Teachers' Role In Minimizing Child Learners' Anxiety In ELL

In the past years English course is required in primary schools in most cities and towns across the country. According to the document of The China's Ministry of Education, since the September of 2001, English course is gradually offered in city and town primary schools. English teaching has become increasingly important in primary school. Under the new circumstances, it is necessary for foreign language educators to make efforts to work at how to teach child learners a foreign language (especially English in China).Children are at an advantage in FLL. They are characterized by good simulation, memory and adaptation. Their fluency and naturalness are often envied by adult learners struggling with a second language. Those who begin to learn a foreign language at an early age can make greater achievement than those who begin to learn when they are adults. However, child learners may have some disadvantage in FLL: undeveloped intelligence, lack of self-control and harsh critic towards their peers who make mistakes.A number of theories have been voiced with regard to second language teaching and learning and successful second language learning by child immigrants is much reported. Many foreign language educators in China have done research on FLT to child learners, but very few researches are made on affective factors in children's FLL.This thesis is intended to study the impact of anxiety on child learners in English learning and to find out what teaching methods can lessen their anxiety.The major instrument adopted in the thesis is a questionnaire for the students in Grade 4 in Funing Primary School. In addition to this questionnaire, the writer also makes Class Observations and interviews with the English teachers and the students.The findings are as follows: (1) Child learners feel more anxious in English class than in other classes. (2) English achievement and anxiety in English learning are in negative ratio. (3) The possible contributing factors to anxiety are few opportunities to speak, poor pronunciation and incomprehensible input.In review of the findings, the writer proceeds to propose that primary school teachers should offer comprehensible input, empathy with their learners and create active atmosphere to lessen their anxiety in FLL.Admittedly, the study contains certain limitations, and the thesis also suggests some possible areas for further study.