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What is the Affective Filter and How Does it Affect my Students?

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FabuLingua: Teach Children Spanish through Stories

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S35: Prof. Stephen Krashen - Comprehensible Input and Multilingual Children

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Do you know the difference between language "acquisition" and language "learning"? Prof. Stephen Krashen proposed this crucial distinction 4 decades ago. In ...

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Affective Filter: Refers to factors such as fear, anxiety, shyness, and lack of motivation that can block comprehensible input and thus prevent second language acquisition. Lowering the affective filter allows learners to receive more comprehensible input and thus enables them to acquire more of the second language.

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In this post: How science has shown that stress 😣 and boredom 🥱 impede language learning. Krashen's Affective Filter Hypothesis... and what we can do to lower the Affective Filter for successful second-language acquisition.

Have you ever wondered why language learning in a traditional classroom setting feels so unnatural and why long-term retention is so poor? (How much high school Spanish can you remember?? 🤔)

Maybe you studied Spanish in school for years... yet, you can't seem to remember anything more than a simple "hola" or "¿Cómo estás?".

Shockingly, just 1% of American adults are proficient in a foreign language that they studied in a U.S classroom. How is it that a student can take several years of Spanish and still struggle to string a sentence together by the end of it? 🤯 (If we had results like that from Science or Math classes we would surely re-consider how we teach those subjects!)

Traditional foreign language instruction consists of output-heavy, teacher-led instruction. These teaching methods include regular testing and pressure, which do not support language acquisition!

In fact, it impedes it entirely.

When it comes to learning a new language, there is an 'Affective Filter' which can completely sabotage your efforts and wreak havoc on a second language acquisition! So whether you're a parent trying to give your child a second language, or a teacher trying to teach her students a foreign language, it's best to learn about the 'Affective Filter' and how to get it working for you - instead of against you.

What is the Affective Filter?

'Affective Filter' may sound like an esoteric term, but it is a very commonly used term in language learning because of the crucial role it plays in second language acquisition. The 'Affective Filter' is 'an invisible psychological filter' that can either impede or promote language acquisition.

By definition , the term 'affective' means that something "relates to, arises from, or influences feelings or emotions". (In this context we're referring to the emotion a person is experiencing internally - as opposed to the emotion a person appears to have to the outsider).

The 'Affective Filter' is a metaphor to convey how a student's internal negative attitudes and emotions can impede their ability to acquire a second language. This 'Affective Filter' in a student is increased or decreased depending on their internal feelings or emotions about language learning.

A high affective filter (where the student is stressed or bored by their language learning experience) will impede any efforts at learning a second language.

By the same token, a low affective filter (where the student is motivated and excited by their language learning experience) will result in better second language acquisition.

How does the Affective Filter work?

Dr. Krashen, Comprehensible Input and the Affective Filter Hypothesis

How exactly does the Affective Filter work to impede language acquisition? It basically does this by blocking what is known as comprehensible input.

(If you're not entirely sure what comprehensible input is, or how it is the key to successful second language acquisition, it's a super important concept, so stop now and read our blog Comprehensible Input & Spanish: The Secret to Second Language Acquisition )

Linguist Noam Chomsky proposed the concept that humans have a Language Acquisition Device (LAD). It refers to a system within the brain that naturally learns languages - so long as it has enough stimuli.

Another linguist, Dr. Stephen Krashen, took the concept further and said this language acquisition device (or language acquisition system within the brain) is able to do its job of acquiring a new language very naturally and very well when it is supplied with lots of a particular kind of stimuli - with what he called .

Krashen uses the metaphor of a filter to explain that "affect" (the emotions and feelings a person experiences) can influence how much comprehensible input actually makes it through the filter and reaches the language acquisition part of the brain. " Affective variables act to impede or facilitate the delivery of input to the language acquisition device."

