Reflection # 7

I apologize for not making sure that my blog got posted, I thought it got posted last week. I know everyone is dying to know what I think (ha,ha). I think that the affective filter that I have seen prevelant among the students taht I have observed is anxiety. The chidren at times are afraid to make mistakes, which will draw negative feedback from others. I believe that anxiety becomes a factor with older children that are wanting to get postive feedback from their peers. I have also noticed that some children get bored really easily during class instruction. I feel that to a great extent teachers can do much more to keep class instruction more interesting. I think that as an instructor it is important to really understand why individuals are wanting to learn a new language. Some times the teacher beliefs about language learnning do not align with the students motives to learn a second language. If teacher and student beliefs can be understood, affective filters can be minimized in the classroom. I remember that my favorite teachers in school were those who truly took into account each individuals efforts, and made everyone feel validated. I can see that students are propensed to give a more concerted effort in the classroom. In regards to motivation, I think that teachers can have a powerful impact on the motivations that students have about language learning. As teachers we can share with our students all the benefits one can have in learning a new language, both instrinsic and extrinsic achievements.