We know that plants thrive in particular climates. What are the conditions which best support students learning a second language?
Successful language acquisition is all about creating a good learning climate for students to thrive in. In this week's blog, we look at -
Four components for a
thriving learning environment
According to the research of Prof. Kelley M. Skeff, Dr and Educational expert, these four components create a supportive learning environment:
1. Respect/ comfort: Students feel supported and safe enough to engage and attempt new language without being judged negatively.
How to create this environment in the classroom?
I use several devices to help my students feel safe and supported.
Gamification. Using the confines of a game helps students to loosen up and let go of their inhibitions. They get involved in the goals of the game and tend to put aside negative thoughts and feelings of incompetency.
Listening with patience. I listen to what my students have to say. I put understanding before grammatical and linguistic correction (it is more important to develop the relationship of trust than it is to correct student errors, at least initially, when students need time to feel safe to open up). This helps my students to feel valued and comfortable to make the mistakes they need to make without being judged.
Personalisation. I use photos and information about their likes/ dislikes, to animate the classes. This helps them to feel important, and more at the centre of their class. I want them to know that the class is for them, about them.
2. Admission of limitations: Expectations are realistic and do not put the student under an uncomfortable amount of stress-inducing pressure.
How to avoid too much pressure?
Grading of language. I am careful to make sure that the language I am using is a little above what the student understands, so that they are still challenged but not in a stressful way that will cause their brain to shut down.
I introduce new vocabulary with context. So if I am introducing items of clothing, I will show them with images, so students can use the knowledge they already have developed from their first language to figure out the meaning of the new words for themselves.
Close observation of the student. During video conferencing, I watch and monitor the response of my students closely. I observe their body language and audio for signs of any stress. This helps me to identify hen they feel overwhelmed or underwhelmed by the contents of the session. Then I can adapt the activities as I go, either to simplify them or make them more challenging.
Use feelings charts. I always ask my students to identify their mood at the beginning and end of the session. This helps me to identify their feelings of satisfaction/ dissatisfaction with how the session went.
3. Learner involvement: students are listened to and engaged with in the space. They are creative participants in their own education.
In the activity above, students put different food types together to design their own menu. Target language: 'Do you like...? Yes, I do/ No, I don't'. This is an example of learner involvement.
How to support students to feel more involved with their learning?
Add creative elements to the session. Give students opportunities to create using target language from the sessions. My students love designing their own pizza, clothing, monsters, houses and much more. We use online games and apps so they can create things during the session. Including them in creative activities helps them to use the language in a meaningful way to communicate their needs and ideas authentically. I also have them design their own avatar during first introductory sessions.
Add choices. Students feel more involved in the language when they have independent choices to make. I tend to give students two or three options of games/ activities so they can select the one that appeals to them. Sometimes I introduced language through interactive story-telling, where students must make their own choices within the story. For example, on this slide students must chose how they want to interact with a fantasy dragon to take his treasure.
4. Stimulation: students are provided with constructive activities and given the freedom to explore an engaging environment.
How to create a stimulating environment for students online?
I use hundreds of online games and interactive activities, I also design interactive power-points that allow students to explore different virtual environments and discover constructive quizzes, games and activities within them. Below are some examples.
Here the learner must navigate their way through a maze to reach a secret message that will help them unlock the next part of the quest. They must not only navigate their way through the maze, but answer questions from gate-keeper gnomes.
In the image above, students must slowly climb the mountain by completing each activity. All of the activities are hyperlinked to online resources. The activities are all designed to help with controlled practise - in this case the focus is on introducing and practising classroom objects and then prepositions 'on/in/under/by'. By the time they reach the top of the mountain, they will be competent with making simple sentences using classroom objects and prepositions. This will prepare them for the next part of the quest, where they meet the dragon...
To summarise
Respect your students by providing personal content and listening to them.
Avoid stress-inducing pressure by grading your language and watching for student feedback - both vocal and through body language.
Increase learner involvement by creating opportunities for creativity during and out of session time. Give students choices (but not too many or it can be stress-inducing).
Create a stimulating environment with interactive storytelling, online games and relevant structured activities.
Thanks for reading!
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