Krashen suggested we should think of the Affective Filter as a '' - "Not all the input reaches the Language Acquisition Device; somewhere along the way it is filtered, and only part of it is acquired. This filtering takes place in the Affective Filter, which acts like a gate controlling the amount of input. The Affective Filter "opens" or "closes" according to our mood. That is, if we are relaxed and in a pleasant learning environment, more input will reach the LAD, while if we feel tense or are in a negative environment, our efforts to provide input will be fruitless." Here is Krashen's illustration of how the Affective Filter works (p32 of Krashen's 'Principles and Practice' )

An equally helpful metaphor is that of a cone filter. This filter usually has a wide neck and allows a lot of comprehensible input into the brain, resulting in language acquisition. But when the learner is stressed or anxious the neck of the Affective Filter tightens up so that very little, if any, comprehensible input makes it through to the brain, resulting in no language acquisition!

Have a look at this very short video for further understanding of how the Affective Filter affects language learning!

The Affective Filter in Second Language Teaching

Dr. Krashen argues that for students to truly thrive in the foreign language classroom, the learning environment must be stress-free.

"My hypothesis is that for language acquisition to really succeed, anxiety should be zero." Stephen Krashen

Note that Krashen does not say 'anxiety should be , but that it should be eliminated - it should be ZERO. This is due to the fact that any level of anxiety or stress stops comprehensible input from reaching the language acquisition part of the brain, and therefore hinders second language learning entirely!

Surely such evidence should completely alter the way we approach language learning and teaching in schools?

What is a High Affective Filter?

A high Affective Filter means a student is experiencing high levels of negative emotions and attitudes in regards to language learning.

Low motivation and boredom, or low self-esteem and anxiety are all negative emotions that increase the Affective Filter and form a 'mental block' that prevents comprehensible input from reaching the language acquisition part of the brain. In other words, when the filter is 'up' it impedes language acquisition.

In language learning, these negative emotions can come about for a variety of reasons. Let's examine how they surface both in the classroom, and when learning a new language at home.

Symptoms of a High Affective Filter

As a teacher or as a parent wanting to teach your child a second language, it is very important to be aware of the signals and symptoms that could indicate a high affective filter.

By understanding some common behaviors of students with a high affective filter, we can learn to identify them quicker in the home or classroom and adapt our teaching and the learning environment to lower the affective filter.

Krashen identified four emotional states that raise the affective filter and therefore negatively impact second language acquisition:

Let's explore how some of these factors manifest in terms of behavior.

#1: Behaving Bored

Is the child staring into space? Yawning? Fidgeting? These are all signs of boredom and common symptoms of a high affective filter.

When a child loses interest in a lesson and gets distracted, we often refer to them as being 'disruptive' or 'disengaged'. As if to suggest that the student is the issue here.

There are, of course, cases of disruptive student behavior, often affecting classrooms on a larger, school-wide scale.

However, what is usually happening is that the student is not getting sufficient comprehensible input (if input is comprehensible it means they are able to follow along, if it is not comprehensible they are unable to get the gist of it - it is gibberish to them).

The student that does not receive enough comprehensible input cannot process the information they are receiving - it is not comprehensible, they literally don't understand what is being said. If you were in a lecture and you could not understand a word, you'd soon get pretty bored, wouldn't you? Not having enough input that is comprehensible can result in boredom (where the child becomes zoned out), or in anxiety (where they don't feel emotionally 'safe'). Either way, imaginary walls go up and the Affective Filter is up!

Sometimes, however, the boredom occurs because the teacher is taking a 'traditional language lesson' approach, focused on tedious grammar drills, flashcards or rote memorization, rather than being focused on delivering fun and compelling comprehensible content. These traditional language lessons can, and often do, become very tedious and boring!

Regardless of the source of the boredom, if the student is bored, the Affective Filter will go up and any comprehensible input that is provided will not reach the part of the brain where language acquisition happens, and language acquisition will not occur.

So, identifying the source of the boredom (is the input not comprehensible? Are they tired? Or are the lessons not interesting?) is a key to solving the problem of ineffective language lessons!

