,i,1i.f,,;:,;:,1r.,''.i:;;al:ii.':-;:,i;:.Fr.:.
j,i
r por
Hose Senlor IF re@ntly attended a language
I teaching conference where a very
investigates the invisible I "uriourit
ing huppened. At the
.l. plenary session at the end of the
ingredient of successful
conference, a number of teacher
educators were gathered on the stage to
language teaching. discuss the conference theme. The
discussion was lacklustre until someone
mentioned the word ruppo . Al that
point the session came alive, with each
speaker enthusiastically allirming that
in their view rapport was an essential
ingredient in sucwssful classroom
teaching. For one speaker, sueessful
teaching was 'getling to relate to otlvr
people', for another it was'establishing
positive relqtionsl ps and meeting tl?e
studenls as equals',wlile for a third it
was 'establishing learning communities in
whiclt there is mutual respect' .'Ihe final
speaker evoked spontaneous applause
when she said: 'Once you've captured the
soul of lhe class everythtug else will
follow'.
Wlat
these speakers said clearly
resonated with the audiencg which was
composed of teachers and teacher
educators from a range of countries
4 . l$uo s January 2oo8 . ENGLISH TEAoHINc professional ' ww'elprofessional.com
iI
their classes, while the struggling remain distant and aloof, or seek to
o In this article I want to explore the
around the world. These speakers all
identified the fact thatjust as important
as the teaching itself is the relationship
that we deYelop with our classeš. As the
influential psychologist Earl Stevick
wote about language teaching more
than 25 years ago, 'Success depends less
on materials, techniques and linguisric
analyses, and more on whal goes on ircide
and between people in the cl6sroom'.
Writing in 1998, Madeline Ehrman and
zoltän Dtimyei draw a distinction
between thb visible and invisible
classroom, stating that 'no matter how
astute the teacher, a key to making
learning work k, to q great extent, the
rela!ion between knower and learner',
The cudous thing is that, when they
undergo their initial training, teachers
are seldom informed about the kinds of
relations they should be developing with
their classes - or told why these
relations are so vital to their ongoing
su@ess as teache$. It is rare for
teachers to be giYen practiÖal guidance
on how to nurture and maintain the
kinds of relations with their classes that
will maximise learning outcomes - and
make teaching a more satisfying and
rewarding endeavour. Because they
aren't given these insights, many
teachers struggle for their entire
teaching lives, wondering why some
colleagues seem to havs classes that are
more responsive, more likeable and
easier to manage than their owtr. The
difference is often because the successful
teachers routinely develop rapport with
' .
teachers do not.
notion of rapport in a little more depth.
After defining rapport, I'll outline the
benefits of establishing it, particularly
in communicativs classrooms. I'll then
present ten points teachers should keep
in mind if they wish to establish rapport
with their classes. I'll conclude by
answering some frequently asked
questions surrounding the notion of
rapport,
Definitions of rappor-t
The word rapport - ore of many French
words to have entered the English
language in recent times and to have
retained its French pronunciation -
means a harmonious, sympathetic
relationship or connection between
people. When we talk about
'establishing rapport' or'developing
rapport' with an individual or a group
of peoplg we imply that something
positive is happening: a beneficial
process of some kind is occurring.
Rapport has to do with empathy:
undeistanding where other people are
coming from, appreciating their point of
view and s@king to develop and maintain
a connmtion with them. Rapport is about
reaching out - rathpr than k*ping people
at am's length and f@ling nenous about
getting closer to them,
Rapport need not refer to a
relationship between equals. Frequently,
it is used to refer to the relationship
between people with unequal levels of
poweg with the person in power
oflering something of themselves to
others, This reflects the classroom
situation, where teachers can choose to
I Increasing numbers of students arc
establish a bond with their class group.
