Affect In Primary School TEFL: Group Dynamics As Catalyst

Affective education in primary school TEFL aims to enhance the learner's self-concept and aspiration for self-fulfillment while learning the foreign language. Given the increasingly complex repertoire of perceptions regarding intellectual, emotional and societal experiences, affective education hopes to heighten the awareness and sensitivity that is necessary and crucial in ever-changing situations that confront educators of TEFL. Group dynamics, as a manifestation of affect, focuses on the view of those internal to the English class, valuing the subjective or affective side of participants' insider views and of uniqueness of each learning context. The objective of describing group dynamics is taking account of what actually happens in the class. So it is of practical nature that records any behavior within the classroom. The notion of group dynamics is undoubtedly a complex phenomenon. Several factors contribute to group dynamics in foreign language classroom, such as getting learners highly motivated by goal-setting and interest arousal; having the English class well organized; encouraging the learner's active involvement in foreign language activities and so on. So a good language learner will be able to respond to the group dynamics of the learning situation so as not to develop negative anxiety and inhibition.The thesis is organized into five parts. At the outset, the theoretical and experimental researches are introduced. Humanistic languageteaching, constructive language learning and multiple intelligence and other sources from foreign language learning area represent importantpositions the thesis takes. In the second section of chapter 1 experimental findings are categorized under the labels of attitude, motivation and personality, which provide a comprehensive affective basis for TEFL pedagogy. And the limitations of the researches demand more serious judgment and careful implementation in practice.The main body of the paper is concerned with two areas which are crucial to affective education in primary school TEFL. The topic discussed in chapter 2 dwells exclusively on the definition of group dynamics and its catalytic role in affective education while pointing to its workability in connection with primary school TEFL as a whole. Chapter 3 is concerned with the construction of group dynamics by identifying its main components, putting forward a set of principles to guide the instruction; and finally the steps conducive to create group dynamics.In summary, the paper aims to clarify the contents, methods and practical relevance of affective domain to the field of primary school TEFL. Group dynamics as catalyst provides the practitioners with a promising platform to implement affective goals in TEFL. Much concern has been shown over its facilitative and efficient impact on primary school TEFL. With all emphasis on affect, the real business of foreign language teaching should never be forgotten. In any event, affectiveforeign language teaching could be said to be a matter not of a specific method which might be contrasted empirically to other methods but of attitudes and awareness on the part of the teacher. It is often the case that the focus of group dynamics in primary school TEFL of an affective and attitudinal nature provides a useful stimulus for both qualitative and quantitative studies.