Lecture 4.
Supporting and engaging learners in the classroom
1. Foreign language anxiety
2. Teacher roles
3. Establishing rapport
4. Developing learners autonomy
1. The role of anxiety in language learning.
Language anxiety is one of the most frequently discussed affective factors influencing second language
acquisition. It is defined as a learner’s feeling of tension, apprehension, or nervousness associated with
using or learning a foreign language (Horwitz, Horwitz & Cope, 1986). Unlike general anxiety, foreign
language anxiety is situation-specific; it emerges particularly in language classrooms, during speaking
tasks, tests, or interactions with peers and teachers. This emotional state can interfere with learners’
ability to process input, retrieve vocabulary, and produce accurate language, thereby negatively affecting
performance and long-term achievement.
In the 21st-century classroom, teachers are no longer the sole source of knowledge but designers of
learning experiences (Richards & Farrell, 2011).
2. Teacher roles in the classroom and their change.
We all take on different roles in our lives (teacher, dog-walker, cook, gardener, advisor, waiter, etc.), and
the classroom is no different. However, teachers need to be aware of what role to adopt and make sure it
supports learners and is appropriate to what they are doing and to the educational aims. This is not easy to
achieve.
Here are the roles the teacher can take on:
1. Assessor.
At various stages of a lesson, the teacher needs to check that learners have learned something. This could
be done through homework, tests, quizzes or other activities where learners need to do something with the
language, i.e. a role play, a controlled writing activity, etc. You can be a formal assessor (setting and
marking tests and homework, and so on). And you are an informal assessor all the time in the classroom,
asking questions of your students, such as:
What does .... mean? What's the plural of ... ? etc.
and asking yourself questions like:
Have they understood the key meanings?
Can I move on or should I repeat and explain again? etc.
2. Contributor
There are many times when the teacher wants to be simply part of the class and not in charge of it. For
example, you may take part in a brainstorming session, and your opinion may not be more valuable than
anyone else's. You are simply contributing, not leading or managing.
3. Counsellor
Knowing your learners' needs will help you to advise them and lead them to good study and learning
skills. Additionally, in this role, you may have one-to-one meetings with learners to discuss their progress
and any concerns they have.
4. Diagnostician
This involves being able to spot, analyse and explain learners' errors. Whenever a learner makes an error,
you should ask four questions:
What sort of error is this? Why did it happen?
Does it need to be corrected?
5. Manager
This is mostly due to teacher talk and efficiently and comprehensibly completing tasks like instructions
and repair routines. Classroom management is important as it helps make the lesson effective. If learners
are misbehaving or not doing what they are supposed to do, then less learning will take place.
6. Disciplinarian
With younger learners in particular (but not only with younger learners), telling someone off for breaking
the rules or the class contract is something you will have to do from time to time. Remember, however,
that if everyone has signed up to a class contract, it is often possible to allow the class and the learners to
police themselves.
7. Facilitator
Often, learners need just a little help to get started on a task or to get on with it efficiently. Your role here
is to facilitate (i.e., make things a little easier) by encouraging, not necessarily by giving them the right
answer. Being a facilitator is something you can only do if the tasks you set are at the right level.
8. Knower
Many times, when the teacher sets a task or a question to answer, only he/she knows what's right and
what's wrong. Learners often expect that, but they also expect the teacher to be fair and clear.
9. Narrator
A common role for the teacher is that of a storyteller or narrator. We often do this when we want to
introduce a text, skill, or language item in a clear and personal context. Learners are very often quite
interested in their teacher's experiences.
10. Relationship builder
Rapport between you and the learners and between the learners is an important part of creating and
maintaining a positive learning atmosphere. You have to take the lead by treating everyone fairly and not
allowing prejudice or exclusion to occur. Setting an example by being approachable, pleasant and
inclusive is just the beginning.
11. Planner
Obviously, the teacher must be a good planner to make sure that the class get what they need, in the right
order and at the right level.
But planning doesn't stop when teaching begins. No lesson plan is perfect, so it is important to plan as
you go, looking forward to the next stage and determining whether it needs changing, moving, delaying,
or abandoning.
