[Kieran]

Hi Émilie,

Thanks very much for your great answer!

Hello everyone ! Implementing literature in my classe is something I wanted to do for a long time, but have not had the tools and time to do so. Thank you for this very interesting topic. This could be one of my “challenge” for this coming semester.

I’m happy this Topic has given you some of the tools to implement literature in your classes. I think it’s a good thing to give yourself challnges as a teacher as you means you’re always learning and innovating your teaching practice.

These is the (French) book I could use and that I’m thinking about spontaneously :

– Petit pays (Small country) by Gaël Faye – the novel is set in Bujumbura, the capital of the child-narrator’s paradise, Burundi, the “small country” abutting Rwanda, Zaïre (today’s DRC). The narrator is the son of a French expatriate father and a Rwandese refugee mother, born and raised in Burundi during the years leading up to the genocide in Rwanda and the concurrent tragedy that unfolds in Burundi, during the novel’s diegesis from 1992 to 1995, and necessitates their expatriation to France.

This sounds like an excellent book to use with your students.

Thanks again for your excellent response.

All the best,

Kieran

[Kieran]

Hi Anthony,

Thanks very much for your great evaluation of active listening.

1 Do you agree with the six things active listeners do? Can you think of any other things good listeners do?
Yes. It’s perhaps easier to think of BAD interactional skills that teachers do a lot and that relate the inability to listen actively: 1) echoing (repeating what they just said), 2) cutting learners off to move on to the next “grammar point” (using “Okay” to end the conversation), (3) asking closed questions.

I think it’s an excellent to also focus on what these bad interactional habits of teachers.

2 Do you agree with the six “high-risk” responses bad listeners do? Can you think of any other things do listeners do?
Yes. Speaking too much. Repeating the same stories or anecdotes. Wanting to control the discussion.

These are really good examples. I think many people do these things.

3. Download the Active Listening activities below by clicking on the icons. Evaluate each activity. Which do you think would work best with your students? Why?
I would do the one on being a good listener.

Being a good listener is an excellent activity.

Thanks again for your great evaluation, Anthony.

All the best,

Kieran

[Kieran]

Hi Anthony,

Thanks very much for your great evaluation of the active listening videos and article.

1 What similarities and differences are there between the advice given in the video and the article?
Similarities: 1) not interrupting, 2) not trying to give advice, 3) genuine interest in the person…
Differences:
1) the article refers more to the teacher student relationship, 2) different references (ie, Aristotle and Carl Rogers)

An excellent summary of the similarities between the video and article.

2 Watch this video of a counselling session between Carl Rogers and Gloria, and this other video of a counselling session between Carl Rogers and Richie. In what ways does Carl Rogers listen actively?
C.R is leaning forward, his body language translates into a listening posture. He is not interrupting. He is re-casting what the patients are saying. He is showing he is listening with verbal cues “mmm, mmm”. He is not giving them a lecture.

This is a really good analysis of what Carl Rogers does to be such a good and active listener.

Thanks again for your great evaluation, Anthony.

All the best,

Kieran

[Kieran]

Hi Anthony,

Thanks very much for your great answers!

Do you think the governments of Canada, Australia and Singapore were right to add the fifth skill of viewing to their English language curricula? Why or why not?
Yes, it’s part of the aesthetic education. Education is more than mental knowledge. Education is also a sensory experience that educates our tastes and our affects (Cf, importance of taste in classical education – ie, in Goethe).

Excellent answer. I really like what you say about education also being a sensory experience that educates our tastes and our affects.

Do you agree that that traditional four skills are not sufficient to describe the type of communication taking place nowadays? Why or why not?
The four skills are very much logo-centric: they are about language signs. But in primitive art for example, we see that communication also takes place through artefact creation. In modern time, we also need to be able to decrypt images.

Another excellent answer. I completely agree with you that in the modern age of the image we need to be able to decrypt images.

