[Kieran]

Hi Encarna,

Thanks very much for your great answers!

In primary school I had a teacher who I liked very much. She reached out all of us and I think the reason for that was that she “listened” to us and helped us a lot.

The ability to listen is an essential quality of an empathic teacher.

I don’t have the memory of an unempathetic teacher. I remember my Math teacher being serious and strict but I think he was good-heartened and he was simply playing a role.

I think you’ve been very lucky not to have had any unempathic teachers!

I have some colleagues that I consider to be very empathic. They practise “active listening”, they help you a lot, they show kindness in the way they speak, the way they treat people…They also worry about everyone, they are supportive and encourage everybody…they are awesome!

It must be great to have such empathic colleagues. Supporting and encouraging others are essential qualities of an empathic teacher.

Thanks again for your excellent responses, Encarna.

All the best,

Kieran

[Kieran]

Hi Mariana,

Thanks very much for your great answers!

I think that everything the article mentioned is spot on, and very serious. The lack of diversity in books is something that has driving me crazy for years. It’s one of the reasons why I have to make a lot of my own material.

Definitely. The lack of diversity is pretty shocking and the reason why many teachers write their own materials.

I had not heard of the Raise Up books, but they look very interesting. I’m considering ordering them to check out.

The Raise Up books are excellent and definitely worth checking out. I was speaking to Ilà Coimbra, the co-founder of the Raise Up Project, at the weekend and she told me some interesting things about the project which I’ll share on the webinar on Thursday.

As Angie mentions, just because PARSNIP are delicate, it doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be included or talked about. Real life is real life.

Absolutely. Just because an issue is delicate or complicated, doesn’t mean we should avoid it.

Something that not a lot of people talk about is how lonely the freelance teacher profession is. Sure, you have students, but they are not your friends/colleagues. Most of my time is spent alone at my desk with my computer.

Excellent point. The life of a freelance teacher can be very lonely and this is not good for one’s mental health.

If it weren’t for me seeking out and paying for PD opportunities, I wouldn’t really be in contact with other teachers.

Seeking out PD opportunities, is a great way to be in contact with other teachers and help overcome this professional loneliness. However, few teachers are prepared to do just this.

Thanks again for your excellent responses, Mariana.

All the best,

Kieran

[Kieran]

Hi Angie,

Thanks very much for your insightful comments.

It is very relevant to include parsnip topics, not just relevant, but it makes class more interesting, more real.

Definitely. The PARSNIPS topics, and a plethora of other taboo topics, should be included in the classroom from an ethical perspective but these topics also make classes more diverse and interesting.

I personally had or am still struggling with the issue of self-worth. And having been a language teacher for over 10 years and sometimes accepting abysmal pay did lead me to devaluing myself, that is why I had left the profession, it became to difficult to continue.

Excellent point! If teachers don’t feel valued, and it is difficult to feel valued when your pay and conditions are poor, it’s almost impossible for teachers to transmit a sense of value to their students.

On the other hand I am going back to it, this time with a better setup…

I think it’s a courageous move to go back to the classroom but a good one for you. I wish you all the very best in your new professional project.

2 Can you think of any other factors which may hinder embedding a culture of empathy in language education?
A teacher lacking training or courage to confront issues.

Excellent points. I also think a lack of training in empathy is a key factor which may hinder embedding a culture of empathy in language education

I remember a religious student talking of his belief as the moral reasoning for his action and he was rediculed by a student. I brushed over the situation instead of confronting it, which I feel shame for, but at the same time that memory helps me confront difficult issues today.

This is a fantastic example. What I find really encouraging and revealing is that you used this experience to help you confront other difficult issues.

Thanks again for your thoughtful comments, Angie.

All the best,

Kieran

[Kieran]

Hi Mariana,

Thanks very much for your excellent answers.

It was such a treat to read about the different organizations using the English language as a means to carry out social justice projects.

It is good to know that there are these organisations using the English language as a means to carry out social justice, isn’t it? Most teachers aren’t aware of them.

I am particularly interested in The Hands Up Project and Team Up to teach.

These are two great organisations.

The lesson plans offered by the No Slavery group look incredibly moving, and I think my groups would benefit from them. I’m going to see if I can include them in my curriculum in a way that makes sense.

