While in the past, the main foci of foreign language learning were grammar and lexis, today, language teaching experts give prominence to humanistic language teaching, ergo, on combining the intellectual with the emotional side of learning, and the prescribed subject matter with engaging humanistic activities, such as icebreakers and warm-ups. The former enables teachers to establish close interpersonal relationships and help build a safe classroom climate, while the latter ease learners into the foreign language by inducing attention, curiosity, and motivation to communicate in the target language.
The aim of this MA thesis is to ascertain how often Slovenian secondary school teachers of English use icebreakers and warm-ups, what type of warm-ups they most frequently use, how they perceive their role in the foreign language classroom, and to determine their opinion on whether positive or negative teacher-learner relationship influences their ability to successfully teach the foreign language. Moreover, this study aimed to establish if learners prefer English lessons that begin with a warm-up activity, and whether they believe that having a good relationship with their English teacher and classmates influences their foreign language acquisition process.
Quantitative and qualitative research were used to provide answers to the above-mentioned questions. As part of the qualitative data-gathering strategy, lesson observations were conducted, and, as part of the quantitative data-gathering research strategy, a survey and two questionnaires were created. The results indicate that Slovenian secondary school teachers of English start their first lesson at the start of the school year with a detailed course information instead of icebreakers, and that they use warm-up activities once every few weeks despite the fact that they are aware of their benefits, have enough time to prepare them, and that learners find them enjoyable. Both learners and teachers are also of the opinion that positive interpersonal relationships are important for the learning and teaching process. On this premise, it is recommended that teachers use icebreakers and warm-up activities on a regular basis to help prevent discipline problems, as well as to raise levels of motivation and participation in the foreign language classroom.
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