How to help students overcome anxiety

This piece delves a little into a few anxiety issues learners may experience, and how you as a teacher can make a difference.

Scared of making mistakes

Many students admit that they are afraid of putting a foot wrong when speaking or writing, for example. This could be a manifestation of deeply rooted insecurities. Swiss psychologist and psychiatrist Carl Jung (pictured above) came up with the term ‘the shadow’ to reflect our hidden, unconscious aspects. Some people fear what is not developed in them or that which has not been properly addressed. If a language learner is fearful of making errors, then perhaps you can have a heart-to-heart, face to face with that person; they may well need you to relativise their own misgivings. In other words, if you say: ‘’this is a typical mistake made by your compatriots’’ or ‘’not to worry, this is a common misconception’’, then it is likely that they will not feel stupid or alone. Not to mention that it is perfectly normal to make them. Just as a doctor would look for symptoms in order to diagnose, so must a language teacher.

Fear of failure

There are some learners who are petrified of failure; whether it be performing well on tests or giving successful presentations, for example. For some, facing these challenges are their worst nightmares. Starting with the former, try to prepare them with mock tests so they can become used to the format and be less inclined to panic. By giving them much needed practice, they should keep on improving. Further, if possible, take away any pressure or high expectations, which unduly become stress factors.

Performance anxiety

When presenting, presenters often get butterflies in their stomachs. For those who suffer from nerves before speaking in public, practice is paramount starting with notes and then gradually onto cue cards and, if necessary, eventually off by heart. If they can have themselves filmed by somebody they trust they will learn from their own mistakes. Feedback should be as encouraging as possible and the same applies to peer feedback. Give classmates different areas to focus on such as body language or voice and reiterate the importance of two things they liked about the presentation and one suggestion for improvement. If appropriate, make it clear that certain mistakes are quite common and are nothing to worry about.

Be realistic

Realistic expectations are crucial as some are too modest and, for whatever reason, can’t take compliments. If they have been told they are not good at something by a parent when this was not accurate (true story), for example, then it may take a long time for that person to come out of that shell. In this case, it had caused insecurity regarding ability and the positive reality-check finally came years later by the teacher. Praise is very important and ensuring that your students are aware of what they can do or achieve will help them improve while bridging the gap.

Trust issues

Those who wish to improve their English language skills often come with their own emotional baggage. As fellow teachers will attest, there is a lot more to teaching than putting them through their paces, i.e. the p-p-p (present- practice-produce) paradigm. By forming a bond with your students, it may well be possible to reduce their nerves somewhat. Gaining trust is vital and will pave the way for creating rapport. If you are a good role-model, approachable, you keep to your word, and divulge some personal information (where appropriate) of your own, then there will be a mutual sense of trust, and all your efforts will pay off.

The humble approach

Do not tower over your students or they will feel intimidated. If you are a native speaker, then the gap in knowledge can itself be daunting to them, so try and be humble and avoid showing off your own abilities. When monitoring, shrink yourself (by kneeling) to appear less threatening. Correct them at the end of the lesson if you can. This way, they will be able to build up their confidence and speak fluently. On the other hand, if a mistake is made repeatedly, then it should be nipped in the bud. If accuracy is paramount, then you will need a different game plan. You could wait until the feedback session at the end of a task and get them to correct themselves or prompt them. When pairing up or forming groups be especially careful with the levels of those concerned. It is always best to avoid having two stronger or two weaker students together in pairs, for example. Stronger students can help weaker ones, two stronger means uneven distribution and two weaker = fossilisation (stagnation) is likely.

Speaking exams

Some courses require oral tests. Cambridge preparation courses are further examples, and some teachers are also examiners for exam boards, i.e. Cambridge on the side. A student/ candidate may break down in various ways, i.e. freezing (not having anything to say for a time) or bursting into tears. The best advice here is to be human, try to put them at ease and to reassure them. If necessary and you are allowed to do so, then give them a chance to pick themselves up, so they can snap out of it.

A mish mash

Humour is a tool that you can use to help break the ice. By the way, ice breakers are a great way to start the lesson and these can prevent any unwanted awkwardness. Laughing settles the nerves and should not be under-estimated. A well-timed humorous remark can pay dividends. Making fun of yourself is usually a hit, which can even increase their confidence. (See here for more on humour: https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/using-humour-classroom-daniel-israel/).

Enabling the learner to be more autonomous will empower him/ her and through scaffolding (teachers demonstrate how to solve a problem, step back and offer help when it’s needed). Even enlightening them with techniques and lots of ideas for self-study such as which magazines, newspapers and books to read or what to listen to and how to find new words and what to do with them will also provide independence to the learner.