Jeffrey Dawala Wilang

Research based on learner surveys can encourage students to become more aware of the difficulties they are facing and strategies for cooping with them. This article reports on the research and offers solutions.

Based on a case-study of real learners the article looks at areas such as anxiety, lack of confidence, poor motivation and suggests practical ways to improve these negative emotions in the classroom.

Among the ideas covered are adopting a humanistic approach, negotiating learning goals and assessment, being sensitive to learner needs, allowing learner mistakes, providing real-world task, reducing corrective (negative) feedback, and creating a relaxing learning environment.

How can you create a positive learning atmosphere? Jeffrey Dawala Wilang describes some key ways of fostering good rapport in the classroom