AN IDEAL LANGUAGE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
A conducive learning environment is a platform which allows for a free
exchange of ideas, well ventilated and spacious area for learners’ active
participation. It is our regular classroom setting.
However, due to COVID 19 pandemic there was a sudden shift in the
learning platform. The traditional classroom setting has vanished and has been
inadequately replaced by distance learning, affecting the daily rhythm and routine for all.
Teachers' and students’ adaptability and dedication have been tested beyond any
reasonable standards in their effort to create a sense of normalcy, to sustain students'
well-being, while still striving for academic progress. Learning from home was the
safest thing to do for learning continuity to happen. Therefore, learners are
studying and learning in their home environment. A place in their home where they
can settle and do their task was called their “study area.”
As such, ideal language learning setting nowadays is very challenging. Normally
we view it as a place where we could find technological equipment, spaces where
visual materials can be exhibited, a flexible classroom setting, less classroom
population, an environment where a need for learning a language will be felt. Students
should be exposed to high-quality and verbal input deliberately and continuously in a
linguistically rich classroom environment. In this context, language settings should
include the elements such as exposure, attentiveness, continuity, high-quality input, and
responsiveness. Therefore, foreign language teachers considered it essential to have
various language-related visual materials and verbal input in the ideal language
classroom setting. And most importantly, foreign language teachers should be able to
create settings where they can implement various approaches to language teaching
comfortably and freely in the classroom.
To conclude, together with teachers, school administrators have the most
significant role to play in developing physical opportunities and bringing them to a
satisfactory level in foreign language education.
We should always remember that classroom environment is one of the most
important factors that affect student learning. An ideal learning classroom is when
students view their classrooms as positive and supportive. It is a space where they feel
safe and secure.
In addition to, a positive nurturing environment is an indispensable part of
learning. It is in a positive environment that a student feels comfortable; a place where
healthy relationships with peers and teachers flourish. In a positive environment, the
process of learning becomes something that students easily adapt to and look forward
to. To achieve this environment, young students need to be nurtured with love, care and
support. As we all know, today, learning in a school involves more than just being
exposed to information and set content. Research has established that children absorb
all that they observe around them and that they learn best when they feel comfortable
enough to explore their environment. In a positive and nurturing environment, students
show their authentic curious self and paint the world with their unique and individual
brush strokes.
Simply put, a positive classroom environment is essential as it enables students
to be inquirers and explorers and true leaders of their own learning, A positive
environment is where children are able to work as a team, celebrate each other’s
achievements and learn from mistakes. It enhances students’ ability to learn and to be
productive in the rue sense of learning things on their own.
Try to consider a few factors that contribute in creating a positive learning
environment are establishing a supportive learning culture, addressing a learner’s
needs and encouraging a student’s involvement in all activities. Also, classrooms can
be made visually appealing by using bright colours on the walls, filling up bulletin boards
with students’ work and thematic learning posters. Additionally, classroom seating
needs to be arranged such that students can learn individually as well as participate in a
group activity.
Teachers should keep in mind that the classroom is a child’s second home and
therefore, they should make efforts to make students feel as comfortable as possible.
Teachers should strive to create an environment that is more conducive to engagement
and learning. A classroom environment that is not positive and full of restrictions and
rigid rules impairs learning by narrowing a student’s focus and inhibiting his/her ability to
explore multiple viewpoints and solve problems. A positive classroom environment
helps improve attention, reduce anxiety, and supports emotional and behavioural
regulation of students.
When educators foster a positive learning culture; learners are more likely to
acquire higher motivation that leads to wonderful learning outcomes. Schools can
potentially lift student achievement by improving their learning environments.
