How to Lower the Affective Filter in the Classroom

How to Lower the Affective Filter in the Classroom

In order to lower students' affective filters, teachers can provide a variety of activities and modes of instruction that will motivate students and reduce their anxiety levels. Some of the ways that teachers can lower the affective filter are as follows:

• Provide both oral and written instructions when possible. This will double a student's chances of completing the task correctly, thereby lowering anxiety.
• Provide activities that are interesting and intriguing. For example, discussing world events, popular culture, or new technology can be great ways to draw students in.
• Provide materials that relate to the students' real lives when possible. For example, if the students are part of a specialized program such as an auto mechanic program or a cooking program, teachers can provide information that is related to these topics to keep students engaged.
• Allow for jokes and relaxed conversation at certain times
• Refrain from orally correcting students. Oral correction is generally not very effective, and it has the negative side-effect of creating a classroom climate where students are reluctant to share ideas and answers out of a fear of being wrong.
• Allow students to submit answers anonymously. They can write them on 3x5 cards or use whiteboard markers (or chalk) to put answers on the board. When this strategy is used, incorrect answers can be corrected without embarrassing the student who made the error. This allows each students to see that he/she is "normal" - each person in the class is growing and developing and still makes mistakes, just like they do. This strategy also helps give students a feeling of success because they can also be praised for the originality and content of their submissions.
• Reinforce the idea that language acquisition and development takes time and that students are not expected to be perfect in the beginning stages.

Keep in mind that lowering the affective filter can be a delicate balance sometimes. Providing an activity that is engaging to the students but is too difficult may result in feelings of failure for the students and providing activities that are comprehensible but outside the students' realm of interest may result in lowered motivation. Thus, providing activities that will build on students’ knowledge AND challenge them at an appropriate level is the best combination because it will build motivation and confidence.

Using Krashen's Theory to Create an Effective and Productive Classroom Environment

Overall, Krashen’s theory provides reinforcement for what most teachers already do in their classroom: engage students at an appropriate level and push them to acquire more knowledge. The Affective Filter Hypothesis thus provides a good starting place for teachers who are looking to refine their teaching techniques and make the classroom experience more enjoyable and productive for their students. Knowledge of the affective filter can assist teachers in heightening their students’ self confidence and motivation, thereby increasing language development, and leading to a consistently positive classroom experience for English language learners.

Some photos in My Teaching Practice.... Francisco de Paula Santander I.E.D- 2011-2

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