As I mentioned in my response to Angie’s comments, the materials on the NO Project are pedagogically superb. There are so many materials, I’m sure you’ll be able to find something that fits into your curriculum.

Thanks again for your excellent answers, Mariana.

All the best,

Kieran

[Kieran]

Hi Angie,

Thanks very much for your great answers about the projects!

1 Which of the social justice projects mentioned in the article are of particular interest to you?
I am interested in looking closer at the NO Project.

The NO Project is an amazing project. The founder of the project Judy Boyle is a friend of mine and an incredible person. She’s basically dedicated her life to trying to end human slavery and does a huge amount of work development artistic projects to raise awareness of human slavery.

2 Many of the projects have teaching material related to social justice. Which material would you like to try with your students?
I think I would like to try a lesson from the NO Project, but at the same time, it would maybe be once a semester, I don’t think I would like to talk about Human trafficking every week.

The lesson plans at the NO Project are superb from a pedagogical perspective.

3 Are there any ELT social justice projects that you would recommend to your colleagues on the course?
I’m not aware of other projects thus far.

We may look at some more on the webinar on Thursday!

Thanks again for your excellent responses, Angie.

All the best,

Kieran

[Kieran]

Hi Mariana,

Thanks very much for your great evaluation of Active listening in Practice.

I can’t help but wonder why it’s so easy to fall into the high-risk responses in active listening. I did a bit of reflection, and I wonder if it has to do with the fact that we (probably) care about the person, and it’s really hard to see them go through a tough time/see them in pain. By saying that you understand, giving advice, reassuring, etc., we might be saying “you’re not alone”. Though, I definitely see how it takes the focus from the other person and shifts it back to you.

Excellent! I completely that we often use the ‘high-risk responses’ because we want to help or reassure the person who is suffering. There are a number of ‘high-risk responses’ such as ‘understanding’ and ‘reassuring’ that I believe are perfectly OK to use in many situations.

My students would definitely benefit from “Show you’re listening”, and “I feel just the same”. They would help make everyone feel at ease, build their confidence, and show that what they are saying matters.

Yes. Both “Show you’re listening” and “I feel just the same” are great for getting students to feel at ease and building their confidence.

On a personal note, I should try the Silent Listener.

The ‘Silent Listener’ is great but listening in silence is a very difficult skill to develop.

Thanks again for your great evaluation, Mariana.

All the best,

Kieran

[Kieran]

Hi Mariana,

Thanks very much for your great analysis of Carl Rogers and his active listening.

It was very interesting to watch, and get this behind the scenes look. His body language is very empathic. He is leaning forward, nodding his head, mhhhs to signal he is actively listening, pausing.

It is wonderful to watch Carl Rogers in action! His active listening does seem genuine and not something he’s doing for the camera. The way he leans forward, nods his head and his ‘mhhhs’ seem very natural and make the client feel listened to and comfortable in his presence.

I think he uses silence in a very strategic way. It allows for others to find the space to speak.

Absolutely. He does use silences beautifully. This is such a difficult thing to do and most of us feel uncomfortable with silence.

By paraphrasing the other person’s ideas, he is supporting them, and the other person is able to talk through the issues and self-regulate.

He paraphrases beautifully and this lets the client feel they are really being listened to.

Thanks again for your great analysis, Mariana.

All the best,

Kieran

[Kieran]

Hi Julie,

Thanks very much for your great evaluation of Extensive Reading.

I want to use The Curious Incident of the Dog in the night time by Mark Haddon to learn about this type of autism with a group of B 2 students. Asperger’s disease will perhaps be something new to them, and the fact that the novel is hilarious and has straightforward language will engage them. The topic will allow the group to discuss other types of syndromes and perhaps personalize the subject. Most families have many conditions that they can relate to and eventually open up and want to share. This story will be a tremendous empathic activity that can benefit them all.

You analysed very well why you’d like to use The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time with your students. The book is a great introduction to Asperger’s Syndrome. The fact it’s relatively easy to read and very funny, make it suitable for the language classroom.

