What is the affective filter?

The “affective filter” is a theoretical construct in second language acquisition that attempts to
explain the emotional variables associated with the success or failure of acquiring a second
language. The affective filter is an invisible psychological filter that can either facilitate or hinder
language production in a second language.

When the filter is high:

 Students experience stress

 Students feel anxious and self-conscious
 The lack of self-confidence might inhibit success in acquiring the second language
 Students are reluctant to participate and seek out opportunities to collaborate
 If modifications are not being made, the students will experience boredom and disinterest
When the filter is low:

 Students become risk-takers as they manipulate language

 Students feel safe in making mistakes without judgement and constant corrections
 Students feel empowered to interact with their peers and seek out models of language
 Students feel safe in answering questions and sharing their thinking with peers and the
teacher
How do I lower the affective filter in my classroom within Collaborative Literacy?

 Try not to overemphasize error correction. In other words, instead of correcting the
student; model the correct use of the language in a supportive stance.
 Utilize the ELL teacher notes laid out within the teacher’s manual to scaffold your
instruction.
 Institute a policy in the classroom that prohibits students from making fun of peers or
laughing at errors. This is directly supported by the social learning goals weaved throughout
every lesson. This sets the expectations for how students work together as they collaborate.
 As students share and reflect at the end of each lesson, share your observations and
facilitate the brainstorming of solutions to challenges
 Take advantage of the first units within Being a Writer and Making Meaning. This will
build a strong literacy community and set up a safe place for learning.
 Equip strong language models with strategies to support their language learner peers.
 Consistently encourage risk-taking reminding students that your classroom is a safe place
to learn.
 Set individual goals with students and celebrate growth!
When the affective filter is low, the learner is in an emotionally safe place. These feelings of
safety lower imaginary walls, promoting more successful language acquisition. This type of
environment becomes a welcoming invitation to keep learning!
 All our students bring such richness to our schools. Second language learners in particular bring
unique perspectives to the table. I can attest to this as a second language learner myself. As an
ELL teacher, I realized early on that we should consider these unique perspectives as we engage
with our students within teaching and learning. As we prepare to plan for instruction
within Collaborative Literacy there are some things we can do to get to know our English
language learners and set teachers and students up for success!

Get to know your English language learners and what they bring to the classroom.

 Their background experiences Ask yourself some questions: Are students coming to us

with some hardship we may not know about? What about their previous education; perhaps in
another country? Have they received instruction in their native language? Knowing these
answers is critical in building relationships with students as well as informing our approach to
teaching them.
 Their attitude toward learning Many times we must dig deeper into a specific attitude
an ELL student may have about learning. Culture and family belief systems play a part in how
each student approaches learning and instruction. Equipping ourselves with this information will
open the lines of communication and prepare us to support both the students and their families.
 Their interests We know that intrinsic motivation is key, but understanding what
motivates a particular student can be a challenge. Because ELL students are bringing their
unique experiences and culture to the table, we might not know right away what it is that
motivates them to learn and authentically engage in classroom experiences.
Consider student needs and modify instruction.

We can assess student needs by considering the following:

 Readiness Is the student prepared to receive instruction in the specific skill at hand?
What  information about the student’s prior knowledge or skills do I have that I might consider?
 Interest What appeals to the student and thus motivates her to learn and participate? 
How might I present the learning in a way that catches his attention?
 Learning profile What do I know about each student approaches learning? Is a student a
reluctant writer/reader? How might I provide support so that I can address this before the
instruction occurs?
Once we have a picture of our students’ needs, we can then make instructional decisions with
these elements in mind:

 Modifying the content What are the learning goals at hand? How might I analyze those
goals so that I make content accessible to my students? What supports within Collaborative
Literacy are at my disposal? How might I utilize these supports as I plan for instruction?
 Modifying the process Knowing that my students may need additional time and
differentiated experiences, how might I plan for that within my daily lessons? Where might I
need to frontload content and/or provide additional background knowledge?
 Modifying the outcome Depending on language proficiency, students may not be able to
produce an extended oral response or a sophisticated written product just yet. How might I
integrate other ways that students can demonstrate learning?
In another post on supporting ELL students, I dig deeper into the supports that