experienced in second language acquisition, people with lower ...
What is the Affective Filter in Language Learning?
Stephen Krashen is a well-known name in the EFL industry. His ideas and theories have been influential in the field of Teaching English as a Foreign Language, mostly because they have stood the test of time. Krashen came up with five hypotheses of learning, one of which is the affective filter hypothesis. The affective filter hypothesis basically explains […]
The Application of Affective Filter Hypothesis Theory in English ...
Krashen's theories of second language acquisition play a vital role in English teaching, in which "affective filter hypothesis" analyzes the influence of various affective factors on English learning.
Explain Krashen's affective filter hypothesis and conditions ... - eNotes
Krashen's affective filter hypothesis argues that language acquisition can be affected by emotional variables such as anxiety, self-confidence, or stress about wanting to "do better."
How to help a new language learner?
Provide learners with opportunities to experience success: Nothing builds confidence and excitement around learning a language than using that language successfully. Learners need to experience success in using their new language to keep them motivated. When teachers spend the entire class focusing exclusively on new language and challenging activities, learners can become demotivated and feel like they’re never making progress. Set up activities where learners can use language that they’ve already mastered, and expand on it as they feel comfortable. Review is an important part of learning a new language, and it helps learners to remember just how much they’ve already learned.
What is affective filter?
The term affective filter was coined by Stephen Krashen, a prominent Second Language Acquisition scholar, to describe how a learner's attitudes can impact the success of second language learning. Negative feelings such as lack of motivation, lack of self-confidence, and learning anxiety act as filters that inhibits language learning.
What is the affective filter?
The affective filter is a psychological filter that either helps or obstructs the process of learning a second language.
What can teachers do?
The goal of educators is to lower the affective filter so that students feel safe and comfortable, and are able to learn. Here are five things that can be done in the classroom to help lower the affective filter.
How to tell if a student has an affective filter?
Students who exhibit a high affective filter can demonstrate many signs. They tend to feel very self-conscious about their abilities in the new language. Many may experience stress when asked to speak, read, or write in class, and they may have very little faith in their ability to learn. Students report breaking out into a cold sweat, becoming nervous, anxious, and even surprised when incoherent speech comes out of their mouths since in their head they understand the concepts. Students with a high affective filter are reluctant to participate in class discussions because they are afraid of making mistakes and being judged by the teacher or other classmates. They would much rather collaborate with classmates in a small group setting, as that allows them to lean heavily on peers for support or avoid work altogether. Boredom is another way that a high affective filter may manifest in a student. Students who don’t comprehend what is happening in the classroom may stare into space with a slightly glazed look in their eyes. They are completely disengaged because they have no idea what is going on around them. These students believe that if they don’t draw attention to themselves and pretend to know what is going on or demonstrate disinterest, they will be left alone.
What is a warm demander?
Be a Warm Demander: Educators should begin by becoming a “warm demander.”. A warm demander maintains high standards while still deeply caring for students. Warm demanders communicate that they believe deeply in a students’ ability to learn and succeed, and holds students accountable for that learning and success.
What is the invisible wall?
The invisible wall blocks any input or output of information from the learner’s brain. Conversely, with a lowered affective filter, the invisible wall allows the input of information to the brain promoting successful language learning.
Who is Rocio Figueroa?
Rocio Figueroa is the Director of Equity for English Learners at Ensemble Learning. Continue the conversation or reach out with questions by emailing her at [email protected] .
How does this affect the EFL classroom?
If you think of situations which require you to do a bit of public speaking or speak with a group of people, you may understand the anxiety students may feel when called on in class.
What can the teacher do to lower the affective filter?
There are many things teachers can do to help the situation. Firstly, make sure the students know each other . If the class is a new one, spend some time on getting-to-know-you activities so that the students can become friends. It’s much easier to speak in front of friends than strangers and students won’t feel embarrassed about making mistakes.
Why do English learners struggle in class?
When English learners struggle in your class, it helps to pinpoint what’s increasing their affective filter. This may vary somewhat from student to student, but these factors are among the most common: Anxiety: Some students feel extremely anxious about reading out loud and answering questions while peers are listening.
Why is it important to approach each English learner with an open mind?
It’s important to approach each English learner with an open mind because every student will respond to your methods differently. Just remember that lowering the affective filter can determine how well — and how fast or slow — an English language learner will progress.
Why do we put English learners in groups?
These valuable partnerships can decrease fears and feelings of judgment, and give English learners a sense of belonging over time.
What is affective filter?
The stress you experience creates what experts call the affective filter — an emotional response that can lock down the mental processes of learning a new language.
Why is it so hard to participate in English class?
Judgment: It’s difficult to participate if students constantly worry that their peers are judging them because of their accent, grammar, spelling, reading pace, etc. If your English learners don’t feel your class is a safe space where they won’t be judged or made fun of for taking a risk, then they probably won’t feel motivated to contribute much. For some, taking a risk might be simply raising their hand to ask a question or to volunteer an answer.
