In 1982, Stephen Krashen published Principles and Practice in Second Language Acquisition. His theories have been well-known throughout the teaching world and have contributed to the many philosophies and theories of how to best instruct students who are acquiring a second language.
Krashen designed the book to complement the real-life experiences of English-language teachers while reintroducing them to theories of language acquisition and research about applied linguistics. According to Krashen, the main idea of the book can be summarized as follows: “The best methods [for second language acquisition] are therefore those that supply 'comprehensible input' in low anxiety situations, containing messages that students really want to hear” (14).
Affective Filter Hypothesis
One of the five key hypotheses of second language acquisition that Krashen discusses is the “Affective Filter Hypothesis.” In this hypothesis, Krashen shows that motivation, self-confidence, and anxiety all play a prominent role in language acquisition. These factors become crucial in the process of language acquisition, either heightening or interfering with a student’s ability to progress.
Krashen shows that students who are highly motivated, have a strong sense of self, and enter a learning situation with a low level of anxiety are much more likely to be successful language acquirers than those who do not. Students who have a low level of motivation, low self-esteem, and high anxiety will encounter a wall when it comes to acquiring language and will not be able to progress as naturally or as quickly as their peers who are not blocked by these factors.
Affective Filter Is Key but Not Sufficient on Its Own
In his hypotheses, Krashen strongly distinguishes between language learning and language acquisition, explaining that language learning is a conscious process focused on the grammatical rules of a language while acquisition is more of a subconscious process that allows production of a language over time with less focus on rules. Krashen shows that the affective filter hypothesis is most effective when we are dealing with students who are acquiring language rather than memorizing rules.
Krashen goes on to explain that although a low affective filter is crucial to acquiring language, by itself it is not enough. The learner must also be provided with “comprehensible input.” This means that the information coming in (vocabulary and content knowledge) must be understandable to the student. When the input is understandable, but slightly outside of the student’s current level of ability to spontaneously produce it, this is when the most language is acquired.
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.
Sources
- Krashen, Stephen D. 1982. Principles and Practice in Second Language Acquisition. Web. 18 April 2011.
- Schütz, Ricardo. "Stephen Krashen's Theory of Second Language Acquisition." 2007. English Made in Brazil. Web. 18 April 2011.
- Wilson, Reid. A Summary of Stephen Krashen's Principles and Practice in Second Language Acquisition. 2000. LanguageImpact.com. Web. 18 April 2011.
Kristin Krogh - As a native of Southern California, Kristin has spent the majority of her life basking in seventy degree weather. When wanderlust finally ...
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