12. Designer
When you create your own materials, you must consider whether they are error-free, fit for their purpose,
and attractive and accessible. A guide is linked at the end.
13. Reflector
Good teachers constantly reflect on their work and sometimes on their current activities. Part of being a
professional is being able to introspect and be honest with yourself about success and failure, as well as
plan to avoid the second and enhance the first.
14. Organiser
It’s important to organise your classroom, i.e. How many people will be in a group? What do they need to
do? How long will an activity take? etc. to ensure the best use of the time available in a lesson.
15. Listener
Listening to the learners helps you know how they are doing, what they are good at, what they are finding
difficult, etc. Starter teachers often find listening to their learners difficult as they are concentrating on
what they are doing and what is going to happen next. Encourage them to make notes while they listen to
the learners to help them remember and give feedback.
Changing roles. Inexperienced teachers usually feel quite comfortable taking on a narrow range or
roles: planner, manager and knower, for example. However, a good developmental process is to look at
the other possible roles in the list of nine and decide to take on a different one each week at some point.
1. Task type. Some tasks, such as dictation activities, re-grouping for feedback and so on require you
to be an active manager. That's the appropriate role. Other tasks, however, require other roles. For
example, when learners are writing a short text, they may need help in finding the right word and then
your role is knower and facilitator.
2. Variety. If the teacher is always the knower and the manager, lessons can become quite boring and
predictable. Variations in the teacher's role lead to variations in interactions and activities.
3. Autonomy. Learners need some independence because the teacher will not always be with them. If
the teacher's role is limited to knower and assessor, learners will not develop inferencing and research
skills and will not develop the skill of good guessing, either. Responsible and active learners are always
hardworking, seriously engaged in research, studious, and continuously question unfamiliar ideas for
better comprehension.
4. Helpfulness. Simply put: the more roles you can take on, the more you can help your learners.
That's professionalism!
3. Ways of establishing rapport in the classroom
Rapport refers to the positive, trusting, and respectful relationship between teacher and students that
fosters motivation, confidence, and engagement (Dörnyei & Murphey, 2003).
How Rapport Impacts Learning:
● Students feel safe to make mistakes, increasing participation.
● Encourages risk-taking and creativity in language use.
● Reduces anxiety and classroom tension.
Practical Ways to Build Rapport:
● Learn and use students’ names early on.
● Be approachable, empathetic, and consistent.
● Share appropriate personal experiences to humanise communication.
● Encourage humour and warmth — “serious learning can happen in a fun atmosphere.”
● Provide meaningful feedback and celebrate small progress.
Nonverbal communication (smiling, maintaining eye contact, and using open body language) also plays a
key role in building connection. Encouraging humour, using inclusive language, and providing
constructive feedback further help students feel respected and valued. Importantly, rapport must be based
on professional empathy rather than excessive familiarity; the goal is mutual respect and trust, not
friendship.
4. Fostering learner autonomy
Learner autonomy is “the ability to take charge of one’s own learning” (Holec, 1981).
It involves learners making informed choices about their learning goals, methods, and evaluation.
Ways to Foster Autonomy:
● Teach learning strategies (note-taking, goal setting, self-evaluation).
● Use project work and learner diaries.
● Encourage peer feedback and self-assessment.
● Offer task choices (“Would you prefer to present or write a report?”).
● Introduce digital tools for self-study (Quizlet, Wordwall, BBC Learning English).
Developing autonomy requires a shift in both teacher and learner roles. The teacher becomes a facilitator
or guide rather than the main source of knowledge, while learners take a more active role in planning and
managing their learning. Interesting Statistic. According to Benson (2013), learners who engage in
self-directed language activities outside class achieve 20–30% faster progress in proficiency than those
who rely solely on teacher-led instruction.
Conclusion.
A wide range of strategies and classroom tasks have been recommended to support learning and
promote greater learner autonomy. Language teachers should aim to inspire language learning by creating
the best possible learning environment, free from anxiety, with the right level of challenge and
opportunities for learners to exercise autonomy and engage fully with the language as focused, willing,
and interactive learners. In such an environment, learners are more likely to find language learning
effective and truly inspiring.
*NB
- Take notes in your copybooks: interesting words and phrases
- be ready to share your opinions and experiences related to this topic