This document discusses several topics related to promoting self-confidence in language learners. It begins by explaining how teachers can create a learning environment that increases self-confidence using tools like neuro-linguistic programming. It then discusses the importance of designing lesson plans that start with easy activities and gradually increase in difficulty to avoid frustrating students. The document also examines several popular affective education programs that aim to enhance self-esteem and sensitivity to others. Finally, it discusses theories of self-esteem, the connection between language and culture, and the process of acculturation that students experience when learning a new language and culture.

1. SELF-CONFIDENCE.
teachers have as challenge to increase this self-
confidence by creating an adequate learning
atmosphere where we can use tools such as
Neuro-linguistic Programming in order to
promote self-confidence in classroom; teacher
Jose Gonzalez, (Oaxaca, Mexico) has a slogan
which names his project: "Speak English. Learning
English is fun". In my class I use "I like English"
and, in fact, the legend is on a rubber stamp
posted on cards which are used as rewards for
working in class.

2. Activities have to be from easy to difficult ones; if
activities are too difficult, students rapidly will get
frustrated. It is common in secondary that after seeing
something as very difficult, the student "builds" the
defensive wall and, unfortunately, this energy sells and
becomes contagious among students. Our lesson plan
has to be carefully done step by step, from easy to
complex, and always having in mind the purpose of the
function, and the differences of our students.

3. THE AFFECT.
Public schools, and even some private
schools, spend valuable classroom time
engaged in "cooperative" learning (group
learning) encounter sessions and discussion
groups that employ pop psychology. These
programs are designed for a very specific
purpose -- to change the attitudes, values and
beliefs of children in order to prepare them
for be good citizens

4. PROGRAM GOALS FOR SELF CONFIDENCE.
Almost all claim positive outcomes such as:
• Enhancement of self-esteem
• Promotion of good decision-making
• Reduction of stress
• Improvement of academic performance
• Improvement of a student's sensitivity to others

5. Affective education employs a number of
psychological and pedagogic principles as primary
to their success. The most significant of these
principles includes beliefs such as:
• The meaning of life lies in subjective experience.
• Self-Interest is and should be the foundation for
all moral decisions.
• The teacher should be child advocate and
therapist.
• Problem-solving through the application of moral
relativism.
• Children are capable of making sophisticated
judgments.

6. The following are some of the more popular
Affective Education Programs:
Project Self-Esteem
Project Self-Esteem is an elementary level program
which purports to enhance self-esteem, improve
memory, improve communication skills, stress
individuality, increase sensitivity to others, and
improve self responsibility.
Quest
Quest was originally published as a Humanistic
Values Curriculum in 1975. The Quest program is
divided into two main curricula: Skills for Living --
High school level; and Skills for Adolescence for
grades 6-8

7. CANFIELD´S THEORY.
Canfield's theory of self-esteem is based on a
distinction between the left and right brain.
He claims the brain has two hemispheres. The
left hemisphere controls the logical thinking
while the right hemisphere controls feelings
and impulses.

8. WORKSHOP WAY
The foremost goal in Workshop Way is
1) protect each child's dignity.
2) Growing a positive self-concept is feasible for all
students because the self-concept is never associated
with knowledge, skills or right answers.
The program clearly states that one of the major goals is
to lead pupils toward "higher levels of consciousness
and deepening awareness in students by leading them
to self-discovery."

9. PUMSY in Pursuit of Excellence
This is a very popular self-esteem program written by Jill
Anderson and published by Timberline Press in Oregon.
Pumsy is a girl dragon who has three parts to her mind.
These include her Sparkler Mind, her Clear Mind, and her
Mud Mind. The author defines the Sparkler Mind as a mind
that runs and plays like tiny pieces of happy lightning. The
Clear Mind is defined as a pond, still and quiet, in the
middle of a spring meadow. When Pumsy is in her Clear
Mind, she feels good about herself and at peace. The Mud
mind is defined as a puddle of mud that does not allow her
to think clearly. When she is in her Mud Mind, she doesn't
feel good about herself.

10. Risk-Taking

11. This affective principle is about the
importance of getting learners to take risks in
attempting to use language-both productively
and receptively.

12. Successful language learners, in their realistic
appraisal of themselves as vulnerable beings
yet capable of accomplishing tasks, must be
willing to become “gamblers” in the game of
language, t attempt to produce and to
interpret language that is a bit beyond their
absolute certainty.

13. How can your classrooms reflect the
principle of risk-taking?

14. • Create an atmosphere in the classroom that
encourages students to try out language, to
venture a response, and not to wait for
someone else to volunteer language.
• Provide reasonable challenges in your
techniques – make them neither too easy nor
too hard.

15. • Help your students to understand what
calculated risk-taking is, lest some feel that
they must blurt out any old response.
• Respond to students’ risky attempts with
positive affirmation, praising them for trying
while at the same time warmly but firmly
attending to their language.

16. Language-Culture Connection
Language and culture are
intricately related. Any
time you successfully
learn a language, you will
also learn something of
the culture of the
speakers of that
language.

17. ¨Whenever you teach a
language, you also teach a
complex system of cultural
customs, values, and ways of
thinking, feeling, and acting¨

18. Interlanguage
Second language learners
tend to go through a
systematic or almost
systematic developmental
process as they progress to
full competence in the
target language
developmental is partially a
factor from utilizing
feedback from others

19. Discuss cross-cultural differences with
your students, emphasizing that no
culture is ¨better¨ that another.

20. include among
your techniques
certain activities
and materials that
illustrate the
connection
between language
and culture

21. Teach your students the cultural
connotations, specially sociolinguistic
aspects, of languages.

22. Screen your
techniques for
material that
may be culturally
offensive

23. Make explicit to your students what
you may take for granted in your own
culture

24. Acculturation

25. euphoria
• Excitement,
enthusiasm and
optimist for
everything in the
host culture.

26. Culture shock
• negativity ranging from irrability to hostility,
from anxiety to outright panic

27. Anomie
• gradually recovery of
equilibrium and
objetivity.
• Acknowledgement of
positive and negative
aspects of both culture

28. Assimilation or Adoption
• Acceptance of the new culture
• Recovery of self-confidence and identity

29. ¨Especially in ¨second¨ language
learning contexts, the success with
learners adapt to new cultural
uamilieu will affect their langa

30. Help students to be aware of
acculturation and its stages.

31. Stress the importance of the second
language as a powerful tool for
adjustment in the new culture.

32. Be specially sensitive to any students who
appear to be discouraged, then do what
you can to assist them.