#2: Anxiety (and breaking the 'silent period')

Reflecting on my personal experience as a Spanish and French teacher, I agree that the majority of my students found speaking to be the most 'scary' activity. Why is this, though, when speech is such a natural form of communication?

Krashen's research in second-language acquisition describes a 'silent period' during language learning. This is an inevitable stage in the process of learning a new language that must be respected, because while it looks to the outsider that not much is happening, the language acquisition part of the brain is silently wiring to the new language.

It is important that we respect this silent period, because when we break a student's silent period, it is more likely that the student will develop anxiety about language learning, which will raise their affective filter.

#3: Deflated Body Language or Tone

A negative tone or negative body language are usually telltale signs that the child's Affective Filter is up and they are either bored, anxious, unmotivated, or lacking in self-confidence with regards to the language learning that is expected to happen in class.

Oftentimes, these students are the ones who try not to make eye contact, for the fear of being called upon and put on the spot. They try to act invisible or stare off into space. Or they may legitimately be zoning out and not truly be present.

#4: Trouble following instructions

If you find your second language learners being unable to follow instructions in the target language, it could mean their affective filter has gone up.

Try re-assessing the instructions you are giving - are they too complicated for their language/developmental level? Do the instructions need to be broken up into more clear multi-step instructions? Also try re-assessing whether the instructions are actually comprehensible - maybe you need to act or draw them out, step by step?

Finally, but very importantly, check in on the child's inner emotional landscape - is there boredom, stress, anxiety or low motivation?

Lowering the Affective Filter

So how can we create a learning environment where the students' affective filter is low?

In its most basic level, the affective filter theory indicates that students will thrive in language learning when they feel safe and supported.

Of course, just as with learning anything, physical safety is crucial, but here we are referring to the emotional safety that facilitates language acquisition.

If a child feels comfortable in their learning environment, they are more open to language input.

Just as you would want a guest to feel welcomed and 'at home' during their stay with you, so you want a student to feel comfortable in your lessons.

Some results of a low affective filter include increased self-confidence, higher motivation to learn, and even the desire to take risks, so lowering an affective filter can have repercussions beyond the obvious benefits of language learning.

Harness the Power of Krashen's Affective Filter Theory with FabuLingua

FabuLingua is a digital platform that has been designed with a deep appreciation of the Affective Filter hypothesis and its enormous influence on second language acquisition.

FabuLingua is based on the extensive and well-established science of second language acquisition - we have harnessed those insights and created a platform designed specifically for children to use to learn a language without ever raising their Affective Filter.

This is a guest post by Corrie Wiik, the mama behind the Spanish education blog Mama Llama Linguist. Corrie is a former Spanish teacher and is now raising bilingual children in San Diego, CA and sharing her journey and insights on her blog. Connect with her on Instagram @mamallamalinguist and follow her on .
Get the FabuLingua app today in the AppStore or Google Play store and receive one-month free when you subscribe!

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The Affective Filter & Language Learning | FabuLingua

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In this post: How science has shown that stress 😣 and boredom 🥱 impede language learning. Krashen's Affective Filter Hypothesis ... and what we can do to lower the Affective Filter for successful second-language acquisition.

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by Valentina Gonzalez

What Is the Affective Filter?

The term "affective filter" originates from Stephen Krashen, an expert in the field of linguistics, who described it as a number of affective variables that contribute to second language acquisition. Merriam-Webster's Dictionary defines affective as "referring to, arising from, or influencing feelings or emotions."

Krashen (1986) cites motivation, self-confidence, and anxiety in the Affective Filter Hypothesis as three categories of variables that play a role in second language acquisition. In essence, when feelings or emotions such as anxiety, fear, or embarrassment are elevated, it becomes difficult for language acquisition to occur. The affective filter has commonly been described as an imaginary wall that rises in the mind and prevents input, thus blocking cognition. In opposition, when the affective filter is lowered, the feeling of safety is high, and language acquisition occurs. In fact, even current research in neuroscience seems to support Krashen's theory that stress affects thinking and learning.