What do you think of the videos which show the viewing frameworks in action in the classroom?
They are excellent.

Yes. The videos really help us to see how they seemingly abstract frameworks can be applied in the classroom.

Which framework do you like the most? What do you like about it?
See, share, wonder, because it’s simple and effective.

Yes. It is very simple and effective.

2 Practise the Circle of Viewpoints Routine. Look at the photograph and brainstorm a list of different perspectives and then use this script skeleton to explore each one:

I AM THINKING OF… the protest … FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF… the girl

I THINK… that I (the girl) is not afraid, or intimidated by the man. My parents fought hard to make it in this country, and I have a right to be here.

A QUESTION I HAVE FROM THIS VIEWPOINT IS… how can people be so stupid?

Great application of the framework.

Thanks again for your excellent responses, Anthony.

All the best,

Kieran

[Kieran]

Hi Maria Penya,

Thanks very much for your excellent answers.

Avoiding addressing differences only makes them more different and harder to tackle. We should be able to talk openly about differences but society is more and more polarised and feels oversensitive to certain topics.

Great point. Avoiding certain topics doesn’t make them go away, it just makes them much harder to handle and leads to more polarisation in society.

Definitely, feeling stressed out and undervalued. We need tons of moral energy to teach if we want to give our best.

Yes. Feeling stressed and undervalued make it much more difficult for teachers to feel empathy for their students.

Also, the lack of knowledge of what we teach. Let’s say my friend moves abroad because her husband has a good job opportunity in another country. She’s a nurse, but she can’t work as a nurse there so she decides to teach Spanish, which is her mother tongue. Of course she speaks perfect fluent Spanish, but she has never studied the language and she has no pedagogy skills, so she will feel insecure and her teaching won’t be good, no matter how native she is. Didn’t she study 4 years to be a nurse? Why does she think teaching is different?

Definitely. This is a brilliant example. Many people think you can just teach your native language without any studies or training. It’s incredibly annoying and leads to the devaluing of the profession.

Thanks again for your excellent answers, Maria Penya.

All the best,

Kieran

[Kieran]

Hi Encarna,

Thanks very much for your great answers!

I think the factors mentioned in the article are very serious and I am glad I came across this information because I was ignorant of it so… thank you!

A pleasure. I’m happy you’re aware of these issues now.

As Mariana commented, I also cover the lack of diversity in books with my own material.

Yes. I think most teacher now recognise the lack of diversity in coursebooks.

The more authentic information about what is going on in our “real” world we get, the more chances to “wake up” and evolve as human beings, more opportunities to take action and create a fairer world.

Excellent point. This lack of diversity doesn’t help us create more social justice.

As Angie pointed out, I also think that a lack of training in empathy or a lack of awareness of this value (that we all have inside) and its potentialities could be a deterrent to foster a culture of empathy in language education.

Absolutely. There is an almost complete lack of opportunities to train in empathy. As far as I know, this is the only course that focuses exclusively on empathy in language teaching.

I also think that from the political establishments and mass media it seems there is little interest in promoting empathy in society in general.

Great point. Fostering empathy in society and our education system doesn’t appear to be a priority of the political establishment.

Thanks again for your excellent responses, Encarna.

All the best,

Kieran

[Kieran]

You’re very welcome, Maria Penya 🙂

[Kieran]

You’re very welcome, Maria Penya 🙂

[Kieran]

Hi Encarna,

Thanks very much for your great answers!

I would like to use The House in Mango Street because a colleague of mine has just recommended this book to me recently. She often uses it in her classes and told me that students like the reader very much. In fact, she showed me a chapter and an activity she did with her pupils and the outcomes were very positive.

The House on Mango Street is a good choice. The fact that it has stood the test of time is a testament to what a good book it is.

As I mentioned in another lesson, I once used “The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole”. I think it can foster empathy because students can identify themselves with the protagonist’s experiences as the main character is a teenager himself with his ups and downs.

Yes. The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole is an excellent book for fostering empathy.

