How can we encourage English learners to feel self-confident?

Jeanne Perrett
A group of students in a classroom sat at their desks, smiling and looking towards their teacher at the front

Encouraging learners to feel more confident in the classroom is a problem often faced by teachers. Below are five simple things you can adopt in your classroom to encourage learners to feel self-confident.

The small things

Let¡¯s start with the physical comfort of our students. Having the room adequately heated or cooled, asking if they would like the window open, making sure everyone has had some water or checking to see if anyone needs to go to the bathroom or wash their hands only takes a minute at the beginning of the lesson. It helps our children to know that their welfare is our concern.

Then, make sure that everyone has their books and praise them for being organized or having their pencils sharpened and ready. These things seem trivial, but they count. They count because we are acknowledging the fact that it isn¡¯t always easy to get up and ready for school every morning, day after day and that just managing that well is an achievement.

So, starting by checking the small things helps to give our students a feeling of well-being before the lesson has even begun.

Clarity and familiarity

Be clear. Be clear about what you are all going to do and why you are going to do it. There is no such thing as ¡®the obvious¡¯ when it comes to learning. For example, you know that English is spoken internationally, but primary-aged students may have no concept of what ¡®internationally¡¯ means.

They may never have considered the concept of language itself. So, we must state the ¡®obvious¡¯ and do it in ways which are meaningful to the children, through videos, pictures and relatable examples. This goes for everything; what a verb is, how we form negative statements, what question marks indicate and what today¡¯s lesson aims are.

Whatever they need to know, we need to state it clearly and when they have forgotten, we tell them again without ever making them feel that they ¡®should¡¯ have remembered. They forget ¨C we remind. That¡¯s our job.

Then there is the familiarity of a routine. Apart from making us feel reassured that we know what is happening, routines also feed into the innate need for repetition. Young children want their favorite bedtime stories told to them exactly the same way each night and will pop their heads up to correct us if we do something differently. That repetition is part of practice; doing, saying or hearing something repeatedly until we are completely sure we know it.

Most teachers don¡¯t need reminding of this, but it might be helpful to remember that within that routine, one can also have surprises.

A five-minute ¡®something different¡¯ slot could be built into your routine. This could be a fun quiz, game or song and dance. A straightforward way of managing this is to write the names of different ¡®surprise activities¡¯ on pieces of card, put them into a pot and let a different student pick a card each day.

Room to maneuver

We all feel more confident if we know that we are free to experiment and, within that experimentation, to make mistakes. It can¡¯t be stated often enough that we will only ever learn something by doing it wrong, often many times, before we do it right.

This message may be even more important nowadays when we see and hear perfect versions of whatever has been created - music, cookery and writing to name but a few - especially on social media.

The learning process is not brought to our attention as often as the result, and the results are often digitally altered to look more impressive. We need to remind our children of this and make them feel good about their efforts, however small and halting.

Peer pressure often contributes to a lack of self-confidence; you only need one mocking ¡®friend¡¯ to put you off. So, we must be vigilant in noticing little glances or whispered asides and praise the majority of the students who are quietly accepting or encouraging.

Space to flourish

Finally, confidence in our language learning abilities will soar when we know we can make the language our own and use it however we want.

This goes beyond personalizing activities, which can be done at any level ("What¡¯s your favorite food?" "Do you like tomatoes?") and is dependent on the teacher noticing and accepting what individual children are really interested in. So, for example, if we continue with the example of food, a sporty child might be interested in what famous sports people have for breakfast or which foods give us stamina.

A child who is interested in nature might want to know what birds and animals eat. For this to happen, first we need to notice their interests, show enthusiasm for what they are finding out and encourage them to share what they have learnt with the class.

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    Studying in the UK: A students' guide to budgeting

    By ÃÛÌÒapp Languages

    Studying at a UK university can be an amazing experience, but it comes with financial obligations. If you're thinking about studying abroad, it's essential to thoroughly research the cost of living in the UK and create a budget that works for you.

    We¡¯ve created a simple guide to help you get an idea what to think about when it comes to researching the living expenses in the UK for international students. To make sure you're prepared before you head off to the UK.

    Consider all costs

    As you prepare for your trip abroad, there are various expenses you'll have to pay for before leaving your country. These one-time expenses include fees for a UK student visa, university fees for international students, and course materials.

