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In the classroom, there could be many different aspects that make the situation stressful for an ESL student. When learning a new language, especially our second language, it is already a challenging experience. If the classroom environment isn’t right, it leads to places where stressful situations arise. It is important as teachers to understand these stress points, so that the lesson and teaching method can be adapted to reduce them. In this essay I’m going to look at three areas where students find stress in the class and outline how teachers can adjust their teaching methods to account for these. A first source of stress in the classroom is speaking in front of a group class. When working with group classes it is important to understand that some student will find it stressful if they are tasked with speaking in front of their classmates, as they might not have built their confidence when speaking the language. To tackle this stressor in the classroom, the teacher can recommend that the student take one on one lessons, which would allow the student to gain confidence and increase their talk time in the classroom. A second source of stress in the classroom is not being put in the appropriate level. When a student first starts taking language lessons, it can be difficult for the teacher to establish the correct level of language the student already has. This becomes harder as the student progresses, which can lead to the student not being in the right group. This could lead to the student feeling stressed that they aren’t making enough progress because the lessons are too hard for them, or they might lose motivation because they find it too easy. Taking regularly progress tests or observing their level against other students could help reduce the chances of them getting put in the wrong level. Also, by putting the student in a one to one environment, it would allow the teacher to be more flexible with the students needs. A third source of stress in the classroom is when the learning objectives for that lesson isn’t made clear by the teacher. This leads students feeling unsatisfied and stressed that they aren’t getting the most out of each lesson and they might feel that they aren’t making any clear progress. By ensuring that the teacher follows a clear lesson structure such as a ESA lesson plan, it would make it easier for the student to follow along and get the most out of each class. The teacher can also ensure that the lesson is clearly planned, with clear lesson objectives, understanding potential student problems and having personal objectives for the lesson. In conclusion, there are many different ways in which an ESL student might become stressed in a classroom setting, and to mitigate these the teacher must first understand them, and then plan their lesson around them. By understanding the role of a teacher and following the different aspects during a lesson, a teacher can do his or her best to help the student have the best learning environment possible.
