Last updated on 2024年3月25日

How can you help students overcome language anxiety?

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Language anxiety is a common phenomenon that affects many students who are learning a second or foreign language. It can manifest as feelings of nervousness, fear, or embarrassment when using or being exposed to the target language. Language anxiety can negatively impact students' motivation, confidence, and performance in language learning. Fortunately, there are some strategies that you can use as a teacher or a tutor to help your students overcome language anxiety and enjoy the learning process.

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1 Identify the sources of anxiety

The first step to help your students overcome language anxiety is to identify the sources or triggers of their anxiety. Language anxiety can stem from various factors, such as personal, social, or academic expectations, lack of preparation, fear of making mistakes, or negative feedback. You can use surveys, interviews, or journals to gather information about your students' feelings and experiences regarding language learning. By understanding the causes of their anxiety, you can tailor your instruction and feedback to address their specific needs and challenges.

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Raffaella Palumbo (MA - BA Hons - CLTA)

Founder & Director @ Languages Alive | Language and intercultural training solutions Co-Founder @ The Mindful Language Experience - Using Mindfulness to defeat Language Anxiety
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Foreign language learning anxiety results from situations one might identify as stressful and potentially embarrassing, making the person feel worried or self-conscious. For language learners, anxiety is a preventing factor. Feelings of nervousness, anxiety, or overwhelm mean they cannot express themselves freely and to their full capabilities. This can happen when travelling abroad or in a classroom setting. In either case, anxiety often acts as a so-called negative narrowing emotion. This makes it harder for us to maintain an accurate, healthy perspective. When it comes to language anxiety, it’s more likely that people prone to feeling anxious in general will experience foreign language learning anxiety.

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2 Create a supportive learning environment

The second step to help your students overcome language anxiety is to create a supportive and positive learning environment. You can do this by establishing rapport and trust with your students, encouraging them to express their opinions and emotions, and respecting their individual differences and preferences. You can also foster a sense of community and collaboration among your students, by using group work, peer feedback, or cooperative learning activities. By creating a supportive learning environment, you can reduce your students' fear of evaluation, increase their sense of belonging, and enhance their self-esteem and confidence.

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3 Provide appropriate and constructive feedback

The third step to help your students overcome language anxiety is to provide appropriate and constructive feedback. Feedback is essential for language learning, as it helps students monitor their progress, identify their strengths and weaknesses, and improve their performance. To ensure the feedback is not a source of anxiety, you should balance positive and negative feedback, give specific and clear feedback, provide feedback in a timely and consistent manner, and use it as a learning opportunity. Additionally, focus on the content and the message instead of the form and accuracy, explain the reasons and criteria for your feedback, and allow your students to respond and ask questions. Encourage them to reflect on your feedback and act accordingly.

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4 Incorporate anxiety-reducing activities and techniques

The fourth step to help your students overcome language anxiety is to incorporate anxiety-reducing activities and techniques into your teaching. These activities and techniques are designed to help students cope with their anxiety and relax their mind and body. Examples include warm-up activities such as icebreakers, games, or jokes that can help create a comfortable atmosphere before starting a language task. Additionally, breathing exercises, meditation, or visualization can help students focus on the present moment. Positive affirmations, self-talk, or goal-setting can boost confidence and motivation while humor, laughter, or music can reduce stress and tension, creating a more enjoyable learning atmosphere.

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5 Encourage and model risk-taking and error-tolerance

The fifth step to help your students overcome language anxiety is to encourage and model risk-taking and error-tolerance. These attitudes and skills are essential for language learning, as they can help students move past their fear of making mistakes, experiment with the language, and learn from errors. You can foster these attitudes by praising efforts and attempts over outcomes and results. Additionally, create opportunities for students to practice the language in an authentic context, where they can communicate with a purpose and an audience. Show your students how you cope with and learn from your own mistakes by sharing your experiences as a language learner or teacher. Additionally, avoid overcorrecting or interrupting your students when they are speaking or writing; instead, focus on the global and communicative aspects of the language.

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Raffaella Palumbo (MA - BA Hons - CLTA)

Founder & Director @ Languages Alive | Language and intercultural training solutions Co-Founder @ The Mindful Language Experience - Using Mindfulness to defeat Language Anxiety
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There are other ways to control anxiety, which are easy to practice and implement within the learning experience. One such practice is mindfulness meditation which can help develop better emotional regulation, giving the learner a powerful coping mechanism. These methods are relatively easy to practice and cultivate by anyone keen. Research shows that it improves the language learning experience by increasing their ability to cope with anxiety. This, in turn, helps maintain motivation and the many well-being benefits.

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6 Monitor and evaluate your students' anxiety levels and progress

The sixth and final step to help your students overcome language anxiety is to monitor and evaluate their anxiety levels and progress. This can help you track changes and identify any persistent or emerging problems, so you can adjust your teaching and feedback accordingly. Various tools and methods can be used to monitor and evaluate your students' progress, such as self-report measures like questionnaires or scales, observational measures like checklists or rubrics, and conversational measures like interviews or conferences. This will provide you and your students with the opportunity to exchange information, opinions, and set goals for further improvement.

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7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Emma Keeley

Business Development Representative at eg technology Ltd
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I can relate to this, and often I felt different types of language anxiety at different stages in my learning. For example, initially it was overwhelming to learn so much vocabulary and recall it from memory. Learning phrases off by heart helped with fluency and confidence, as well as the phrase "Everyone at some point starts as a beginner". As I got older, joining conversations were tricky. Either, I didn't know enough vocabulary on the topic, everyone talked over each other/spoke quickly, or it took me too long to figure out something to say. It became easier with time and practice, as well as anticipating conversation topics depending on the person.

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How can you help students overcome language anxiety?

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1 Identify the sources of anxiety

2 Create a supportive learning environment

3 Provide appropriate and constructive feedback

4 Incorporate anxiety-reducing activities and techniques

5 Encourage and model risk-taking and error-tolerance

6 Monitor and evaluate your students' anxiety levels and progress

7 Here’s what else to consider

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