10 Capit aliz ing on Language Learn er s’ Indiv iduality

Capitalizing on Anxiety: An Action Plan

There is not a single panacea that will rid the classroom of all negative affect.
Given the nature of emotion, it would be foolish to try to eliminate negative
emotion. There are, however, a series of measures that can be taken by any
or all of the ‘players’ involved to make the experience less prone to disruption
by negative emotion. The ‘players’ in the foreign language classroom are the
teacher (who usually manages the instructional practices, classroom proce-
dures and testing processes), the learner (who gruels over self-confidence and
worries over potential failure), and the social milieu (created by the teacher
and students interacting). Any of these constituents, individually or in com-
bination, could be provocateurs or the remediators of language anxiety. Just
as we may hold one or more of these ‘players’ responsible for the presence of
anxiety, so too may we find in them the catalyst for solutions.

Player 1: Teacher
For teachers, researchers have suggested an assortment of guiding principles
to help alleviate the challenges posed by foreign language anxiety that con-
sider elements such as instructional practices, classroom procedures, and lan-
guage testing. In discussing instructional practices, it is important for teachers
to acknowledge the existence of anxiety (Horwitz, 1997a). Overt teaching of
anxiety management strategies like relaxation techniques, positive self-talk
and breathing exercises, as well as offering advice about language learning is
recommended (Horwitz, 1997a; Kim, 2009). Systematic desensitization is one
means by which teachers can help learners understand their personal anxiety-
producing triggers, and through gradual exposure to the sources of anxiety
through the imagination and anticipation, language learners can increase their
comfort level in the real scenarios. Systematic Desensitization safely con-
fronts the trigger(s) that provoke anxiety, giving learners a means to practice
coping efforts. ‘Desensitization for language learning anxiety may work for
some learners because, put simply, a learner’s language anxiety response to the
imagined or anticipated situation closely resembles his/her anxiety response
to the real situation’ (MacIntyre & Gregersen, 2012a). Activities 1, 2 and 3 in
the Activities section of this chapter provide step-by-step procedures.
Furthermore, while balancing the appropriate difficulty level of the lan-
guage material presented, teachers need to promote student learning and
performance that emphasize improvement over perfection (Ewald, 2007;
Horwitz, 1997a) as in the wise proverb: the perfect is the enemy of the good.
Teachers might give more opportunities for rehearsal and practice, personal-
ize instruction, and use appealing, motivating materials. When the class-
room is inserted in a culture where communicative activities are not the
norm, teachers are advised to introduce them gradually so as to not wreak
havoc on students’ expectations (Kim, 2009).
 Anx iety 11

Teachers might also consider scrutinizing their classroom procedures for

anxiety triggers. One of the most commonly cited guiding principles in the
language anxiety literature is to assess how error correction and feedback are
handled. Through sensitivity, appropriate positive reinforcement, realistic
expectations and promulgating the notion that errors are a natural and neces-
sary part of the language learning process, learners are more likely to feel a
greater sense of achievement. Judiciously rewarding learners for successful
communication will reduce the fear that the teacher is perpetually focused on
negatively evaluating performance (Ewald, 2007; Gregersen, 2003; Young,
1991). To turn the phrase, praise the good, don’t wait for the perfect. Testing
also needs to be carefully examined by teachers. Assessments that reflect
instruction and that contain previously practiced item types will result in
learners who are less stressed test-takers (Young, 1991). Researchers also sug-
gest that teachers build classroom rapport by using humor and creating a wel-
coming, supportive environment (Ewald, 2007; Young, 1991) where the
teacher is not perceived as the authority, but rather as a facilitator or coach.
Gregersen (2005: 396) discusses the positive affective feelings generated by
teacher immediacy which reflects nonverbal behaviors like leaning in toward
another person, making eye contact, and having relaxed posture. She advocates
paying attention to communicating approachability – ‘not only does it behoove
foreign language teachers to accurately decode students’ nonverbal messages,
but they should also effectively encode their affective messages as well.’

Player 2: Learners
The learner himself can help to effect positive change. While the teacher man-
ages instruction, procedures and assessment, the individual learner is the
master of his own mind. Learners who concentrate on their positive experi-
ences benefit from increased achievement (Ewald, 2007).
MacIntyre and Gregersen (2012b: 113) discuss the applications of
Fredrickson’s (2001) ‘Broaden and Build’ theory to language learning. They
note that ‘...positive affect functions differently from negative affect in
human development. Positive emotion is qualitatively different from the
more widely studied group of negative emotions, including anxiety. Whereas
negative emotions tend to focus the individual on specific tasks, obstacles or
threats (e.g. an anxiety reaction to being embarrassed), positive emotions
work to broaden our thinking and build strengths for the future.’ Positive
emotion generates tendencies that facilitate language learning: joy urges
play; interest urges exploration; contentment urges the savoring of positive
events; pride urges the sharing of accomplishments; and love urges the cre-
ation of deep and meaningful relationships (see Fredrickson, 2001). According
to MacIntyre and Gregersen (2012a: 193), positive and negative emotion are
not opposite ends of the same spectrum; each has a different function. ‘...(P)
ositive emotion tends to broaden a person’s perspective, opening the
12 C apitalizing on L anguage Lear ners’ Indiv idualit y