Why Is the Affective Filter Important in the Classroom?

It is not enough to simply teach. It is not enough to deliver instruction even if it's made comprehensible to students. If students' affective filters are elevated, language acquisition will be impeded. Creating classroom environments that act intentionally to lower the affective filter will increase language development.

The lower the filter, the more input is allowed to pass through. Students who are highly motivated, feel confident, and feel safe are more open to input.

Let's picture two classrooms:

In the first classroom, students walk in and sit in isolated rows. The teacher reads from a scripted lesson before assigning a worksheet for students to complete independently. Talk is discouraged, and students are quickly reprimanded for stepping outside of the planned lesson. It is clear to the students that their role is to comply with the teacher's rules for the classroom.

In the second classroom, students have a voice in instruction. They are part of their learning journey. This creates motivation to learn. They gather in groups to share ideas, and they are encouraged to take risks, which helps build their self-confidence. The classroom talk is balanced with some teacher talk and some student talk. Students feel comfortable sharing their ideas and opinions.

When you imagined these two classrooms, in which one did you feel that students had more room to bloom freely within the context of the content? The teacher in the second classroom had a way of lowering the affective filter for students. But how?

How Do We Lower the Affective Filter in the Classroom?

The answer is similar to how you might make visitors feel welcome at your home. Typically, if you want company to stay, you create a space that is inviting, comfortable, friendly, and interesting. You cater to their needs, offer them food, and pay attention to them. (And, I don't know about you, but if I don't want company to stay for long, I simply don't do these things!)

We can lower the affective filters of our students in our classroom in similar ways to how we make visitors feel welcome in our homes. Let's examine how this might look through the three categories that Krashen proposed: motivation, self-confidence, and anxiety.

Motivation

Some might think motivation is solely up to individual students. But while educators don't have complete control over student motivation, they can still influence it. Choice, voice, and relevance are three great motivators we can leverage in the classroom. Providing students with opportunities to select topics to study helps them feel motivated to do the work. Allowing students choice in what they write about or how they show understanding also builds motivation. Creating time and space for students to share their voice in learning stimulates a drive in learners. When students feel they have some say or some control over their learning journeys, they become more invested. Finally, providing learners with engaging experiences that tap into their passions increases motivation. When we keep instruction relevant to students' lives, what they are learning becomes compelling to them.

Self-confidence

Learners who feel a sense of belonging, value, and respect for their individuality are more likely to have lower affective filters. Creating classrooms that warmly welcome all students builds self-confidence. On the other hand, when students feel isolated or that they must "fit in," their self-confidence erodes. To build self-confidence, educators can work on correctly pronouncing students' names, ensure that walls and books are representative of the student population, and get to know students for who they are beyond the classroom.

Anxiety

A safe classroom is one in which students are not afraid to make errors. Classrooms that embrace errors as part of the learning process are more likely to decrease students' affective filters. Fostering a growth mindset and modeling this mindset with students can help them understand that mistakes are a part of growth in the process of learning. The way we talk with students and our body language can also affect their anxiety. Even students who are not yet speaking in English can understand body language and feel the energy in a classroom. Smiling sends a positive, warm message; sitting next to a student to confer with them rather than sitting in front of them is less confrontational; arms at the side rather than crossed is less aggressive. Another way to lower the affective filter is by making sure that we provide comprehensible input. Students become more focused and relaxed the more they can understand the language being used during instruction.

On the other hand, there are specific moves we make that can be counterproductive and raise the affective filter. The factors below can raise the affective filter and impede language acquisition:

Error correction

Forcing output too early

Isolation

Embarrassment

Lack of comprehensible input

We may not even know that we are doing these things or that they are causing the imaginary wall to come up. But becoming aware of the affective filter, what raises it, and how to lower it can help language acquisition flourish.
Source
Krashen, S. D. (1986). Principles and practice in second language acquisition. Oxford: Pergamon Press. http://www.sdkrashen.com/content/books/principles_and_practice.pdf

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What Is the Affective Filter, and Why Is it Important in the Classroom?