How do English learners adapt to the unknown?
Adjusting to the unknown: English learners who are new to this country or to a particular region of the United States must adapt to a raft of unwritten rules and societal norms. They’re getting used to a different climate, picking up on different social cues, learning slang and idioms, and understanding different expectations. For example, in some cultures direct eye contact with a person of authority is considered disrespectful, while in American culture that is often expected as a way of showing you’re paying attention.
What is a sadie?
SDAIE (specially designed academic instruction in English) offers a wide range of strategies for teaching any subject to English learners. It includes incorporating learning games, manipulatives, hands-on activities and visual aids such as graphic organizers. You might already be using these strategies in your classroom, but the key here is using them consistently to create a comfortable yet structured approach where English learners become familiar with these methods. This helps them feel less anxious and more supported on a daily basis.
What is affective filter?
Krashen (1981) postulated that an affective filter exists that can increase or decrease the intake of the comprehensible input. He found that a high level of stress and anxiety creates a filter that impedes learning, blocks the intake, and reduces L2 acquisition. When the filter is up, input can’t reach those parts of the brain where acquisition ...
How does motivation affect language acquisition?
Krashen claimed that learners with high motivation, self-confidence, a good self-image, and a low level of anxiety are better equipped for success in second language acquisition. Low motivation, low self-esteem, and debilitating anxiety can combine to ‘raise’ the affective filter and form a ‘mental block’ that prevents comprehensible input from being used for acquisition. In other words, when the filter is ‘up’ it impedes language acquisition. On the other hand, positive affect is necessary, but not sufficient on its own, for acquisition to take place. Therefore, educators need to provide an environment that reduces stress and anxiety and also increases the ELL students’ motivation and self-esteem. This, according to Krashen, provides opportunities for language acquisition to occur more efficiently and quickly among the learners (2003).
What are the five hypotheses of language acquisition?
Krashen’s theory of second language acquisition consists of five interrelated hypotheses which reflect an understanding of both linguistics and of psychology: The Acquisition-Learning hypothesis, the Monitor hypothesis, the Natural Order hypothesis, the Input Hypothesis, and the Affective Filter Hypothesis . Despite of the significance of all of these hypotheses in language learning and acquisition, this paper prioritizes the last, but also one of the most important hypotheses in the process of language learning and acquisition, the Affective Filter Hypothesis. Rosenthal (1996) found that although Duley and Burt were among the first to refer to the relationship between the affective delimiters and L2 acquisition, it was Krashen who championed the connection.
Why is positive affect important for ELL students?
Therefore, educators need to provide an environment that reduces stress and anxiety and also increases the ELL students’ motivation and self-esteem.
How to correct a student's anxiety?
Examples of ways to gently and effectively correct students’ errors include reflecting their statements back to them, extending, and elaborating on statements. It is also important that error correction focus on mistakes that impede communication (‘global errors’), rather than more minor grammatical errors (‘local errors’). Recognizing the ELL students’ language proficiencies, differentiating instruction, materials, and assessment tools to meet their diverse needs certainly promotes language acquisition in a positive low- affective filter classroom.
Why is it important to teach ELLs?
In the ELL classroom is vitally important that the curriculum and instructional strategies used are comprehensible. If language learners cannot comprehend the language input they receive, often they will become frustrated and “check-out”, no longer putting effort into the language learning process. This frustration, if not addressed early on, becomes overwhelming and discouraging to students and, as Duff (2001) reports, “frustration and failure may lead to higher than average drop-out rates among immigrant students in high school, especially those whose home-country education or L1 literacy skills are limited” (p.105). Therefore, teachers must make a concerted effort during instruction to assure that language input is comprehensible to ELLs. This certainly increases their motivation to learn the new language and also the academic content. Helpful suggestions for making input comprehensible include pre-teaching vocabulary, providing study guides, and graphic organizers etc. With these tools, teachers provide students with the scaffolding necessary to motivate, and challenge students, but not frustrate them to the point of overwhelming or discouraging.
How can teachers foster intrinsic motivation?
According to them, teachers can foster intrinsic motivation by posing reasonable challenging tasks to students, basing them on the perceptions of learner’s needs and providing for plenty of variety in classroom activities. AFFECTIVE FILTER AND SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION.
How is language acquired?
Language is acquired in a predictable order by all learners. This order does not depend on the apparent simplicity or complexity of the grammatical features involved. It cannot be influenced by direct teaching of features that the learner is not yet ready to acquire.
When do we acquire language?
We acquire language in one way only: when we are exposed to written or spoken language that is comprehensible to us. Comprehensible input is the necessary but also sufficient condition for language acquisition to take place. It requires no effort on the part of the learner.
Can we use what we have learned about the rules of a language in self-correcting our language output?
