Let’s talk about the benefits of affirmations in French class. What are they, and why are they useful? At the end of this blog post, I will be sharing creative French affirmation activities that will help you build a strong classroom community.
This is the third blog post in the Social-Emotional Learning series. Discover introductory SEL lessons here. Read about the importance of cultivating a growth mindset in French students here. Discover the science behind gratitude and French gratitude activity ideas here.
Why are we talking about affirmations today?
In the fall of 2024, I took a class on Social-Emotional Learning. For an assignment, I was asked to create a stress-management strategy to use with my class.
I involved my Grade 10 students in the decision-making process. I wanted to understand what my Grade 10 students need from me, both physically and emotionally, when they are stressed.
When we feel stressed, the part of the brain responsible for detecting threats triggers the “fight, flight, or freeze” response. When the amygdala is activated, the thinking part of the brain (the prefrontal cortex) stops functioning. That means learning, reasoning, and language processing are harder — if not impossible — when we are stressed.
My students told me that when they are feeling extremely stressed at school, they want to be affirmed. They wanted to be reminded that they are strong, that the best is enough, and that they can do hard things. They also want to be reminded to take a deep breath!
Ultimately, this conversation sparked a great deal of reflection on affirmations and stress management.
What are affirmations?
First off, affirmations are short, powerful statements that we repeat to ourselves. Affirmations shape the way we feel and think. They are rooted in the idea that our thoughts have a profound influence on our actions.
Why are affirmations a vital part of Social-Emotional Learning?
Social-Emotional Learning encompasses the five competencies of:
- Self-Awareness
- Self-Management
- Social Awareness
- Responsible Decision-Making
- Relationship Skills
Good affirmations have students reflect on how they feel and why they feel that way (self-awareness). Coming up with an affirmation then helps students manage their emotions and practice resilience.
How do affirmations help French students feel more confident speaking French?
Affirmations help French language learners feel more confident speaking French because they shift the internal dialogue from one of self-doubt to one of possibility.
Ultimately, we want French language learners to replace negative self-talk with affirmations!
Also, when we speak about French affirmation activities for the French classroom, we’re not talking about those really cute, trendy affirmation mirrors. The ones that include feel-good, generic affirmations like “I am smart” and “I am kind.”
For affirmations to be effective, they must be personalized to the individual.
In other words, French students need affirmations that address the very real challenges they encounter in the French classroom.
This includes the fear of taking risks and speaking out loud, perfectionism, embarrassment from making mistakes, or frustration when they don’t immediately understand something.
French Affirmation Activities Option #1 – Daily Emotions Journal
Before we begin French affirmation activities, we need students to reflect on what emotions they’re feeling and why they’re feeling that way.
Children and teenagers are learning emotional intelligence, emotional regulation, and self-management.
It is so normal for children to feel emotions and to not know why they feel that way.
I like doing emotion journals with my students to expose them to a wide range of emotion adjectives, identify how they feel, and understand the reasons behind their feelings.
Ultimately, an activity like this helps students regulate their emotions. Students will take time to listen to their mind and body, understand why they feel that way, and hopefully even come up with an action plan if they’re not feeling great.
French Affirmation Activities Option #2 – Daily Affirmations Prompts
Next up, we’ve got daily affirmation prompts.
Affirmation journals help students build self-awareness by having them reflect on aspects of their life that they are proud of or appreciate.
French Affirmation Activities Option #3 – Classroom Bingo
This next French affirmations activity focuses on students recognizing and appreciating good qualities in their classroom.
French Affirmation Activities Option #4 – Class Compliments
Lastly, this activity has students write compliments for their classmates and practice expressing their appreciation for that specific quality.
Build classroom community and resilience in your classroom with impactful affirmation activities
