Creating Psychologically Safe ELT Environments: Strategies for Inclusive Teaching
Have you ever noticed how some students seem reluctant to speak up in your English class, even when they know the answer? Creating a psychologically safe classroom—where learners feel comfortable taking risks without fear of embarrassment—might be the key to unlocking their potential. When students feel safe, they’re more willing to practice new language skills, make mistakes, and engage actively in the learning process.
Why psychological safety matters in language learning
We all know that anxiety can be a major roadblock to language learning. Recent research confirms what many teachers have observed in their classrooms: when students feel anxious, their ability to learn and use a new language significantly decreases. A comprehensive review of nearly 100 studies involving almost 20,000 language learners showed that anxiety consistently hampers achievement across different learning contexts (Teimouri et al., 2019).
The good news? When we create environments where students feel psychologically safe, they’re much more likely to participate and improve. In fact, students in supportive environments show about 37% more willingness to communicate and perform notably better in speaking tasks compared to those in high-anxiety classrooms (MacIntyre & Gregersen, 2021).
Practical strategies you can use tomorrow
1. Co-Create your classroom culture
Instead of simply posting classroom rules, try involving your students in establishing norms that everyone agrees to follow. When students help create these guidelines, they’re much more invested in maintaining a supportive environment. A year-long study of EFL classrooms found that this collaborative approach significantly increased student participation and comfort levels (Zheng, 2022).
Try starting your next term by asking: “How can we make this a classroom where everyone feels comfortable practicing English?” You might be surprised by the thoughtful suggestions your students offer!
2. Start small with speaking activities
Many of us have experienced that deer-in-headlights moment when asked to speak in another language in front of a group. To reduce this anxiety, gradually build up students’ confidence with a progression of speaking activities.
Begin with pair discussions where students can practice without a large audience. Then move to small groups before advancing to whole-class discussions. Research with over 1,000 adult language learners showed that this gradual approach reduced speaking anxiety by nearly a quarter over a semester (Dewaele et al., 2023). A simple think-pair-share activity can work wonders for building confidence!
3. Show that you’re learning too
Remember when you were learning a second language? Sharing your own language learning journey—including the mistakes and challenges—can make a world of difference to your students. When teachers show vulnerability by acknowledging their own learning struggles, students feel significantly more comfortable taking risks (Jin & Zhang, 2021).
You might share a story about a time you misunderstood something in another language, or how you still sometimes struggle with certain aspects of English. This helps students see that making mistakes is a natural part of the learning process—not something to be feared.
4. Bring diverse voices into your classroom
When students see themselves represented in learning materials, they’re more likely to engage. Using authentic resources that reflect various cultural backgrounds has been shown to increase participation by 29%, particularly among students who might otherwise feel marginalized (Matsuda & Friedrich, 2022).
This can be as simple as selecting reading materials with diverse characters and perspectives, incorporating music from different English-speaking countries, or inviting students to share aspects of their own cultural identities through projects and presentations.
5. Make feedback friendly and specific
How we deliver feedback can make or break a student’s confidence. The most effective approach? Start with what the student did well before addressing areas for improvement, and focus on specific aspects rather than making general evaluations.
Research in Japanese university EFL classes showed that this balanced feedback approach reduced student anxiety by 31% and increased their willingness to participate in future activities (Aubrey et al., 2020). Try using specific phrases like “I really liked how you used those new vocabulary words” rather than generic comments like “good job.”
Moving forward together
Building psychological safety isn’t a one-time effort but requires consistent attention throughout your course. Regular check-ins with students about their comfort levels can help you adjust your approach to better meet their needs.
What strategies have you found effective in creating a safe learning environment in your classroom? We’d love to hear your experiences and ideas in the comments section below. And don’t forget to browse our resource library for more practical tips on inclusive teaching practices!
References:
- Aubrey, S., King, J., & Almukhaild, H. (2020). Language learner engagement during speaking tasks: A longitudinal study. RELC Journal, 51(1), 67-85. https://doi.org/10.1177/0033688220945418
- Dewaele, J.-M., Li, C., Greenier, V., & Bartram, D. (2023). Foreign language enjoyment, anxiety and performance: A mixed-methods study. Language Teaching Research, 27(4), 719-741. https://doi.org/10.1177/13621688211072062
- Jin, Y., & Zhang, L. J. (2021). The dimensions of foreign language classroom anxiety: Speaking anxiety, listening anxiety and reading anxiety. System, 97, 102432. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2020.102432
- Lou, N. M., & Noels, K. A. (2020). Breaking the vicious cycle of language anxiety: Growth language mindsets improve lower-competence ESL students’ intercultural interactions. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 61, 101847. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2020.101847
- MacIntyre, P. D., & Gregersen, T. (2021). The idiodynamic method: Tracing language anxiety in real time. In P. D. MacIntyre & A. Al-Hoorie (Eds.), Contemporary language motivation theory: 60 years since Gardner and Lambert (1959) (pp. 10-28). Multilingual Matters.
- Matsuda, A., & Friedrich, P. (2022). English as an international language: Pedagogical practices in the World Englishes paradigm. The Modern Language Journal, 106(1), 6-22. https://doi.org/10.1111/modl.12754
- Teimouri, Y., Goetze, J., & Plonsky, L. (2019). Second language anxiety and achievement: A meta-analysis. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 41(2), 363-387. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0272263118000311
- Zheng, X. (2022). Anxiety in second language learning: The roles of identity and educational emotional regulation. Applied Linguistics, 43(2), 262-285. https://doi.org/10.1093/applin/amab043
