When people from different cultures show up for language classes, they may still feel at odds with the English-speaking culture. They often experience both language and culture shock, which causes them to feel social and psychological stress. The language teacher should strive to diminish the cultural gap and make the student feel both accepted and comfortable in his new learning environment.
To improve the learning conditions, it is also important for all the people involved to show positive attitudes toward each other. Moreover, all the individuals, regardless of national origin, should be accepted in the group. In this way, the teacher plays an active role in creating an equitable and favorable learning environment for all the students in the classroom.
The best way to ensure good rapport between teacher and students is to keep classes small. Interaction will flow more smoothly and students will have opportunity to express their feelings, needs and desires. In this sense, cultural barriers are overcome, and teacher and students engage in open dialogue.
Natural communication is an important factor for effective language learning. By engaging in real-life dialogues and role-playing, students can act out different scenarios to get a feel for the language. Since these interactions are meaningful in the eyes of the student, language learning will be considered necessary and relevant for everyday life.
Finally, it is important to gauge the affective filter of the students. Affective filter is a set of emotions, ranging from anxiety to self-confidence. Once the students are motivated, they will feel more at ease. This, in turn, lowers their anxiety levels and increases their confidence in their language abilities.