[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

[Kieran]

Hi Anthony,

Thanks very much for your great answers!

1 How do you feel about the way empathy is taught in schools in Denmark?

The video doesn’t go in to showing exactly how empathy is taught – and by the way, can you “teach” empathy? The article for this lesson suggests that empathy is first and foremost generated through example. It’s an intentional inner posture guiding our decisions and actions towards others.

Excellent point. It’s not actually explained how empathy is taught in Denmark. As I understand it, the Danish approach is based on the principle that empathy is a learned skill that comes with listening and understanding others. In the ’empathy class’ students are invited to talk about problems they have been experiencing. During this time, the entire class works together to find a solution. This teaches children to respect the feelings of others without judgement. The empathy classes are believed to help them strengthen their relationships and sympathise with other people’s problems. They also allow each child to be heard, feel valued, and become part of a community.

My impression is that this course is about teaching empathy via subject manners like visual arts.

Yes. The approach to empathy on this course is about teaching empathy via subject manners like literature and the visual arts.

2 Can you think of any other reasons why empathy is important in education?
In the EFL ESL context, empathy can play a large role in lowering the affective filter, and leading to a state of relaxation that is optimal for learning.

Yes. One of the main reasons for teaching empathy in language education is that it helps to lower the affective filter.

It can also lead (or is it more a consequence?) of self expression and accepting of differences*

Yes. Empathy can definitely lead to improved self expression and acceptance of differences.

3 How could empathy be better integrated into the school curriculum in your country?
I think that in France there is a “discipline problem” which is directly related to the social climate and eroding education structure. The curriculum should change to include more real world skills. Empathy can be part of it. It would have to do with giving more means of expression.

I like your focus on the importance of self expression in education and indeed in life.

*I think that opening ourselves to others is a central tenant of Levinas’ philosophy.

I hadn’t heard of Levinas but will check out his work.

Thanks again for your excellent responses, Anthony.

All the best,

Kieran

[Kieran]

Hi Encarna,

Thanks very much for your great answers!

1. Roman Krznaric defines Empathy as the art of stepping imaginatively into the shoes of another person, understanding their feelings and perspectives, and using that understanding to guide your actions. His definition contains the main components of Empathy. First of all, Empathy has a cognitive part which allows people to take perspectives and “see” people’s different points of view. Secondly, Empathy has an affective component which related to shared emotional response. And finally, Empathy also includes an empathic concern, that is to say, the will to do something for other people.
From the neurological point of view, some experts suggest mirror neurons play an important role in being empathic but there is also a much more complex ‘empathy circuit’ comprising a series of interconnected brain regions.
There are different theorists that consider Empathy as a key element in society because it holds society together, it helps to solve problems and it is very important for a healthy democracy.

This is an excellent summary of what empathy is, how it works and why it’s important in society.

2. Yes, I agree with Simon Baron-Cohen’s opinion which states that Empathy acts like “a universal balm”. I think that it is universal because it has no boundaries, it is welcomed by all human beings, no matter their nationality, their political or religious beliefs, etc. And it acts like a balm as it helps to alleviate other people’s physical, emotional or spiritual pain.

Great! You explain very well what Baron-Cohen means when he states states that Empathy acts like “a universal balm”.

3. I would say that there is an empathy deficit, especially after the Covid-19 situation. All the restrictions (lockdowns, social distancing, people’s fears, an increase in the use of technology) have caused a kind of “cooling of relations” among people.

Yes. Even though the pandemic may have helped to raise empathy in some ways as we are in the same boat and see any of us can be affected by the virus, I feel the long term consequences of the pandemic, will, in general, reduce empathy in society.

Thanks again for your excellent responses, Encarna.

All the best,

Kieran

[Kieran]

Hi Angie,

Thanks very much for your superb evaluation of the Active listening approach and activity sheets.

I do. Sounds pretty good to me.

Yes. The 6 things covered most if not all of the bases.

2 Do you agree with the six “high-risk” responses bad listeners do? Can you think of any other things do listeners do?
I do. I have had some tough times the past couple of months, and reflecting on some conversations, I realize how I didn’t fully open up beyond the facts of what happened, as the opening was shut down by judgement or advice. I think if I could have fully opened up, I would have gone deeper on the feelings/interpretations aspect, and maybe even have reached the shame aspect.

Excellent point. Opening up fully certainly aids listening actively. At the same time, opening up fully is challenging.

I also realize when I intentionally do it to not be engaged in conversations that I don’t want to be in.

Show you’re listening:
I feel just the same – I feel in conflict about this one. Doesn’t it go against the pointer saying that you are diverging the attention back to yourself? Kind of like saying “I hear you” instead of continuing to listen?

Great point! Yes, it can certainly be argued that the ‘I feel just the same’ response brings the subject back to yourself.

