Establishing Teacher-Student Rapport in an English-Medium Instruction Class

Abstract

English-medium instruction classes in higher education are increasing in countries where English is not the first language. Though these courses offer advantages, they also offer concerns and challenges. One of these challenges is creating a rapport between a teacher and students who are working in a language that is not their own. Rapport is important because it has been linked to academic performance. This study explored possible differences in rapport between two groups of students who were taking a class on Communications Research at a Mexican university. One group took the class in their native language, Spanish, and the other one took the class in English. The teacher, the programme, and the materials were identical in both cases; they only differed in the language of instruction. The study is qualitative in the ethnographic tradition. Videos of classroom interactions were used as a data source, which were analysed and coded. Codes were based on rapport-building activities. The teacher’s log and the nine-item Student-Instructor Rapport scale complemented the study. The videos showed evidence of rapport-building activities in both the Spanish and English groups. The results of the scale showed that the students in the English group perceived a stronger rapport between the instructor and the students, than those in the Spanish group.

Perceived teacher-student relationship and growth mindset as predictors of student engagement in foreign student engagement in foreign language learning: the mediating role of foreign language enjoyment

“…Teachers can establish a robust rapport with their students by demonstrating respect for their opinions and addressing their educational requirements, as Thompson (2018) suggests. del Carmen Santana (2019) proposed that positive teacher-student relationships can be established by recognizing students’ efforts and providing positive feedback. Students generally consider the teacher-student relationship to be a fundamental component of effective instruction ( Burke-Smalley, 2018 ; Martin and Collie, 2019 ; Clem et al, 2021 ; Longobardi et al, 2021a , b ).…”

Enhancing Chinese students’ academic engagement: the effect of teacher support and teacher–student rapport

“…According to Yang (2021), when students receive positive feedback, it appears to increase their enthusiasm for learning and makes learning contexts much more pleasurable, leading in a willing to interact between teachers and students. In a similar vein, Santana (2019) proposed seven methods which are conduce to build positive rapport with learners, such as understanding the students, encouraging the students and caring, communicating effectively, being approachable, being respectful and respected, being authentic, and using humor.…”

Toward the Role of Teacher Caring and Teacher-Student Rapport in Predicting English as a Foreign Language Learners’ Willingness to Communicate in Second Language

“…As put forward by Bieg et al (2019), the judicious employment of humor also empowers instructors to establish a desirable relationship with their students. Additionally, as noted by Santana (2019), teachers may foster favorable relationships with their learners through appreciating their endeavors. On the value of teacherstudent rapport, Yong (2019) suggested that an intimate teacherstudent relationship will gradually result in increased learning outcomes.…”