A convenient way to think ol
rapport in the classroom is in t'erms of
an invisible web: unseen but mutually
recognisable connecLions binding
teachsrs and their students together. We
can envisage the perimeter thread that
encompasses the whole class and the
teacher and, within that, the internal
.
threads binding individual students to
the teacher ard which in tum bind
those individual students to the class as
a whole,
Kev
T = teaoher
. student
=
Th invisible web of lh language classroom
The benefits of
establishing rapport
Here are some of the advantages of
establishing rapport within classes of
language learners:
r The oyerall class atmosphere becomes
more vibrant, with students
collectively more alert and responsive,
r
Individuals interact with the teacher
more readily.
r The learning needs and interests of
the ciass become more evident.
r Student behaviour that, in other
circumstanfts, might impede learning,
serves to 'lift' the.atmosphere of the
class,
r Students more leadily put themselves
foryard and are helpful to the
teacher.
r Confident that their efforts will be
appreciated; teachers fi nd themselves
teaching in more dynamic and
creative ways.
r Individuals are more willing to ask
questions and indicate when they do
- not understand.
www.etprofessiohal.com . ENGLISH
drawn in by the positive energy
r
exuded by the class group.
Fewer potontially disruptive students
make their presence felt.
A major benefit of establishing rapport
is that students - keen to please the
teacher because they scnse that the
teacher likes and respects them - tend
to work harder and in a more focused
way. Wherc there is a feeling of trust
and mutual respect between teachers
and their classes, students are more
likely to complete comunicative tasks
inore ellrctively and appropriately.
Ten recommendations for
establishing rapport
In this section I suggest t n general
behavioural recomendations for
teachers wishing to establish rapport
with their classes.
Il Reconceptualise your position in
the classroom. See yourself as being
'with' your students, rather than
'against'them.
'El Remember the names of individuals,
' taking advantage of opportunities
to reaffirm contact with them.
E negara students favourably. Give
individuals the benefit of the
doubt. Avoid repressive behaviour.
E Reach out to everyore in the room.
Be inclusive. Acknowledge the
presence and contributions of a
range of students.
E Register your connection with the
class by regularly suryeying the
room and showing that you notice
everything that goes on.
E Relax and go with the flow.
E Reveal mpects of yoursell Be genuine
in your responses and reactions.
E React positively to student
initiatives, giving individuals
opportunities to shine.
E Beward students by being
generous-minded in your words or
gestures of apprcval.
lE Make your teaching points
resonate with the class, by selecting
topics, themes, vocabulary items or
examples of language i use that
reflect the students' own experiences
and have relevance for their lives.
tucnr'lc prOfessiott0/. l$ue 54 Jsnusry 2008 . 5
 a Qz If I develop rapport with my clus,
i: :-, i, FAQs
There are certain questions that
teachers repeatedly ask about rapport.
If you're still concer ed about adoptiug
a different persona in your classroom,
these answers may help put your mind
at rest.
Q: Do I need to ltave q particular kind of
personaliqt b establish rapport witll
language classes?
A: No. All teachers establish rapport in
ways that reflect their own
personalities. You don't have to be
wildly charismatic or extroverted to
establish rapport with your classes.
Q: Doesn't rhe abiliry of kachers ro
establish rqpport with their classes
clepend on theit age? Surely it's much
eqsier for yonlger teaclrcrs to
establish rapport?
A: The ability to develop rapport has
nothing to do with age. Mature
teachers often know exactly how to
relate to younger people.
Q: Is it possible to establish rapport with
large classes?
A: Although it
isn't possible for
teachers of large classes to interact
personally with all the students in
their classes, itš still possible to
develop rapport. Teachers of large
classes develop rapport with their
classes through a public display of
enthusiasm, warmth and
determination to help the whole
class learn as effectively as possible.
Q: Worr't I lose yaluable teaching tinte if
I spend tine establislting rapport with
nty class?
A: The few minutes you 'lose'by
establishing and maintaining rapport
with your class will be balanced by
the fact that you will need to spend
less time chiwying individuals. If
your students like md respect you,
they will work well for you and, if
necessary, make up for lost time.
fB . lssue 54 lenuary sffi. ENGLISH TEACH|Ne
hgn't nry relalionship with my
students be too close? Will they
continue to respect me?