We are able to use what we have learned (in Krashen's sense ) about the rules of a language in self-correcting our language output. Clearly, this is possible in the correction of written work. It is much more difficult when engaging in regular talk.
What is affective filter?
Krashen (1981) postulated that an affective filter exists that can increase or decrease the intake of the comprehensible input. He found that a high level of stress and anxiety creates a filter that impedes learning, blocks the intake, and reduces L2 acquisition. When the filter is up, input can’t reach those parts of the brain where acquisition occurs. Many language learners realize that the reason they have trouble is because they are nervous or embarrassed and simply can’t concentrate. In other words, the input is filtered out. Krashen also concluded that a low affective filter on the other side facilitates learning and promotes second language acquisition.
What are the five hypotheses of language acquisition?
Krashen’s theory of second language acquisition consists of five interrelated hypotheses which reflect an understanding of both linguistics and of psychology: The Acquisition-Learning hypothesis, the Monitor hypothesis, the Natural Order hypothesis, the Input Hypothesis, and the Affective Filter Hypothesis . Despite of the significance of all of these hypotheses in language learning and acquisition, this paper prioritizes the last, but also one of the most important hypotheses in the process of language learning and acquisition, the Affective Filter Hypothesis. Rosenthal (1996) found that although Duley and Burt were among the first to refer to the relationship between the affective delimiters and L2 acquisition, it was Krashen who championed the connection.
Why is positive affect important for ELL students?
Therefore, educators need to provide an environment that reduces stress and anxiety and also increases the ELL students’ motivation and self-esteem.
Why is it important to have an affective need for language learning?
As students experience academic success and connections to their own knowledge and abilities, their self-efficacy and motivation to learn increases. With this affective need met, students are validated and more willing to take on new challenges in the language learning process.
Why is it easier to learn a language?
According to him, it is easier for a learner to acquire a language when he/she is not tense, angry, anxious, and bored. Krashen claimed that learners with high motivation, self-confidence, a good self-image, and a low level of anxiety are better equipped for success in second language acquisition.
Why is it important to teach ELLs?
In the ELL classroom is vitally important that the curriculum and instructional strategies used are comprehensible. If language learners cannot comprehend the language input they receive, often they will become frustrated and “check-out”, no longer putting effort into the language learning process. This frustration, if not addressed early on, becomes overwhelming and discouraging to students and, as Duff (2001) reports, “frustration and failure may lead to higher than average drop-out rates among immigrant students in high school, especially those whose home-country education or L1 literacy skills are limited” (p.105). Therefore, teachers must make a concerted effort during instruction to assure that language input is comprehensible to ELLs. This certainly increases their motivation to learn the new language and also the academic content. Helpful suggestions for making input comprehensible include pre-teaching vocabulary, providing study guides, and graphic organizers etc. With these tools, teachers provide students with the scaffolding necessary to motivate, and challenge students, but not frustrate them to the point of overwhelming or discouraging.
What is the theory of second language acquisition?
According to Krashen, a second language is most successfully acquired when the conditions are similar to those present in first language acquisition: that is, when the focus of instruction is on meaning rather than on form; when the language input is at or just above the proficiency of the learner; and when there is sufficient opportunity to engage in meaningful use of that language in a relatively anxiety-free environment. He emphasized the importance of providing learners with comprehensible input in a risk-free environment. Krashen also maintained that low stress situations provide the greatest opportunity for learners to improve their language competency.
What Is the Affective Filter?
It describes the invisible, psychological filter that either aids or deters the process of language acquisition.
What is the goal of the educator?
It should be the goal of the educator to provide an environment which facilitates the lowest levels of the affective filter. When the filter is low, the learner is in an emotionally safe place. These feelings of safety lower the imaginary walls, promoting more successful language acquisition.
What happens when the affective filter is low?
A low affective filter results in increased self-confidence and the desire to explore, learn and even take a few risks.
What are some examples of inappropriate tasks for ELL students?
For example, asking a student to start up a computer, access the internet and cite 12 sources might be a bit too much. Such tasks lead to feelings of being overwhelmed and inadequate. Why even try if I’m going to fail? Up goes the filter.
What to say to an ELL student?
Perhaps you have witnessed classroom interactions between ELL students and well-meaning educators (often reciting all material orally with few other supports), wherein you could seemingly read the student’s mind: “If I just sit here quietly, don’t draw any attention to myself and pretend I know what’s going on, she’ll leave me alone.”
What is the natural response to someone who speaks a different language?
Often times a natural, albeit strange, response to someone who speaks a different language is to speak to them in a louder voice. If you don’t understand the words that are being spoken to you, but do understand that the words are being spoken loudly, wouldn’t it stand to reason that you are being yelled at?
What would happen if you corrected every word?
If someone corrected every word that came out of your mouth, you’d eventually stop talking. Decide if what you are correcting really needs to be corrected. Is it causing a major breakdown in communication? If not, let it go for now. Might it embarrass the student? If so, definitely let it go.