Though I do love sharing about their feelings about speaking English. I think I might use this in a first class to set the standard of active listening in class and creating a safe space where it is ok to be a little vulnerable.

I really like the idea of doing this in the first class to set the standard of active listening in class.

Listeners – Good reflection exercise.

It is a good reflection activity.

Silent listeners – I’ve done this exercise before with strangers on a sensitve topic. It was interesting how quickly I opened up, and how compassionate that moment felt. Could be done in class.

I’m interested to know you’ve already tried out something similar in class and that it worked well.

Good listeners – Good for reflecting, but students might just say I can’t think of any more examples.

Another good reflection activity.

Thanks again for your great evaluation, Angie.

All the best,

Kieran

[Kieran]

Hi Angie,

Thanks very much for your great evaluation of Active Listening.

Similarities: Full concentration on what is being said, listen without judgement, don’t interrupt to give advice or opinion, but give time and space for full expression, attention to non-verbal communication
Differences:
In article: Mention of difficulty of applying active listening in large classrooms, other references to teacher/student scenario
In video: Listener egging on, helping speaker to gain more clarity on own thoughts, getting to the why of things

This is an excellent evaluation of the similarities and differences between the advice given in the video and the article.

He paraphrases, he doesn’t take their responsibility away to come to their own conclusions, he doesn’t judge them for being in a tough spot, he eggs them on to reach clarity, he notices their physical state

You’ve beautifully analysed what Carl Rogers does to be such an active listener. He definitely put into practice waht he preached.

Thanks again for your great evaluation, Angie.

All the best,

Kieran

[Kieran]

Hi Maria Penya,

Thanks very much for your excellent answers.

Yes, I think so, everything that adds up to observation and reflection in a fast paced society is positive. If we are able to carefully view and understand photos, paintings, etc, we will be able to understand people around us and thus, society at large… with a lot of training, that is.

Yes. Teachers need a lot of training to teach this skill effectively to their students but, as you point, out the introduction of this skill is necessary where the vast majority of texts are visual texts or multimodal texts that use visuals.

Yes. I think they are enough but adding viewing maximizes the students’ general performance. In fact, the Speaking part in Cambridge official exams is based on picture viewing. I find the routines very useful for this purpose. Besides, viewing is excellent to allow the viewer to understand others by entering their worlds, like the Greek definition of empathy you give.

Yes. As I mentioned to my response to Angie, many countries are now calling the skill of ‘reading ‘reading/viewing’. I think this is an important and necessary development. Viewing does also allow the viewer to understand others by entering their worlds and thus develop empathy.

I think it’s good for us to see it at work. They are clearly developed and I like that the teacher doesn’t judge, it’s just an acceptance of the students’ opinion, no right or wrong.

I agree it’s necessary to see these routines in action otherwise they run the risk of seeming too abstract. The teachers in the videos are very good at being non-judgemental and just listening to their students.

The one I like the most is See Think Wonder because the questions are very open and students are bound to always find an answer, it can be very spontaneous, despite the minute they are given to think it out.

This is a very popular routine. It’s easy to remember and apply, and, as you point out, the questions are so open that they make it easy for students to come up with a response.

While viewing a painting or a photograph brainstorm a list of different perspectives and then use this script skeleton to explore each one:

1. I AM THINKING OF… the topic/issue/situation … FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF… the viewpoint you’ve chosen
The man in black was driving, skipped a red light and slightly hit the girl, who was riding a motorbike.
2. I THINK… describe the topic/issue/situation from your viewpoint. Be an actor – take on the character of your viewpoint
The man – What does this girl know?! She thinks herself very clever, but I’m sure she too has troubles of her own.
The policeman – Hey, man, you’re getting a bit cocky here, calm down.
Man in orange vest – C’mon, get a move on! You’re blocking the way!

3. A QUESTION I HAVE FROM THIS VIEWPOINT IS… ask a question from this viewpoint
The man – Was it really my fault?
The policeman – I’m not in the mood for this now. It’s nothing serious and we’re blocking the way.
The man in orange vest – What is a policeman good for if he’s blocking the way? If he weren’t around, everyone would be minding their own business.

This is a great application of the Circle of Viewpoints Routine. Very nicely done.

Thanks again for your excellent answers, Maria Penya.

All the best,

Kieran

[Kieran]

Hi Angie,

Thanks very much for your excellent answers.

I don’t believe it is necessary to think of it as right or wrong. It is simply a different and actually quite interesting approach.

It’s undoubtedly an interesting approach. I’d argue that the additional of this fifth skill is necessary in a world where the vast majority of texts we deal with are visual texts or multimodal texts that use visuals.

I actually do think it is sufficient. But adding viewing does add a very interesting focus or nuance.