2 I’ve used Nelson Mandela’s graded book with my pre-intermediate students. Mandela’s unique legacy and personal endurance are why I chose this book; students have always empathized with him.
https://readers.english.com/active/detail/9781292110356

This is a great reader about an extraordinary person and leader. This type of graded biography appeals to teenagers and adults, but also to business professionals.

I also agree with Angie Extensive reading takes time, and teachers might feel less in control of what their students are reading. It is a shame because the enjoyment that comes from the reading experience is priceless.

Very good point. Some teachers are reluctant to release this control but, as you point out, it is a real shame as the benefits of Extensive Reading are so great.

Thanks again for your great evaluation, Julie.

All the best,

Kieran

[Kieran]

Hi Julie,

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

I’ve worked with We Should All be feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche. I chose this book for a group of fifteen-year-old girls who are out-and-feminists in Argentina.

I haven’t read this book but will check it out. I think it’s important to recommend books that match your students interests and concerns and you seem to have done just this with this book.

My students are a B1 + level, so although this wasn’t a graded book, I did a lot of scaffolding by selecting vocab that had to do with the pre-taught topic before they started reading.

I think you did the right thing by scaffolding selected vocabulary. If the book is not graded you need to pre-teach a lot more vocabulary. The same applies when you use a feature-length film – you have to pre-teach or prime a lot of vocabulary.

The book is a personal and powerful essay from Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, based on her 2013 TEDx Talk of the same name. Adiche is great at fostering empathy in her writing. For example, she proposes to raise awareness that a fairer world, both happier for men and women, could be achieved if parents raise their sons differently.

Although I haven’t seen the TED Talk or read the book, I would agree with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie that the way sons are brought up is fundamental to the feminist movement.

Circle of Viewpoints
It is a valuable routine that students can engage in at the beginning or end of the chosen text. I agree with María that It can be very enriching to foster empathy in general and, more specifically, better to understand the different personalities and viewpoints in the narrative. Very practical for us teachers as well. We can resort to the framework for various texts, provided we scaffold material and choose the proper text levels accordingly.

Absolutely. This is a very robust and flexible routine for fostering empathy.

Empathy Fostering Qs
I am on the same page with Angie!! Helpful to take the emphasis of the what and put it on the why. Then what is there and the why makes students empathize and reflect. So, excellent triggers for fostering empathy!

Definitely. Moving from the ‘what’ to the ‘why’ seems a very small shift but is, in fact, a huge one for understanding different perspectives.

Reader’s Empathy Workshop
An excellent group activity that wraps up with a plenary discussion and boosts more empathic involvement!

Yes. The Reader’s Empathy Workshop is one of my favourite empathy-building activities.

Character Qs
I agree with Anthony that some of the questions could perhaps be a bit complex for not-so-advanced students, but as you say, Kieran, you can constantly adapt them!

Yes. I agree with both you and Anthony. As you point out, we can adapt the questions quite easily.

Roleplay Questions
I like this activity for students at large, but I would perhaps be more careful with shy students in my lessons.

Very good point about keeping in mind more introverted students when we do roleplays.

Thanks again for your great evaluation, Julie.

All the best,

Kieran

[Kieran]

Hi Encarna,

Thanks very much for your great answers!

1. How do you feel about the way empathy is taught in schools in Denmark?
I was quite surprised to know that teachers devote six months to foster intensive mediation among students themselves and how this practice helps students’ academic performance later on. So it seems it is worth the effort.

Yes. Research in Denmark seems to indicate that this intensive mediation helps students’ academic performance later on.

In the video one teacher mentions that parents are also involved and I think that that is essential and very important. If educators and families work together go hand in hand, the chances of showing an empathic attitude are greater.

Yes. The involvement of parents seems to be fundamental. As you point out, teachers and parents working hand in hand, increases the possibility of effectively fostering empathy.

I wouldn’t use the word “teaching” empathy. Maybe “revealing” or “recalling” a human value that we all have?

Yes. I think you’re absolutely right that rather than talking about ‘teaching’ empathy, it would be more helpful to think in terms of ‘revealing’ empathy.

2. Can you think of any other reasons why empathy is important in education?
I think it can also help strengthen trust bonds between teachers and pupils and create a good atmosphere in the class, in general.

Excellent. Empathy definitely helps to build strong bonds of trust and create a positive classroom atmosphere.