    Although these costs can be significant, it's important to include them in your budgeting.

    Recurring expenses

    After moving to the UK, you will have regular expenses to take care of such as rent, transportation, household and phone bills. These expenses remain consistent throughout the year and can be easily planned for.

    Unplanned expenses

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    Researching the cost of living in your area

    If you're planning to study in the UK, keep in mind that the cost of living will depend on your location. Living in a big city versus a small town can result in significantly different accommodation costs.

    For instance, the average one-bedroom rental can range from ?1100 in a smaller city like Oxford to ?1,695 in metropolitan London.

    If walking isn't an option for you, then you should consider budgeting for transportation. In Glasgow, a monthly pass for public transportation costs ?63, while in Manchester, it will cost you ?74.

    If you're someone who likes to stay active and exercise, you may also need to account for workout costs. Even with student discounts, joining the university gym in Cambridge will cost students about ?35 per month, compared to ?22 at the on-campus facilities in Leeds.

    Where to find local information

    Before deciding where to study, it's important to research the cost of living in different cities and regions to ensure it fits within your budget due to the variation in costs.

    Do you know any international students who have studied at the university you plan to attend? Or is there a student organization you can contact for information?

    Reaching out to current students can provide insight into their daily expenses and they might even offer great tips on where to find good deals or places to avoid.

    The cost of student housing varies based on the type of accommodation you prefer. Are you interested in living on campus, renting your own place, or sharing with fellow students off campus? Most schools provide comprehensive details about housing options, including contact information for potential roommates, landlords, or homestay families.

    Handy tip:

    To help with budgeting as a student in the UK, you can use a like the one provided by the Universities and Colleges Admission Service (UCAS).

    The calculator also offers the convenience of selecting your school from a list for accurate local costs.

    Part-time UK jobs for international students

    With all these expenses, a bit of extra income would be helpful for any student. One possible way to supplement your finances during your studies is through tutoring. You can consider tutoring children or your fellow students at the university. It's important to note that international students are allowed to work up to 20 hours per week during the school year while on a student visa.

    Your university's career center can assist you in finding part-time work opportunities, especially if you are looking to gain experience in your field of study. Maybe you're looking to work in a pub or restaurant to improve your English skills and experience the local culture.

    Scholarships are available for both undergraduate and postgraduate studies, either directly from universities or through government initiatives. Non-EU nationals seeking postgraduate studies can apply for .

    An example of a student budget

    Although it may seem overwhelming, estimating your cost of living only requires a few calculations. Simply add up your fixed and variable expenses, as you would if you were living in your home country.

    As a helpful reference, we have provided an example of a monthly budget for a student living in Nottingham. The budget is calculated using average spending data obtained from a UK student budget calculator.

    Item

    Cost

    Rental apartment

    ?385

    Transportation (monthly pass with student discount)

    ?49

    Utility bills (electricity, gas, water, etc)

    ?46

    Gym membership (university gym)

    ?23

    Phone and internet

    ?27

    Grocery shopping

    ?73

    Bank fees

    ?30

    Clothes and personal items

    ?50

    Takeaway and eating out

    ?70

    Total

    ?753

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    If you're able to work while studying abroad, it can help ease some of the financial strain. UK residents who require additional support may be eligible for .

    There are lots of regarding financing and budgeting whilst abroad, so make sure to do your research and check them out.

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    ?

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    The role of AI in English assessment

    By Jennifer Manning

    Digital assessment is becoming more and more widespread in recent years. But what¡¯s the role of digital assessment in teaching today? We¡¯d like to give you some insight into digital assessment and automated scoring.

    Just a few years ago, there may have been doubts about the role of AI in English assessment and the ability of a computer to score language tests accurately. But today, thousands of teachers worldwide use automated language tests to assess their students¡¯ language proficiency.

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    The next biggest benefit of digital assessment is flexible delivery models. This has become increasingly more important since online learning has become more prominent.

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    Free from bias

    Impartiality is another important benefit of AI-based scoring. The AI engine used to score digital proficiency tests is completely free from bias. It doesn¡¯t get tired, and it doesn¡¯t have good and bad days like human markers do. And it doesn¡¯t have a personality.

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