ABSTRACT

T ry to put yourself in the place of a second language learner. Would you expect to have any apprehensions? Imagine that you don’t speak the language of the teacher. Suppose you realize that your level of proficiency will prohibit your comprehension for the rest of the period and, quite possibly, for the first couple of days or weeks of the class. How

might this affect you? What will you do if you can’t understand a single word the teacher is saying? How long can you tolerate not knowing what’s going on around you without having it affect your motivation, interest, and ability to stay focused?