3. How could empathy be better integrated into the school curriculum in your country?
Maybe by first devoting some daily time to let students get to know themselves better. There are practices such as Mindfulness or meditation techniques that help or are a guide in that sense. A steady practice would probably lead to show an empathic and compassionate attitude in life.

Yes. These mindfulness or meditation practices would very likely lead to greater empathy.

Thanks again for your excellent responses, Encarna.

All the best,

Kieran

[Kieran]

You’re very welcome, María Penya 🙂

[Kieran]

Hi Maria Penya,

Thanks very much for your great evaluation of the short films.

We’ve All Been There – The shoes in the desert land, la far away voice, the feeling of the scorching sun. The close-up of the girl getting off the bus, the close-up of the overdue rent and of the note in the napkin. The truck driver’s look on the money.

Yes. The scene in the outback really puts us in the shoes of the older woman. The close up shot of the overdue rent makes us empathise with the young woman.

Moments – The use of nighttime versus the light and color in the video. The repetition of the teddy bear.

Yes. The contrast of light in striking. The images of the teddy bear make us feel empathy for the daughter.

The Alphabet of Illiteracy – Undoubtedly, the music and lyrics, but also the selection of colors for the illustrations.

Yes. The contrast between the music and the harsh images is striking.

The Reader – The ascending music tone, the sepia color of the film, facial expressions.

Yes. The sepia colour makes us feel some sort of nostalgia. The close up of the facial expression make us feel empathy for both the father and the son.

We’re the Superhumans – The lyrics, the happy triumphant tone of the music, the final close-up.

The music does create empathy. The final close-up shot is brilliant.

Stand Up – The background voices, the look between both in class.

Yes. The background voices make us feel like it could be an everyday situation in our own lives. The tender look between the two boys help us feel empathy for them.

Mankind is no Island – The speed of the images, the need to read, the selection of words.

Yes. The director deliberately makes this film quite difficult to watch and it requires cognitive and affective effort from the viewer.

Thanks again for your great evaluation, Maria Penya.

All the best,

Kieran

[Kieran]

Hi Maria Penya,

Thank you for responding to Mariana’s comment on the Superhumans film. yes, as mariana argued, the film could be seen as perpetuating the narrative that disabled people are only worthy of our attention when they do something extraordinary.

All the best,

Kieran

[Kieran]

Hi Maria Penya,

Thanks very much for your great evaluation of the Extensive Viewing framework and the viewing guides.

Like Anthony, I do see some setbacks here, mostly with the lexis but also regarding listening comprehension. As we mentioned in one of the webinars, grading films is almost impossible, whereas we have a plethora of graded books. I think that the vocab list should be rather short, around 30 words, for students to remember the meaning during the viewing.

A good point. The argument for having a more extensive glossary in Extensive Viewing is that the average feature-length film has about 9,000 words many of which students won’t have encountered before, so students need to primed for a certain amount of words. I love using short films in the classroom, but, in general, there isn’t enough dialogue in them for Extensive Viewing.

On the other hand, I feel that students would be more willing to watch a film than to read. Plus, since the reading is alone and the viewing in group, this could seem more appealing and we would get rid of the “laziness factor”.

Yes. Many students are much more willing to view rather than read.

The viewing of series sounds more beneficial to me, since the vocabulary is bound to repeat itself throughout the different episodes, and the listening comprehension gets easier due to practice.

Tv series are probably even more beneficial than films as vocabulary and expressions are repeated, the narratives are similar and students know the characters.

The way I see it, extensive viewing is excellent from B2 onwards, for lower levels, maybe animation short-films with very short and simple dialogues.

Yes. Although Extensive Viewing is probably best suited to students at B2 and above, Extensive Viewing can be used at lower levels, but as the cognitive load for lower levels is so high we have to make the text more comprehensible by using subtitles in the L1, giving the synopsis and extensive glossary.

The Green Book is an excellent film to foster empathy due to the variety of topics it covers: racism, gender issues, violence, civil rights.

Yes. There are a number of topics which can be exploited to foster empathy.

A Beautiful Mind is also a complex, multilayered film that can give rise to lively discussions different from the above but equally challenging. Therefore, empathy is sure to be fostered and felt.