As María points out, the reason could be that the process requires more time and effort: select the books (bearing in mind the diversity and the different levels of English), get the books, organise and schedule time in the class to read…The idea of extensive reading is very good, though.

Very well-analysed. Extensive Reading is time-consuming but undoubtedly worth the time and effort as the benefits are so great.

Another drawback is that teachers may feel they cannot do a proper follow-up of what students are reading and learning.

Good point. I would argue that the generic Character questions we explored in the previous Topic could be used with any reader and so the teacher wouldn’t have to prefer specific follow-up activities for each reader.

Thanks again for your excellent responses, Encarna.

All the best,

Kieran

[Kieran]

Hi Encarna,

Thanks very much for your great evaluation of Extensive Reading and the Extensive Reading books.

Many years ago my older teenagers read an adapted version of “The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole”. The book was published in 1982 but I think it is timeless and therefore the story can “tune” in to 21st century young people. It can foster empathy because students can put themselves in the shoes of the main character, who is a teenager himself with his ups and downs.

Definitely. “The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole” is a brilliant book for fostering empathy and , as you point out, timeless.

Circle of Viewpoints: I agree with María, I like this routine and teachers can adapt it to different language levels. An activity that helps to take perspectives.

Yes. This activity is excellent for practising taking different perspectives.

Empathy Fostering Questions: they are good questions but more suitable for older teenagers or young adults. For younger students questions should be simpler, I think.

Yes. These could be adapted for younger learners.

Reader’s Empathy Workshop: a good activity to do in groups. In the near future, I would like to organise a virtual exchange with students from around the world (e-Twinning) and I may use the activity described on this sheet so I am grateful to have come across to it.

Yes. I can definitely see this activity working in a e-Twinning project.

Character Questions: a great deal of interesting questions, very useful for describing characters.

Yes. There are such a wide variety of questions that they can be used with most texts.

Role-playing: role-playing is quite interesting and it can also be quite engaging for students. As the text says, it is a good idea students devoting time to working on their roles. It can foster perspective-taking.

Definitely. Giving students time to get into their character is key to a successful roleplay.

Thanks again for your great evaluation, Encarna.

All the best,

Kieran

[Kieran]

Hi Encarna,

Thanks very much for your great answers!

I would like to have a look at IATEFL Global Issues Special Interest Group and Easier English Wiki. I think the scope of topics they deal with is wide enough and they seem to offer interesting social justice and empathy-related material to use in the class.

Yes. Both of these projects focus on a wide range of social and environmental issues.

I would like to try materials related to human values in order to foster empathy, critical thinking and ways of action for a better world.

Yes. I think materials on the IATEFL Global Issues Special Interest Group and Easier English Wiki very well at exploring human values related to empathy.

Thanks again for your excellent responses, Encarna.

All the best,

Kieran

[Kieran]

Hi Encarna,

Thanks very much for your great evaluation of the active listening article.

Yes, I do agree with the six things. And, as Maria points out, the tone of voice is also important.

Yes. Tone of voice is another key feature of active listening.

Yes, I do. Reading the article made me realize what a bad listener I am. I certainly need to be more aware of it when interacting with others! Words are powerful, you can hurt people’s feelings, both consciously and unconsciously.

I think we can all become more aware of our listening and better listeners. Words are indeed very powerful.

On top of that, the article also made me reflect on those moments when I myself tried to get something off my chest with a friend, relative, etc. and there was lack of feedback or empathy and I ended up feeling more devastated and/or thinking there was something wrong in me…

Yes. It is very rare to meet someone who genuinely listens to us.

All the practices are very interesting.

I’m happy you like all of the activities.

Show you are listening: they foster the use of the language, if it is an invented situation it enhances creativity and imagination…The activity can lead to a plenary discussion on the quality of being a good or bad listener.

Definitely. This activity lends itself perfectly to a plenary discussion on the qualities of being a good or bad listener.

