My wife (an English learner from the Philippines) loves karaoke. And with it, she taught me a valuable lesson on creating an environment where English learners can thrive.
In her home country, baseball isn’t the national pastime. Instead, belting out Gloria Gaynor or Bee Gees tunes is the entertainment of choice. So it wasn’t long after we were married that she dragged me to karaoke night at a local Filipino restaurant.
It was a new experience for me. But I did manage to get onstage and warble a fair rendition of Frank Sinatra’s “Come Fly with Me.” (However, I never did hear back from the Grammy committee…)
A few minutes later, my wife took the stage to begin the Whitney Houston song she had chosen. My wife has a wonderful voice and she started singing sweetly. But then, things took an unexpected turn.
After the second verse, my wife made a mistake. Now self-conscious, she started to struggle. And soon another mistake followed. Before long, she was silent onstage as the music continued without her. And after what seemed like an eternity, she dashed offstage mid-song.
An unfortunate experience indeed. But there is good news. Not long after that night she purchased a “Magic Mic,” a computerized karaoke microphone loaded with more digital songs than you can sing in a lifetime.
Practicing at home in a safe environment, she didn’t care if she stumbled, fumbled, or forgot lyrics. She just enjoyed the song and practiced it until she mastered it. And, I’m happy to say, she is now a confident performer, taking the stage at parties and family gatherings.
How many of your English learners are like my wife? Terrified of making mistakes in front of others? And giving up when they do?
Researchers have found that when English learners are afraid or frustrated, they put up a protective shield, or an “affective filter” that blocks out learning. A teacher can deliver all the content in the world, but if that shield is up, learning does not take place.
What can educators do to lower this filter? One answer is to provide the children with their own “Magic Mic,” or, more precisely, their own supportive technology that provides them a safe place to learn.
Educational technology is non-judgmental. It doesn’t laugh at students when they make a mistake. Instead, it supports them so they have another chance at success. In this environment, English learners feel safe, comfortable, and accepted. Their affective filter comes down, and learning takes place.
Consider bringing educational technology to your English learners. It can launch them into a lifetime of success. To learn about Imagine Learning English, a software program that lowers the affective filter while raising student achievement, please click here.
That’s a great point, Dave. From my language-learning experiences, I know it’s definitely harder to learn if you’re focusing on avoiding embarrassment. I’m sure that’s how many English learner students can feel in school sometimes.
It’s been said that “learning is state dependent.” I can’t imagine a worse learning state than embarrassment. On the other hand, Imagine Learning English provides the learners with such great engagement. That — by itself — will increase retention levels.
When I was learning Spanish, i was so self-conscious to speak in front of my peers – so many of them already spoke fluently and here I used incorrect grammar and my accent was all wrong. As a result, I never liked speaking in front of others, and therefore didn’t learn as much as I could have. It definitely helps to have an environment where you won’t be made of fun or feel scared to try.