Building bridges: The importance of rapport in language learning

Positive relationships are built on positive interactions. Each of these interactions has a powerful effect on the brain. When you authentically praise a student or have a positive interaction, the student’s brain releases dopamine.

This creates a cycle. You provide positive feedback. The student’s brain releases dopamine. The student feels good and is motivated to feel that way again. With this increased motivation, students spend more time and attention working on a skill. They build those skills. You give more praise — sparking the release of more dopamine. And the cycle starts all over again.

On the flip side, when students don’t receive positive feedback, they’re less likely to enter the positive cycle of motivation and learning.

Positive relationships create safe spaces for learning. When students feel psychologically safe, they’re more likely to participate in class discussions, ask questions, try to do an assignment even when it’s hard, or talk in a tone of voice that’s appropriate for the situation.

Think about how this applies to your own life. If you have a supportive principal who has established psychological safety in your school, you might be more likely to challenge yourself and try new ideas in your classroom. But if school leaders consistently give critical feedback, you might not feel psychologically safe enough to try something new. It’s the same for students.

What does this have to do with learning a language?

Learning a language can be a daunting task. Students are exposed to a completely new system of communication, with unfamiliar sounds, grammar rules, and cultural nuances. This inherent difficulty can trigger feelings of anxiety, self-doubt, and frustration.

Here’s where rapport comes in. When students feel valued, respected, and supported by their teachers, they are more likely to feel comfortable taking risks, making mistakes, and actively participating in language-related activities. This sense of psychological safety encourages students to engage with the language authentically, experiment with new vocabulary and grammar structures, and develop their communicative competence.

Positive relationships built on rapport also contribute to a supportive learning environment where students feel encouraged to express their thoughts, ask questions, and seek clarification when needed. This open communication fosters a deeper understanding of the language and encourages students to take ownership of their learning process.

Moreover, rapport enhances motivation and engagement in language learning. Just as positive interactions trigger the release of dopamine in the brain, fostering a cycle of motivation and reward, so too do positive relationships between teachers and students. When students feel valued and appreciated by their teachers, they are more motivated to invest time and effort into their language studies, leading to improved learning outcomes.

What are the essential elements of rapport building?

• Active participation: encourage students to actively participate in class discussions, share their thoughts, and ask questions. Create an atmosphere where their contributions are valued.
• Empathetic understanding: Demonstrate empathy towards students’ academic challenges and personal experiences. Understand their perspectives and provide support when needed.
• Open classroom communication: Foster open communication in the classroom. Make students feel comfortable expressing their ideas and concerns, ensuring they know their voices are heard.
• Trust in the learning environment: Build a trusting learning environment by being reliable, consistent, and fair. Students should feel confident in the learning process and in your guidance.
• Positive teacher-student interactions: Use positive body language, such as maintaining eye contact and offering smiles, to create a welcoming atmosphere. Positive interactions contribute to a supportive learning environment.
• Respect for student perspectives: Show respect for students’ opinions and perspectives, even if they differ from your own. Create a space where diverse viewpoints are acknowledged and discussed.
• Adaptability in teaching styles: Be flexible in your teaching styles to accommodate different learning preferences and needs. Adjust your approach to engage students effectively.
• Shared learning experiences: Identify and build on shared learning experiences. This could involve collaborative projects, group discussions, or connecting the curriculum to real-world applications.
• Positive classroom atmosphere: Maintain a positive and optimistic classroom atmosphere. Positivity enhances the learning environment and encourages a more enjoyable educational experience.
• Authentic teaching approach: Be authentic in your teaching approach. Students appreciate sincerity, and an authentic connection with the teacher can positively impact the learning relationship.
• Recognition of student efforts: Recognize and appreciate students’ efforts and achievements. Acknowledging their hard work fosters motivation and a sense of accomplishment.
• Flexibility in teaching strategies: Be flexible in your teaching strategies to accommodate diverse learning styles. This flexibility promotes inclusivity and helps reach a broader range of students.

Here are some practical tips to build rapport with your ESL students:

You can build psychological safety by praising the effort rather than the outcome. It’s also helpful to reassure students that certain skills are really difficult. You can let them know it is OK if they answer incorrectly or fail sometimes. Modelling how you respond to your own failures can be a powerful lesson as well.

Ask your students about their hobbies and interests so that you can reference their background knowledge when needed. It can help you individualize instruction by connecting that knowledge to the new information you’re teaching.

Ask students to share what they know about a topic. Every student has a different set of background knowledge. For example, if you know a student is a talented artist, you can leverage their knowledge of different kinds of paintbrushes to explain friction.

Research supports the idea that early relationships and interactions, including those with teachers, play a central role in shaping children’s behaviour and social skills. Whether you know it or not, your students are likely mirroring your behaviours. Your words and actions matter. Start by thinking through what behaviours and social skills you’re modelling for your students. For example, you likely already model social skills like turn-taking, cooperation, and empathy on a daily basis. You can take it a step further and explain the behaviours you’re modelling.

For younger students, use pre-correcting and prompting as a classroom management strategy. It allows you to explicitly tell, show, and remind students how to approach tasks or situations.

In essence, understanding rapport and its significance in the language learning process underscores the profound impact of positive relationships between teachers and students. By fostering a supportive and encouraging learning environment rooted in rapport, educators can empower students to engage authentically with the language, take risks, and strive for success. Through active participation, empathetic understanding, open communication, and trust in the learning environment, teachers can cultivate rapport that promotes motivation, engagement, and ultimately, enhanced language acquisition. By prioritizing the establishment of positive relationships and employing practical strategies to build rapport with ESL students, educators can create an enriching educational experience where students feel valued, supported, and empowered to reach their full potential in language learning and beyond.