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As teachers we have a responsibility to educate and inspire our students, to share our knowledge with them and find the best ways to approach the subjects to create a safe environment where the students feel comfortable with practicing their second language, in this process they are going to make mistakes and it might not be as easy as they thought it was going to be. This for consequences can create a lack of confidence in them or even discourage them so much that they could start thinking about quitting. Here are some ideas that as teachers we can provide to our students to help them boost their confidence and help them go through times of doubt. Do not correct their mistakes every time in front of the class: This can lead the students to feel afraid of making mistakes and try new things. If the student is making the same mistake often you can write it down and later on have a moment for feedback with him/her personally and approach them with your suggestions to improve the mention mistake. Let them know that mistaken is part of the process and it is completely normal to have weak points. Praise them when they do something right: Sometimes we can forget to actually recognize the effort the students make in class. We might focus too much sometimes in the mistakes and how to fix them, that we stop seeing what they are doing good. It is essential to let them know that their effort and abilities are valuable and important, and that as a teacher you appreciate it and see it. Teach them in context: This can seem simple and obvious but it can be a great way to help our students confidence. Making them feel related to the subject we are about to teach increase their interest and and also they can feel familiar with it so they will be more confident because it might be an area they feel comfortable with. As a teacher we should not just throw words to the students without stop talking, we should find ways and scenarios to give them the chance to participate. Give the students opportunities to shine: This can be easy to do in a small class. With time you will notice what abilities each student is good at and you can create opportunities or activities where the students can pick the best way to give a presentation. With this you give them the chance to create their own version to approach it and show it in front of the class making them feel more confident and relevant. Be inclusive with all the students: Try to always make everyone to feel motivated to participate during class, and show your approval to their comments when they are correct. Do not show disapproval for the mistakes, instead you can help them to correct them themselves and build not just their confidence but their knowledge. Let the students know that each of their opinions and douds are valid and valuable for the class. Give them an answer without sarcasm and always with a good attitude and they will always appreciate it.