A: Students respect teachers ficr their
pedagogic skills: their ability to
make lessons interesting, relevant
and engaging. Teachers who develop
rapport with theh classes do so by
teaching effectively and by being
approachable. The two are
complementary, not mutually
exclusive.
Even if we dan't
succeed in establishing
a high degree of
rapport with so,me
c/asses, we shaald
sf{/ seek to develry
a pasitive working
relationship with them
Q: I'm a new teqcher and I'm fi.ightened
of losing connol of n1y classes. INx't
the best way of keeping con 'ol
maintain distance from tlu students -
ratlrcr lhan to get too close lo then?
A: This is acommon concern for all
new teachers. Your basic control
ovet your class comes ftom
establishing and maintaining codes
of behaviour in appropriate and
consistent ways that reveal your
sensitivity to your students as people
- rather than by behaving in rigid,
authoritarian ways. If you follow the
latter coursg you risk alienating
your class and having ongoing
problems with classroom control,
Q: Cqn I establish the same level of
ropport witll sll clesses?
A: No. It's much easier to establish
rapport with some classes. To some
degree it's a matter of chemistry: wc
'click' more easily with some classes
than others. However, even if we
don't succeed in establishing a high
degree of rapport with some classes,
we should still seek to develop a
positive working relationship with
them - a relationship characterised
by trust and mutual respect.
professional, w*.etprofesstonat.co
i}
Q: Some teachers get good.results b))
instilling fear into their students and
threatening dire consequences if they
don't study hard. Isn't this nore
effective tlnn estqblislting rapport? Creating a posifive leaming atmosphere
A: Educational research consistently Figure 1.1 lists some features that may be important in creating a positive
shows that fear is a negative emotion relationship and a positive learning atmosphere. Decide which items are inborn
which impedes learning. Teachers
who rule their classes with a rod of and which could be worked on and improved.
iron do lheir students a disservie in
ln a positive learning atmosphere the teacher . .
the long run. .
Q: I've been teachingfor nuny years,
and have never tried to develop
rapport with my clNses. Is it too late
showeres?ect isfair
for me to change? reallylistensio
A: Itt never too late tb change! That's his / her studenis
gives clear and
the joy of teaching: there are always
. new challenges ahead.
positivefeedback
has a goodsense
>t' '* ;,e of humour
ispaLient
I hope this article has helped you is,by andlarge,
understand a little bit more about inspires confidence a uth e nl;i c ally h er / hi m s elf
rapport: what it is, why it's important to
develop rapport with language classes,
and which points you should keep in non-judgemental
mind if you wish to establish rapport. I em?alhiseewith
hope the Iist of frequently askbd
questions at the end of ihe article will students'problems trusts?eo?le
t0 help to address any additional conerns doesnof,complicaf,e
you may have.
And now it's over to you! Wherever
Nhingsunnecceeoarily
iswellorganised
you teach, whateyer the size and
composilion of your class, whatever
ishonesl
your course, whatever the Ianguage level isapproachable
of your students, and whatever your is enthusiastic and
teaching conditions, you will find ways
of establishing rapport if youte
inspires enthusiasm canbe aulhorftaf,ive
determined to do it. Good luckl @ withoutbeing distanL
Ehman,MEandD rnyei,Z
lnterpereonal Dynmics in Second
Language Education: The Visible and
Figure 1.1 Features which create a posirive relarionship and atmosphere
lnvisible Classroom Sage Publications
1 998
stevlck, E leachngLanguages: Äway
and Ways Newbury Hous6 1980
Rose Senior is a
researcher and teacher
educator who ruh;
customised workshop6
on a tangs of aspects
of successful language From: Scrivener, J. (20j.1). Learning Teaching.3rd edition.
t aching. She is author
ol The Experienco of
Language Teaching, Oxford: Macmillan Education.
publlshod by Cambridge
Unlv rsity Pres6
(revlew d on page 44).
ros6,senlor@uwa.6du,au
.