Yes. It is a multilayered and complex film.

In both cases, I feel that the discussion questions are insightful but a bit difficult for second language students, in my opinion. The guide gives the opportunity of thoroughly understanding the film and its multiple layers, but I think a lively discussion would be hard to bring about in young groups, low levels and groups where students don’t know the rest very well.

Yes. The questions could be adapted or simplified for younger students.

Thanks again for your great evaluation.

All the best,

Kieran

[Kieran]

Hi Anthony,

Thanks very much for your great evaluation of the Extensive Viewing framework and viewing guides.

I’d first like to point out to what could make such a framework dissuasive : (1) while extensive reading requires very little intervention from the teacher, extensive viewing does ; (2) while extensive reading is for pleasure only, extensive viewing via this framework seems to involve pre-teaching, practice of lexis, and focus on language ; (3) effectively remembering around 150 lexical terms may make the return on investment (eg, the understanding and enjoyment of the film) seem unworthy; (4) the framework would require considerable time invested on a the viewing and understanding of a single film.

All very good points. Extensive Viewing does require more teacher intervention than ER but I don’t think it’s so great. The justification for such a large glossary is that students won’t understand so much without pre-teaching or priming a lot of vocabulary. The Extensive Viewing framework does involve a lot of work but I feel is completely justified as the benefits are so great. Many teachers argue that although they understand the benefits of ER, their students don’t reading so they can’t use it. However, most students do enjoy watching films and we can apply the same principles of ER to Extensive Viewing. The amount of time spend on one feature-length film would be considerably less than the amount of time spent on one novel.

Now, what I see as beneficial for teacher and learner are: (1) the feeling of reward from having understood the film and been able to share and discuss its meaning, (2) The framework would effectively immerse the viewer in the context and language of the film over the course of several lessons, (3) The framework would allow phases for language focused learning, meaningful output and input, so it would be quite comprehensive.

Yes. These are all definitely benefits of Extensive Viewing.

The two films I have downloaded, “The Green Book”, and “Little Miss Sunshine” would go a long way in promoting empathy. The first because it exposes the learner to racial issues in the US, as well as putting them in the shoes of a minority, the second because it defies many standards (beauty, family) and fosters empathy towards atypical families and people.

These two films are excellent for fostering empathy.

I think that the guide’s aims are multiple and fostering empathy is only one of them. The other aims also seem to be to render meaning of a text accessible (pre-viewing section),to test comprehension (while viewing, after viewing section), and to encourage meaningful output.

Yes, the guides do aim to make the text more comprehensible, test oral and visual comprehension and encourage meaningful output and a personal response to the text from students.

I would adapt this for my learners in several ways. One way would be to select only a couple of questions from the pre-viewing, or to give this in preparation to the lesson. Another would be, for A2 (perhaps B1) learners, to give the synopsis in L1 in order to prevent cognitive overload. At this level, we are focusing solely on the meaning anyways (L1 subs), because the language will be way too difficult.

Yes. These adaptations all make perfect sense to me.

Secondly, I would not find it realistic to expect my learners to memorise (that is, effectively recall the meaning of) such a long list of words.

The idea is not for students to memorise the vocabulary. it’s much more to prime them for the vocabulary they encounter in the film.

This relates to the problem of insufficient vocabulary. One way I would deal with this problem is to ask learners to watch the film in their L1 first, or with L1 subs, and in class introduce the synopsis in English.

Getting students to watch the film first in their L1 is a good strategy. Another similar strategy is to get students to watch films in English they’ve already watched in their L1.

I could also focus on a scene and analyse the discourse and words (which raises another problem: can we extrapolate language that can make viewing in general easier? Or can we teach decoding strategies in that sense?).

Specific scene analysis is a good strategy and recommended in the final part of the framework.

Finally, I might chose either the discussion or the task. As with all “lesson plans”, you can’t always tell how your learners will engage with the task, so it’s better to have a minimal set of things to do or discuss, and adapt from that.

Yes. As with any framework, there has to be enough flexibility for teachers to adapt it to their contexts and students.

Thanks again for your great evaluation, Anthony.

All the best,

Kieran

[Author]

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