Teaching English as a Foreign Language to Young Learners in Cyprus: the Impact of Emotional or Affective Factors

Abstract

The present study primarily investigated the role of emotions and affective domain in learning English as a foreign language, regarding primary-level young students in Cyprus. The study was based on Krashen’s Affective Filter Hypothesis on English as a Foreign Language, which states that affective factors, such as fear, anxiety, and boredom, can have a significant effect on the acquisition of a second or foreign language. Thus, the aim of the MA thesis was to explore the role of emotions and the affective domain, as a result of the teaching method, on students’ grammar performance. To this end, a quasi-experimental study was conducted in a Private Institute in Cyprus. A limitation of the study was that the sample was limited as only 21 students participated in the study. The participants were assigned to three different groups, according to their class. Each group was instructed and tested with a different teaching approach (Group A=Silent Way, Group B=Communicative Language Learning, Group C=Cooperative Learning). After the intervention lesson (60 minutes), the participants completed an evaluation form with five questions, in which they expressed their feelings about the lesson with a five point Likert scale. Another research tool was the grammar test, which was administered pre and post test. A limitation of the methodology was that the data were collected just from the questionnaire and the test. The results of the study showed that the application of the three methods did not lead to significant changes in the students’ emotions or their grammar scores. Even though the study did not lead to significant results, it could be used as a preliminary indication of how the focus on emotions and the affective domain could be used in the classroom so that a positive learning atmosphere may be established.