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by Valentina Gonzalez What Is the Affective Filter? The term "affective filter" originates from Stephen Krashen, an expert in the field of linguistics, who described it as a number of affective variables that contribute to second language acquisition. Merriam-Webster's Dictionary defines affective as "referring to, arising from, or influencing feelings or emotions."

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Página inicial Portuguese version

Language acquisition does not require extensive use of conscious grammatical rules, and does not require tedious drill.

Acquisition requires meaningful interaction in the target language - natural communication - in which speakers are concerned not with the form of their utterances but with the messages they are conveying and understanding.

... 'comprehensible input' is the crucial and necessary ingredient for the acquisition of language.

The best methods are therefore those that supply 'comprehensible input' in low anxiety situations, containing messages that students really want to hear. These methods do not force early production in the second language, but allow students to produce when they are 'ready', recognizing that improvement comes from supplying communicative and comprehensible input, and not from forcing and correcting production.

In the real world, conversations with sympathetic native speakers who are willing to help the acquirer understand are very helpful.

Stephen Krashen

Introduction

Stephen Krashen (University of Southern California) is an expert in the field of linguistics, specializing in theories of language acquisition and development. Much of his recent research has involved the study of non-English and bilingual language acquisition. Since 1980, he has published well over 100 books and articles and has been invited to deliver over 300 lectures at universities throughout the United States and Canada.

This is a brief description of Krashen's widely known and well-accepted theory of second language acquisition, which has had a large impact in all areas of second language research and teaching.

The 5 hypotheses of Krashen's Theory of Second Language Acquisition

Krashen's theory of second language acquisition consists of five main hypotheses:

the Acquisition-Learning hypothesis;

the Monitor hypothesis;

the Input hypothesis;

and the Affective Filter hypothesis;

the Natural Order hypothesis.

The Acquisition-Learning distinction is the most fundamental of the five hypotheses in Krashen's theory and the most widely known among linguists and language teachers. According to Krashen there are two independent systems of foreign language performance: 'the acquired system' and 'the learned system'. The 'acquired system' or ' acquisition' is the product of a subconscious process very similar to the process children undergo when they acquire their first language. It requires meaningful interaction in the target language - natural communication - in which speakers are concentrated not in the form of their utterances, but in the communicative act.

The "learned system" or " learning" is the product of formal instruction and it comprises a conscious process which results in conscious knowledge 'about' the language, for example knowledge of grammar rules. A deductive approach in a teacher-centered setting produces " learning", while an inductive approach in a student-centered setting leads to " acquisition".

According to Krashen 'learning' is less important than 'acquisition'. (See here our in-depth analysis of the Acquisition/Learning hypothesis and its implications).

The Monitor hypothesis explains the relationship between acquisition and learning and defines the influence of the latter on the former. The monitoring function is the practical result of the learned grammar. According to Krashen, the acquisition system is the utterance initiator, while the learning system performs the role of the 'monitor' or the 'editor'. The 'monitor' acts in a planning, editing and correcting function when three specific conditions are met:

The second language learner has sufficient time at their disposal.

They focus on form or think about correctness.

They know the rule.

It appears that the role of conscious learning is somewhat limited in second language performance. According to Krashen, the role of the monitor is minor, being used only to correct deviations from "normal" speech and to give speech a more 'polished' appearance.

Krashen also suggests that there is individual variation among language learners with regard to 'monitor' use. He distinguishes those learners that use the 'monitor' all the time (over-users); those learners who have not learned or who prefer not to use their conscious knowledge (under-users); and those learners that use the 'monitor' appropriately (optimal users). An evaluation of the person's psychological profile can help to determine to what group they belong. Usually extroverts are under-users, while introverts and perfectionists are over-users. Lack of self-confidence is frequently related to the over-use of the "monitor".

