1. Author: Grace Hui Chin Lin
Philosophy Doctor in Curriculum and Instruction,
Texas A&M University, College Station, USA
Master of Science in TESOL,
University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA
Pedagogies through Krashen’s Language Acquisition Theory of Affective Filter
About Stephen Krashen
Abstract
Affective Filter Hypothesis
Analysis through Boxplot (Quantitative)
Krashen emphasizes the significance of motivation, self-confidence and anxiety.
He pointed out that these factors that influence learner’s acquisition are what teachers have to notice during teaching.
Krashen mentioned: The affective filter hypothesis captures the relationship between affective variables and the process of second language acquisition by positing that acquirers vary with respect to the strength or level of their affective filters.
Those attitudes are not optimal for second language acquisition will not only tend to seek less input, but they will also have a high or strong affective filter-even if they understand the message, the input will not reach that part of the brain responsible for language acquisition, or the language acquisition device. (Krashen, 1987, p. 31)
Krashen actually argues that English teachers need to make students learn in a way that students automatically tend to learn more because they feel relaxing in class and they can learn with a positive attitude.
Krashen noted: “ Those with attitudes more conductive to second language acquisition will not only seek and open to the input, and it will strike “deeper.”” (Krashen, 1987, p. 31)
This means students can not only learn more easily, but also they can learn more deeply.
Before Applying Games, Songs, and Movies
Stephen Krashen is a distinguished professor in the field of English Teaching and Linguistics of University of Southern California.
One of his specialties is his theories associated with how the learners’ language acquisition is established.
According to Stephen Krashen (1983), there are five keys of learners’ language acquisition, as well as five necessary elements that increase the learners’ language input. In one of more than one hundred publications of Dr. Krashen’s (1983), he hypothesizes that a positive attitude is definitely necessary during language learning.
The reason is that when the English learners have a sense of confidence, lower anxiety, and higher motivation in their academia experience, they would be able to gain language acquisition during class time.
After Krashen, the negative impact of affective factors on a learner’s language learning effectiveness has also been discussing by a number of scholars in the field of teaching English ( Ely, 1986; Graham, 1997, Horwitz, Horwitz, & Cope, 1986; MacIntyre & Gardner, 1989; Phillips, 1992; Wenden, 1986 ).
Stephen Krashen (1983) emphasizes that the emotional factor as well as the affective filter appearing while language learning would influence the learners’ language acquisition for a great deal. Negative emotion is an obstacle that decreases learners’ input inside or outside of the classroom. According to Krashen (1983),the negative emotion is formed through the passive moods, including low motivation, low self-esteem, and debilitating anxiety.
Moreover, Oxford (1996) also argues that the affective side of the learner is probably one of the very biggest influence on language learning success of failure. Hence, In order to reduce the learners’ pessimistic mood and improving their studying motivation, Stephen Krashen (1983) suggests that language teachers should create a comfortable study environment, which would set up higher self-esteem and create more fulfillments for students.
After Applying Games, Songs, and Movies
Theory of Second Language Acquisition
Dr. Krashen (1983) proposes an important theory of second language acquisition, which consists of five main hypotheses of second language acquisition.
These five key factors that Dr. Krashen assumes affect how second language learners establish their language proficiency are “Acquisition-Learning” hypothesis, the “Monitor” hypothesis, the “Natural Order” hypothesis, the “Input” hypothesis, and the “Affective Filter” hypothesis.
Similar as the processes that a language learner learns to speak in his/her mother tongue, these five hypotheses are associated with the psychological factors, such as the meaningful interaction, reasonable sequence of learning ( from lower proficiency level to advanced proficiency level), and emphasizing of high comprehension during language learning.
Methodology
In truth, affective filter is a common block in Asian learners’ English learning. The emotional obstacle is usually caused by confusion from teacher’s English lecture.
Once the students can not comprehend the teacher’s talking, the nervousness starts to increase during learning hard in class room.
Krashen argues that teachers should have their responsibility to apply pedagogies which can reduce the filter and increase the students’ understanding. Krashen suggested: “…our pedagogical goals should not only include supplying comprehensible input, but also creating a situation that encourages a low filter…The input hypothesis and the concept of the affective filter define the language teacher in a new way. The effective language teacher is more who can provide input and help make it comprehensible in a low anxiety situation.” ( Krashen, 1987, p. 32)
What teachers can do for reducing obstacles in learning?
In order to investigate the significance of Krashen’s theory, this paper reports a quantitative and qualitative combined study conducted in a university in the middle part of Taiwan, where 98 students in two Freshen English for Non-Majors’ classes were taught based on Krashen’s concern of affective filter.
Through music, games, movies, English songs, and frequent positive feedback from teacher, the freshmen learn reading, writing, communication, and grammar for a semester from September 2007 to January, 2008.
For understanding students’ learning effectiveness and feelings toward these special pedagogies designed for them, before and after training through concern of affective filer, students were invited to answer questionnaires on a survey sheet.
Also, five students were randomly selected to do the qualitative study. They were interviewed through a camera for an hour and inquired to echo their feelings towards the pedagogies associated with Krashen’s theories, based on the concern of affective filter.
The result of this study displayed that more than 80% students reflected the relaxing emotion and positive attitude in class did make them learn English more effectively.
Five students selected randomly were interviewed. Through a digital camera, students talked about teachers’ pedagogy for an hour.
For confidentiality of the study, the students’ names were replaced with pseudonyms.
Amy: I was no pressure in class, because the teacher let us learn English through games. Playing games was challenging and interesting.
Billy : I preferred materials beside textbooks. I learned a lot from movie.
Michael: Bach made my mind clear, and my mood relaxing.
Sam: I was motivated to check vocabularies in dictionary for reading lyrics of English songs. Singing songs was a relaxing and motivation stimulating way of learning English.
David: Meanings of the words were much more impressed through sing English songs.
Feedback from Students (Qualitative)
Definition of Affective Filter
Dr. An affective filter is a learning blockage due to a negative emotional ("affective") attitude. It is a hypothesis of second language acquisition, a field of interest of educational psychology.
Although the term was made popular by linguist Stephen Krashen in his Monitor Theory, he himself stated it was invented by someone else.\
Definition from Wikipedia
Classrooms through affective filter’s concern
In second language teaching, a teacher should make the lecture easier to understand. Also, the activities should not overwhelm students.
They should be interesting, motivational, and not difficult to play. Moreover, group or pair discussion should be assigned in class, because through talking to peers in the same level, students should gain opportunity to interact in a more comprehensible way and feel more confident.