How to combat anxiety in ESL classroom

1. Anxiety in
Language
Classroom
Zafar Ullah
zafarullah76@gmail.com

2. Layout of Class
i. Introduction
ii.Significance, definitions, symptoms
iii.Causes of Anxiety
iv.Anxiety Treatment strategies
v.Emotional Intelligence
vi.Call for Action
vii.Question Answers 2

3. Definitions, Symptoms,
Background,
Significance 3

4. Is Anxiety Good or Bad?
4

5. Significance
• Academic/Social Success Skill/soft skill
• Mental health Council
• SAC
• Why Boys Fail in College?
• Social silent murder
• Class difference, exploitation
• Save one kid, one life, one body, one soul,
One family, one nation, save humanity 5

6. Facts about Anxiety
• Anxiety causes behavioural problems
• 1 of 5 children are victims of anxiety
• Girls are affected more than boys.
• Anxiety disorders may coexist with
physical health conditions.
• Bad effects on emotional state of children.
• Linguistic problems.
• Learning problems
• Lack of concentration 6

7. Definitions of Anxiety
• Larson et al. (2010) describe anxiety as an anticipated
belief of a psychological distress which is a result of a
perception of a potentially dangerous event.
• Anxiety is a general feeling of apprehension or worry
and is a normal reaction to stressful situations.
• Foreign language anxiety: a distinct complex of self-
perceptions, beliefs, feelings and behaviours related to
classroom learning. 7

8. Symptoms of Anxiety
8

9. Anxiety
CognitiveCognitive AffectiveAffective
Worry and negative
thoughts e.g. what
would they think of
me if I fail
Physiological and
emotional reactions.
E.g. fear, sweaty
palms, upset
stomach
9

10. Types of Anxiety Disorders
• Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
• Separation Anxiety Disorder
• Panic Disorder
• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
• Academic Anxiety
• Specific Phobias
• Natural Anxiety
• Social Anxiety 10

11. Brain Chemicals: Serotonin (happiness chemical)
Dopamine (pain killer) Norepinephrine (helps to deal with stress)
11

12. Impact of Anxiety on Brain
• Chronic Stress can damage brain structure and
connectivity.
• It triggers changes in brain structure.
• Hippocampus encodes threatening events into
memories.
• Anxiety changes size and
connectivity of the amygdala.
• Hydrocephalus
12

13. Clark’s cognitive Model of
Panic Disorder
13

14. Causes of Anxiety
14

15. Causes of Anxiety in ESL Teachers
• Lack of Confidence
• Non preparation of lecture/lesson
• Domestic issues
• Financial issues
• Anxiety of Infrastructure
• Noisy environment
• Technology failure
15

16. Cont…
• Over crowded class
• Continuous observation
• Lack of professional training, ELT
• Stressful administration
• Over work
16

17. Causes of Anxiety in ESL Learners
School Phobia
Communication apprehension
Test anxiety/ Exam phobia
Error analysis Anxiety
Thrashing fear
Abusive language
Methodological Problems
17

18. Cont…
Speaking the target language in front of peers.
Teacher-centered classroom.
Mixed IQ level students in one class.
Favouritism
 Excessive homework
Gaps in studies
Not familiar with basic previous concepts
18

19. Anxiety Treatment Strategies
19

20. Steps to Address the Anxiety Issue
1. Identify the anxious feelings of students;
Identify which situations made students
anxious;
2. Treatment: Provide students with
strategies to manage anxiety;
3. Feedback
20

21. Emotional Intelligence (EI); EQ
21

22. How to React? Which one is Correct?
FAT STAR
F= Feel S= Stop
A= Act T= Think
T= Think A= Act wisely
Emotional
hijacking
R= Reap the
reward
22

23. Six Seconds Models for Emotional
Intelligence
23

24. Cont…
• 90/10 Principle
• 6 second gap strategy
• Islamic principles (stand, sit, lay)
24

25. Wilson’s (1999) Strategies to Decrease
Anxiety in Classroom
• Open book test;
• Instructor’s positive attitude,
encouragement;
• Reassurance that We Can Do It!;
• Recognition of anxiety of students;
• Teach students to cope with disability.
• Use of humour in the classroom;
• Guidelines provided for better grades; 25

26. Cont…
• Working with a partner in class
assignments and research project
• Support of peers during class
• Assign a research project to give
information about one’s own;
• Teaching situation for learners; (Wilson,
1999)
• Act according to desired future profession/
career.
26

27. Tips to Control Anxiety in Classroom
1. Keep Communication Open
2. Flexible Assignments
3. Teach Time Management
4. Grade Effort As Well As Product
5. Offer Five-Minute Meditation, long
breathing, muscle relaxation
6. Help Them To See The Bigger and
Positive Picture/ vision (First Year at
Harrow) Optimism
27

28. Cont…
7. Activate students with activities
8. Attitude is altitude.
9. Offer Incentives For Bringing Healthy
Food To Class
10. Use music, songs for teaching.
11. Teach how to avoid failure
12. Balanced Exams
13. Comfortable infrastructure, seats 28

29. Cont…
21.Teacher should be friendly but not
friend.
22. Be Super Teacher/ Parent
22. Positive self-talk(Francesco et al., 2009)
i. Listen apprehensions, evaluate
ii. Stop listening bad thoughts
iii. Change channel
29

30. Cont…
23.Encourage your child to face his/her
fears, not run away from them
24.Imperfection is OK. Nobody is perfect.
25.Focus on the positives.
26.Choose career according to aptitude
27.Self-care, and positive thinking.
28.Reward your student's brave behaviours.
29.Help your child to problem solve. 30

31. How to Make ESL Lessons Anxiety Free?
• Involve students in lessons.
• Students are good actors.
• Use of songs in ESL.
• Use of rhymes.
• Use of videos
http://www.edudemic.com/best-video-sites-
for-teachers/
• Jokes for reading skill.
http://www.greatcleanjokes.com/
31

32. Cont…
• Cartoons or pictures
• Visual learning.
• Tongue twisters
http://www.funenglishgames.com
• Comic Strips (Political Cartoons)
www.gocomics.com
Columnist Dave Barry’s comedy
www.miamiherald.com 32

33. Cont…
• Funny images
• www.neuegraphic.com
• Talk about dinosaurs
• Use tv shows, dramas, films as language
teaching source
• Spellings with drawings
• Funny dubbing
33

34. Cont…
• Funny material for ESL
http://www.havefunteaching.com
• Funny images
http://www.newimagesgallery.com
Picture description activities
34

35. Call for Action
• Bring positive changes.
• Change yourself and all things will
change.
• Implement new things
• Awaken giant within you.
35

36. Thank You