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Developing a rapport is important when interacting with people in general. However, it becomes increasingly important when attempting to teach individuals. I ague that this is especially true when teaching foreign languages. It helps bolster confidence, helps students to relax, and helps keep them engaged in class. Students often need a bit of encouragement to become fully immersed in class. The more comfortable and supported students feel, the more they are willing to engage with the material. Also, when students see that a teacher has a true desire to see them successes this tends to help encourage them. Additionally, their confidence grows as they are praised and supported through the learning process. Little success builds into bigger successes and with the improvement of skills comes even more desire to practice the language and learn. In my experience students (especially older level beginner students) find embarking on the journey of secondary language acquisition to be very daunting. Often there is a sense of embarrassment, anxiety, and feelings of silliness while beginning this endeavor. Therefore, I firmly believe that the single biggest asset to a student is to feel comfortable with their teacher. Language is something that is only learned through reputation and practice. The more willing a student is to take chances and make mistakes, the quicker and more successful they will be at mastering this skill. Not only does building a rapport help make students feel comfortable it also helps keep them interested in the class. I try to find each students’ passion and in cooperate it into lessons. This allows me to learn about something the student holds dear and allows them to enjoy the lesson more. It also allows them to learn words specific to their hobby/interest that may never be presented otherwise. This also allows me to make genuine connections wit my students. Which in turn increases their willingness to engage with me and with the material. Another way I like to build rapport is by asking that student to talk about himself or herself. This allows me to show that I am interested in learning about them as a person. It also allows me to better prioritize topics/vocabulary to teach them. For example, I had a lady in class once who wanted to be a flight attendant. I was able to teach her basic vocabulary which would be useful in her future career. I was then able to ascertain other areas she desired to learn about. This allowed her to get the most out of her time with me, which in my opinion is the ultimate goal. I have mentioned just a few of the benefits of building positive rapport with students. The fact is learning a new language does not have to be dreaded or seen as “work.” Learning to express ideas and communicate in different languages should be fun. The more people we can express ourselves to, the closer the world becomes together. I truly believe that building a rapport is an essential step in ensuring that students are given that opportunity.
