ELT METHODOLOGY: Affective Filter Hypothesis

SITI HAJAR MUHAMAD AZMI NUR ADIBAH ROSLIN

Do you ever experience this situation?

Definition
'a mental block, caused by affective factors ... that prevents input from reaching the language acquisition device' (Krashen, 1985, p.100) ""Affective Filter" is the term Stephen Krashen has used to refer to the complex of negative emotional and motivational factors that may interfere with the reception and processing of comprehensible input. Such factors include: anxiety, self-consciousness, boredom, annoyance, alienation, and so forth.

Definition
The affective filter is a screen of emotion that can block language acquisition or learning if it keeps the users from being too self-conscious or too embarrassed to take risks during communicative exchanges. The term "affective filter" refers to the level of anxiety, level of fear or frustration that a student experiences when confronted with a learning task.

 It is an imaginary wall that is placed between a learner and language input. If the filter is on, the learner is blocking out input. When it is off, due to a relaxed environment, acquisition will occur. The filter is influenced by emotional variables that can prevent learning.

High anxiety

No self confidence

When is the filter turns on?

Low selfesteem

Low motivation

How to maintain low affective filters in classroom?

We do not require students to perform when they are not ready and willing to do so. We never make our students feel awkward or self-conscious by putting them on the spot. We use authentic materials -- feature movies, newspapers and magazines, popular fiction, etc. -- rather than ESL textbooks and the like. Teachers function as partners and mentors (positive roles) but not as testers and judges (negative roles). This helps prevent feelings of alienation and hostility toward teachers.

Application for teaching

In any aspect of education it is always important to create a safe, welcoming environment in which students can learn. In language education this may be especially important since in order to take in and produce language, learners need to feel that they are able to make mistakes and take risks. The optimal classroom for language learning and production is a classroom that encourages risk-taking in language production and views errors as a natural progression of language learning. When placed in a safe and affirming environment, many students will blossom and grow in their language development!!

So,how high is your filter?

High filter

Low filter

 ... 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 someone who can provide input and help make it comprehensible in a low anxiety situation. (Krashen, Principles and Practice, p.32)

References
http://bogglesworldesl.com/glossary/affective filter.htm http://www2.education.ualberta.ca/staff/olen ka.bilash/Best%20of%20Bilash/krashen.html http://www.sk.com.br/sk-krash.html http://languageinstinct.blogspot.com/2006/0 8/krashen-revolution.html