individual to absorb the language. In contrast, negative emo tion produces

the opposite tendency, a narrowing of focus and a restriction of the range of
potential language input.’ Young (1991) suggests that the process begin with
learners’ acknowledgement of the existence of language anxiety followed by
strategies such as positive self-talk, journal writing, and relaxation exercises.
Activity 4 guides learners through an exploration of how positive emotions
lead to action tendencies that differ from negative ones.

Player 3: The resultant ‘being’ of interaction

The third ‘player’ in our language classroom triad is the social milieu or
the ‘being’ that is created as teacher and learners interact. The dynamics
of any given group are as unique as any one human being, with the idio-
syncrasies that emerge as two or more lives interconnect. The challenge
then is to make this emergent creature an agent of positive change, gen-
erating positive emotion. How can teachers inspire the social milieu to
stimulate affirming affect? ‘There is one element on which Positive Psycho -
logists agree: Building community, social networks and intimate rela-
tionships make people happy’ (MacIntyre & Gregersen, 2012a). Lower
anxiety is a potential by-product of human bonding and building relation-
ships within the class. According to Young (1991: 428), the affective filter
is low when a person feels ‘club membership’ and ‘target language group
identification.’
Friendly, caring environments that allow learners to verbalize their fears
so as not to feel alone and where competitiveness, self-comparisons and a
desire to out-do are eradicated gives learners an emotional space where they
can foster community and grow as language learners. Pragmatically, how is
this carried out? Many researchers advocate for the use of small groups
where not only is the quantity and quality of interaction heightened (less
teacher talk; more opportunities for individuals to speak), but learners can
be more relaxed in an intimate group configuration and have their interac-
tion tailored and learning personalized to their individual needs. Speaking in
front of three rather than 30 people is much more affectively agreeable, and
the negotiation of interaction more expeditious. Finally, the presence of role
models within this social milieu is important to note.
Murphey (2001: 9) identified the benefits of observing a ‘near peer’ – a
person who is near to us in the sense of being physically close but also close
in characteristics such as age, ethnicity, gender, interests, and experiences.
The benefits of near peers stem from learning that achievements are pos-
sible. ‘Learners also find that they can be happy with small successes –
they don’t have to be frustrated believing that they have to be like native
speakers. These learnings give them permission to try certain behaviors
with hopeful expectations.’ Further advice suggests that not only role
models but also supportive conversational partners, students supporting
 Anx iety 13

each other linguistically, socially and emotionally, may play a role in help-
ing language learners avoid or overcome foreign language anxiety (Dewaele
et al., 2008). This support network can also be extended to the development
of literacy through the inclusion of dialogue journals, interactive writing
where learners exchange writing with the teacher or another learner.
Because it is a written exchange, it is less threatening and opens up new
channels of communication that provide a natural context for language and
literacy, while at the same time allowing learners to express themselves
and make sense of their own and others’ experiences and feelings (Peyton,
2000). Social interaction and community-building play a critical role in
overcoming language anxiety. The remaining 11 activities will provide
opportunities for mutual encouragement, sharing emotional experiences
and strategies, increasing teamwork and cooperative effort, building rap-
port, eliminating competition, increasing realistic expectations and gener-
ating positive group dynamics.
To conclude the ‘premise’ part of this chapter, let’s return to the story of
the ‘Cracked Pot’. At some point, even before the pot communicated his
shame, the water bearer had already evaluated the situation and had the
foresight to plant some seeds that would ultimately capitalize on the cracked
pot’s so-called ‘defect.’ What can we take from this parable to help deal with
foreign language anxiety? Teachers who have the foresight to create a sup-
portive environment, highlight achievement rather than past failure, and
develop insight into the uniqueness of the individual learners in their care,
transform blemishes into blossoms.

. . . To Practice
Anxiety Activities
As teachers reflect upon issues of language anxiety through exploration of
the following activities, they must remain cognizant that anxiety can mani-
fest in physical, emotional, linguistic or social behaviors. Teachers, individual
language learners and the class as a whole can pull together to create a net-
work of support and collaboration.
The main affective aim throughout these activities is to create a class-
room comfort zone where teachers, individual learners and the group as a
whole can capitalize on mutual encouragement and excel in language learn-
ing. Teachers will have the opportunity to review their instructional choices,
classroom procedures, and language testing practices; individuals will reflect
on their choices to focus on previous achievement and progress or past failure
and perfection; and the group will build community and social networks
that are fundamental to positive interaction.