| What would you do if the learners in your ESL | | | | 1. Learners may start as "shy", but when the need for |
| speaking course are reluctant to stand in front of the | | | | marks and grades supersedes their deep-seated |
| class for their public speaking practice? Worse, they | | | | feelings, they will be able to come to their senses and |
| believe they have a reason to support their reluctance | | | | confront the task and crowd. |
| - shyness. | | | | 2. Some learners need more attention and |
| I have been teaching English to ESL and EFL learners | | | | encouragement from peers and the teacher. Hence, |
| for 15 years. This dilemma is nothing new. In fact, I | | | | thisgroup of supposedly-shy learners will be motivated |
| have discovered a very interesting perspective on this | | | | to try out the task when they are provided adequate |
| issue - the reason for their reluctance. It is not really | | | | understanding, care and acknowledgment. |
| the "shyness syndrome", but a long list of excuses and | | | | 3. "Let's call it something else" may also work. Instead |
| denials. Sometimes, this syndrome can be remedied, | | | | of referring to their problem as shyness, call it 'less |
| and some reduced to an optimum effect. Most | | | | prepared', 'not quite ready yet' or 'pass, please'. I've |
| interestingly, by mid-semester, learners are often | | | | seen this trick working wonderfully. Soon, the label |
| released of this burden. | | | | 'shyness' disappears and is subconsciously replaced |
| Recently, at the beginning of my public speaking | | | | with a measurement of their readiness for the task. |
| course, I put up a ballot box on my blog to elicit | | | | 4. We commonly say "we are what we eat". In this |
| response from the blogging community. My students | | | | context, "we are what we believe". It is wise to advise |
| contribute to the majority of the demography. The | | | | learners to develop positive thinking and perceive public |
| prompt reads: What is your biggest problem in public | | | | speaking class as a learning experience where they |
| speaking? From five given options, the result shows | | | | practice what they learn gradually. By the end of the |
| that the respondents' biggest problem is lack of | | | | semester, this rehearsal will support their final |
| knowledge (30%) followed by lack of confidence | | | | performance because "correct and quality practice |
| (23%). Both shyness and fear share the same vote | | | | makes perfect". |
| (20%), which is 10% less than the highest ranked | | | | 5. No matter what age groups we face, learners |
| problem. Later, I shared the response with the learners | | | | always need peer-group support. Small groups within a |
| in my class and they agreed with the rating. This may | | | | cooperative learning context, particularly those that |
| not be empirically reliable, but enough to call for our | | | | remain together throughout the semester, will be able |
| attention as ESL teachers, practitioners, course | | | | to provide strong interdependence, emotional as well |
| designers, counselors and coordinators. | | | | as intellectual support for each other. |
| In situations where public speaking contributes to | | | | In brief, how teachers perceive and handle the |
| course evaluation, as in the ESL class, I observe that | | | | "shyness syndrome" in ESL public speaking class may |
| learners who may claim to be shy in the beginning of | | | | help the learners to get over their problem. It becomes |
| the semester respond more positively to classroom | | | | a syndrome due to its prevalence and contagious |
| practices and later improve in their public speaking | | | | nature that may have detrimental effects to learning |
| assessment. Why is this so and what brings about this | | | | and success. Nevertheless, a syndrome requires a |
| encouraging discovery? | | | | cure. Our experience and conscience guides us and |
| Below is a list of reflections regarding the "shyness | | | | we shall prescribe a dose of the cure upon careful |
| syndrome" in ESL public speaking class: | | | | observation. |