If it is bathed in a different set of chemicals, because of fear, anxiety, anger, it is 'closed' - in 'fight or flee' mode and, as a result, we see aggressive or 'opting out' behaviour in class. This is part five in our brain model. In a language class this brain area is assessing the value of and making sense of new information in genuinely communicative ways. As teachers we will be thinking about what class challenges we provide which will engage and 'stretch' this capacity. Here's one very simple idea.
Students working in pairs choose a magazine picture from a pile already cut out.
Each pair writes three questions about their picture, and exchanges picture and questions with another pair. The opportunity to set questions for their peers triggers an urge to make those questions really difficult conceptually. This 'stretches' the language the students want to use and leads for a genuine searching for appropriate vocabulary and expressions. The commonly identified learning styles are Visual - the need to see something either written or in picture form, or as a picture in the mind. Kinesthetic - the need to physically move in response to a task, which might mean acting, demonstrating, doing something with the learning material, or might just mean doodling, or wriggling, or walking around.