Psychology-Based Activities for Supporting Anxious Language Learners: Creating Calm and Confident Foreign Language Speakers

A quiet, anxious class can be an uncomfortable learning experience for all concerned, yet it can be a situation language educators regularly face.This volume offers a range of activities which teachers can use with both classes and individual students to reduce their anxiety and increase their confidence for speaking. Drawn from a variety of theoretical backgrounds and educational contexts, the activities are presented in a clear and easy-to-follow format, allowing educators to choose according to the needs of their students and style of instruction. By describing the theories, reasons and events which gave rise to the development of the activities, readers will be able to recognise their own experiences and easily realise how they might put the activities into practice in their own situations. Theories and practices explored include: mindfulness, flow practices, self-esteem theory, Stoic philosophy, attribution retraining, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) and positive evaluation.

Kate Maher is Assistant Professor at the University of Leicester, UK.

Neil Curry is Learning Advisor at Kanda University of International Studies, Japan.