Session 5

[Name of the Institute]Session 5

Introduction

The affective filter exists in English as Second Language (ESL) students. Affective filter refers to the level of stress, fright or frustration experienced by students when they try to learn a new language. Affective filter can be termed as a mental barrier that keeps a student away from learning the second language in a better way. Teachers should assist students in order to minimize their affective filter. A high affective filter makes a student unreceptive to learning. There are several ways that can help in making the range of affective filters of students low. Employment of the appropriate strategies by teachers can improve learning skills and abilities of English Language Learner (ELL).

Discussion

Affective Filter

The term affective filter refers to the level of frustration, fear or nervousness which a student experiences when he faces a learning task. An affective filter is similar to a mental wall which rises in the heads of students (Roberton, 2011). This raised wall reduces or entirely shuts off the ability of students to learn. This frustration, terror, or concern can reach such an enormous level that it can keep students from accomplishing or learning the tasks assigned to them. If the fretfulness level of students becomes high, it will result in a high affective filter. A student finds difficulties in focusing on learning due to the high affective filter. The affective filter of students should be lowered down in order to make the students concentrate on their learning tasks. Krashen states, “low anxiety relates to success in second language acquisition” (Stewart, 2010, p. 4). Research shows that ELL students are extremely nervous regarding their first English class. Everything is new for the students, including the classroom, culture, building, and the language.

Techniques to keep the affective filters of students low

There is a wide variety of schemes for lowering affective filter. These practices can be employed by teachers in order to keep the affective filters of students low. This section provides an overview of a few important methods.

ELL should feel as a part of the class community

A factor that highly correlates with a rapid acquisition of the language of English is that teachers should make efforts to make the English Language Learner (ELL) feel a part of the classroom community. As the students get the sense of belonging and feel that they belong to the classroom community, their affective filter will get low along with their nervousness level. Students should not be isolated in the classroom. Teachers should set up an atmosphere of the classroom which promotes companionship. The atmosphere should make every student get the sensation that everybody welcomes and wants him (Stewart, 2010). Teachers should work to ensure that the student feels that he belongs to the classroom and that he is a valued part of it. Teachers can assign a classroom role to the ELL in order to make him feel an important part of the classroom. Teacher should recognize the student in the classroom as well as in ...