High school students’ affective filter in second language acquisition: Causes and solutions

Abstract

The research aims to examine the causes and consequences of the activation of Krashen’s Affective Filter in a high school environment, with students aged 14-18 on average. The scientific novelty of the study lies in developing possible solutions for situations in which high school students’ affective filter tends to activate often. It is shown that, when all situations that could cause the affective filter to appear are accounted for, and all elements of disturbance in the classroom are removed, students react positively to the encouragement coming from their teachers. As a result, we discover that, while it is always a good idea to take precautions against the affective filter, a teacher should always be ready to adjust his/her strategies whenever needed.