I just feel the same: good practice at the very start of the academic year. On the one hand, it is useful for the teacher as he/ she can have an idea of students’ perception of speaking English in general in the class and, on the other hand, the practice allows students to feel they are not “alone”, their peers are on the same boat.

Yes. This one does give the teacher a lot of information on students’ perception of their English. The activity also focuses on commonalities rather than differences which I believe is important.

Silent listeners: another interesting practice to make us aware of subtleties in the personal interactions, start “reading” body language and how important it is.

Definitely. This does help students be more aware of paralinguistics.

The good and bad listeners diagrams are also very helpful. I think I would use them with late teens because maybe at that age (from seventeen onwards) they have more cognitive maturity and are able to reflect on the topic at a deeper level.

Good point about using these with older teens.

Thanks again for your great evaluation, Encarna.

All the best,

Kieran

[Kieran]

Hi Encarna,

Thanks very much for your great analysis of the Carl Rogers video.

He leans a bit forward, he uses a soothing voice and tone, he notices her trembling and lets her know that he is aware of it, he is not judgemental, he poses open questions, he paraphrases to make sure he understood and/or to show he is fully attentive, he uses “hmm”, he nods…

This is a really good analysis of what Carl Rogers does to be such a good and active listener. He’s a master at listening, isn’t he?

Thanks again for your great analysis of the video, Encarna.

All the best,

Kieran

[Kieran]

Hi Encarna,

Thanks very much for your great analysis of the active listening videos and article.

ACTIVITY No. 1

Similarities:
– The good listener fully concentrates on what is being said, the focus of attention is the other person. There is full attention.
– The video mentions that a good listener helps the other person to egg on. In a similar way, in the article it is said that a good listener gives the other person time and space to express themselves fully. It is a similar action, in my opinion.
– Good listeners avoid judgement, they do not moralise.

An excellent summary of the similarities between the video and article.

Differences:
– In the article there are dictums by different experts on the subject.
– In the video it is said that good listeners welcome vulnerability.
– Video: A good listener may disagree with what the other person is saying but, in any case, there is acceptance all the time, the listener does not reject the other person.
– In the article the writer says that good listeners also pay attention to non-verbal cues.

An excellent summary of the differences between the video and article.

Thanks again for your great analysis, Encarna.

All the best,

Kieran

[Kieran]

Hi Encarna,

Thanks very much for your great evaluation of the viewing routines.

I think it was a good idea, it is a way of reinforcing the acquisition of language, it’s a summative approach that may enhance the learning.

Yes. I agree with you that this approach does enhance learning.

The four skills are sufficient but viewing could be regarded as a useful tool or a complement to foster the learning process.

Yes. I think we need to have this fifth skill of ‘viewing’ or change ‘reading to ‘reading / viewing’.

It is quite interesting to see how they are developed in “real life”: students’ carefully observing, their responses, the role of the teacher, how different perspectives come out, etc. These videos definitely give you an idea on how to implement the viewing in class.

Definitely. As you point out, these videos help teachers to see how these routines can be used effectively.

agree with María, I like the See, Think, Wonder because the questions are open, they foster initiative, creativity, reflection and promote debate/discussion among students.

See, Think, Wonder is very popular with both teachers and students as it’s easy to apply and generates a lot of thought and discussion.

2. I THINK…
The man: “This young woman…how does she dare to say I’m not right?”
The policeman: “I wish they would stop arguing, the man is getting really angry and
this is getting out of control…”
The girl: “He thinks he’s right, ha! It’s me who is right!”

3. A QUESTION I HAVE FROM THIS VIEWPOINT IS… ask a question from this viewpoint.
The man: Will she admit she insulted me and my team? Lack of respect!
The policeman: When is this demonstration going to finish?
The girl: Is he going to admit that he’s wrong?

Excellent application of two parts of the routine.

Thanks again for your great evaluation, Encarna.

All the best,

Kieran

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