The Input hypothesis is Krashen's attempt to explain how the learner acquires a second language - how second language acquisition takes place. The Input hypothesis is only concerned with 'acquisition', not 'learning'. According to this hypothesis, the learner improves and progresses along the 'natural order' when he/she receives second language 'input' that is one step beyond his/her current stage of linguistic competence. For example, if a learner is at a stage 'i', then acquisition takes place when he/she is exposed to 'Comprehensible Input' that belongs to level 'i + 1'. Since not all of the learners can be at the same level of linguistic competence at the same time, Krashen suggests that natural communicative input is the key to designing a syllabus, ensuring in this way that each learner will receive some 'i + 1' input that is appropriate for his/her current stage of linguistic competence.

See here an enlightening video by Krashen about comprehensible input.
Your browser does not support the video tag.

The Affective Filter hypothesis embodies Krashen's view that a number of 'affective variables' play a facilitative, but non-causal, role in second language acquisition. These variables include: motivation, self-confidence, anxiety and personality traits. Krashen claims that learners with high motivation, self-confidence, a good self-image, a low level of anxiety and extroversion are better equipped for success in second language acquisition. Low motivation, low self-esteem, anxiety, introversion and inhibition can raise the affective filter and form a 'mental block' that prevents comprehensible input from being used for acquisition. In other words, when the filter is 'up' it impedes language acquisition. On the other hand, positive affect is necessary, but not sufficient on its own, for acquisition to take place.

Finally, the less important Natural Order hypothesis is based on research findings (Dulay & Burt, 1974; Fathman, 1975; Makino, 1980 cited in Krashen, 1987) which suggested that the acquisition of grammatical structures follows a 'natural order' which is predictable. For a given language, some grammatical structures tend to be acquired early while others late. This order seemed to be independent of the learners' age, L1 background, conditions of exposure, and although the agreement between individual acquirers was not always 100% in the studies, there were statistically significant similarities that reinforced the existence of a Natural Order of language acquisition. Krashen however points out that the implication of the natural order hypothesis is not that a language program syllabus should be based on the order found in the studies. In fact, he rejects grammatical sequencing when the goal is language acquisition.

The Role of Grammar in Krashen's View

According to Krashen, the study of the structure of the language can have general educational advantages and values that high schools and colleges may want to include in their language programs. Any benefit, however, will greatly depend on the learner being already familiar with the language. It should also be clear that analizing the language, formulating rules, setting irregularities apart, and teaching complex facts about the target language is not language teaching, but rather is "language appreciation" or linguistics, which does not lead to communicative proficiency.

The only instance in which the teaching of grammar can result in language acquisition (and proficiency) is when the students are interested in the subject and the target language is used as a medium of instruction. Very often, when this occurs, both teachers and students are convinced that the study of formal grammar is essential for second language acquisition, and the teacher is skillful enough to present explanations in the target language so that the students understand. In other words, the teacher talk meets the requirements for comprehensible input and perhaps, with the students' participation, the classroom becomes an environment suitable for acquisition. Also, the filter is low in regard to the language of explanation, as the students' conscious efforts are usually on the subject matter, on what is being talked about, and not the medium.

This is a subtle point. In effect, both teachers and students are deceiving themselves. They believe that it is the subject matter itself, the study of grammar, that is responsible for the students progress, but in reality their progress is coming from the medium and not the message. Any subject matter that held their interest would do just as well.

References

Crystal, David The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language. Cambridge University Press, 1997.

Krashen, Stephen D. Principles and Practice in Second Language Acquisition. Prentice-Hall International, 1987.

Krashen, Stephen D. Second Language Acquisition and Second Language Learning. Prentice-Hall International, 1988.

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Stephen Krashen's Theory of Second Language Acquisition

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Página inicial Portuguese version Language acquisition does not require extensive use of conscious grammatical rules, and does not require tedious drill. Acquisition requires meaningful interaction in the target language - natural communication - in which speakers are concerned not with the form of their utterances but with the messages they are conveying and understanding.