What Is The Affective Filter

Mark Crocker Alumni Experiences Motivation is one of the most influential aspects of learning a new language. For all language learners motivation varies, but it is surely an essential part in achieving fluency within any given language. Motivation can be dependent upon age, language fluency (both first language and second language), affective filter (i.e. an individual’s comfort level within a particular setting), and many other factors. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Nicole H. In learning a new language, motivation is often dependent upon age. Age can affect an individual’s desires and reasons for learning a new language and thus influence the motivation to learn and become fluent within the language. As children,...  [Read more]

  Also in the 1970s la señal came up with a new methodology called "Suggestopedia". As psychological theory was developing, one of the ideas that came up was something called ?the effective filter?. Basically, the effective filter is a barrier to learning. It's the reasons why we inhibit our learning of a particular language. There are two main elements to the effective filter, two sets of factors, if you like, those are known as internal and external factors. The external factors to learning, the reasons why we have barriers to learning, may be just simple things such as external noise. So, people talking to us while we're trying to learn and so on and so forth. Perhaps more important are these internal factors and the internal factors one of the main things here is our previous...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas “You speak too much in the class,” “you always finish their sentences,” “you answer back to the teens,” “the classroom is a mess,” “your lessons are boring.” That was the feedback I would usually get in college during my teaching practice. So the final questions were always the same, “When am I going to be a good teacher?” What does it take apart from reading the theory?” “Why am I failing?” In this essay, I will briefly describe some of my experiences when teaching and the struggles on the way. I will also mention the importance of applying specific methods and techniques, taking different roles and the relation between lesson planning and the material to be used in class. This post...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences What does it mean to learn a language? Generally, when we talk about learning a language, we mean a process that starts with a person not knowing a language but ends up knowing it, regardless of the number of languages a person might already know. Of course, this is an overly simplified definition, but it gives us a decent starting point. So why are our experiences and the mental image of acquiring our first language so different from one of learning a foreign language? In this essay, I will consider the perceived difference between first and second language acquisition. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Eszter E. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Every teacher’s goal is to be effective in the classroom and help students learn. Educators want their students to be eager and engaged. Humor is an important aspect of teaching and has the power to fuel that engagement. This paper will attempt to show the value of humor in the classroom and how humor enhances learning, regardless of the culture or country in which a person is teaching. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Melynie T. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. My first introduction to teaching English in Taiwan was when I was called into the Principal’s office with complaints from the parents that their children were not...  [Read more]