Study Of Affect On Foreign Language Learning And Teaching In Class

The foreign language learning and teaching process is a process of construction of affect in which students' motives, self-concept and interest are under constant construction and reconstruction. In light of this, developing language learners' positive affect is conceived as both means and end of a language instructional program. In this thesis, the author applies humanistic psychology, affective theory to investigate the interaction of affect and foreign language education, explains the importance of affective approach in class and manifests the significance of affect in teaching and learning. Through consulting the data in point and conducting a series of experiments and questionnaires, the author further studies the effects of teachers' diathesis on students' emotions, and features of teachers' and students' affective interaction in educational settings. Particularly noteworthy are the findings revealing that affect is very important in classroom settings. What's more, affect between teachers and students is consistent and mutual in class. Positive affect taken by one side can arouse positive response of the other side. As to the negative affect, the result is the same. Based on the findings, recommendations for more productive and humanistic teaching are provided for EFL instructors in China. The author hopes this research can arouse other educators' attention towards affect in class.