In some countries they’re changing the skill of ‘reading’ to ‘reading/viewing’ which I think is an interesting development.

One of them felt a little to mechanical and taking too much time / possibly losing the interest.

Which one was this, Angie?

See, think, wonder. Not necessarily because it is the “best”, but because it is the easiest to remember. I would think of it as my go to, but with lesson planning perhaps integrate the other versions when appropriate.

Yes. See, think, wonder is probably this easiest to remember and apply.

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 situation in the photograph… FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF… the woman.
I THINK… I triggered the man in front of me. He is angry because I am in a strong position, and he is powerless, and he realizes it. He feels offended by my otherness: Being a woman, my appearance, his inability to faze me. He feels challenged, I feel composed.
A QUESTION I HAVE FROM THIS VIEWPOINT IS… I feel good at this moment, but will he walk away from this thinking of it as simply power play, or will he gain any kind of insight?

Brilliant! This is an excellent application of the Circle of Viewpoints Routine. Really impressive!

Thanks again for your excellent answers, Angie.

All the best,

Kieran

[Kieran]

Hi Anthony,

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

We’ve All Been There
Plot is designed to make us feel empathy by contrasting to different stories which finally share something in common. The story further adopts the viewpoint of human challenge to reinforce the feeling of “universal empathy”, instead of the viewpoint of individual triumph or worse yet, revenge (which is a very common theme in hollywood films). The expressions of the actors is also important.

Absolutely. This film is a masterpiece of empathy building. The director does seem to be proposing a universal empathy similar to the concept of karma.

Moments
My favourite among the ones I was able to watch. Again the story is cleverly told to create a connection with this homeless man, by showing us that he too was once a normal, happy person.

Yes. The film does show us that any of us could become homeless .

This encapsulates in a similar way the universal message that: “no one is immune to misfortune” (furthermore, there is no “justice”, no justification to suffering), and that (this is an extrapolation) fortune or misfortune hits randomly (there is no “justice” in that sense).

Yes. I think the film encapsulates to a certain extent the religious message of “There but for the Grace of God go I.”

The music plays also a big role.

The music is fundamental to us feeling empathy for the characters.

The Alphabet of Illiteracy
I was not able to watch it, as I couldn’t access vimeo. (For the others I used youtube).

Here’s a link to the film on YouTube:

The Reader
Same thing as previous

Here’s a link to the film on YouTube:

We’re the Superhumans
The talent of these people despite their disability. The music is cheerful (in contrast to the other music, which or much more mellow, I’m not sure if that contributes necessarily to more empathy.

I think the cheerful music does foster empathy as it adds to the positive energy of the visuals.

Stand up
Couldn’t watch it.

Here’s a link to the film on YouTube:

Mankind is no Island
The use of word collage was useful. But I’m not sure how the choice of medium (the phone) contributes in any way with the message.

Perhaps the use of the mobile phone to create the film, adds to the sense that homelessness is an issue that affects and concerns us all.

Thanks again for your evaluation, Anthony.

All the best,

Kieran

[Kieran]

Hi Angie,

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

We’ve All Been There
The use of close ups, pauses, color

Close up shots are used beautifully to foster empathy in this short. The pauses are really effective in moving us from one point of view to another.

Moments
Switch between warm and cool colors, music instead of much dialog

Yes. The contrast of colours is really powerful. The way the music builds to a crescendo helps us empathise with the characters.

The Alphabet of Illiteracy
Stark contrast between happy child song and krass words and graphics

Yes. The use of music is masterful here. The contrast between the childish song and the stark images is shocking.

The Reader
Different shots in different places, contrast happy and challenging moments

Yes. The contrast between happy and challenging situations is really noticeable here.

We’re the Superhumans
Strong, radiant colors. Lively music, portraying strength in light of adversity

Yes. The strong and radiant colours help to portray this strength in adversity.

Stand up
Close ups, on the hands for example, or the pained faces

The close-ups of facial expressions and hands help us feel empathy for the character.

Mankind is no Island
Varied pacing of images / clips. Melancholic instrumental

Yes. The variety of the pacing is really impressive here.

Thanks again for your great evaluation, Angie.

All the best,

Kieran

[Kieran]

Hi Anthony,

Thanks very much for your excellent answers.

Intuitively I would go with the House on Mango Street, Refugee Boy, and No fixed Address.

Very good choices, in my opinion

The House on Mango Street – I read it in High School, and my teacher had us write vignettes about our neighbourhood, which I really enjoyed.

I’m delighted to hear you had a positive experience of reading this book as a student. I really like the activity of writing vignettes about our neighbourhood.

Refugee boy – especially now, it’s a very hot topic in Europe, and having a narrative about it would be very useful.

Yes. Sadly, it the subject is very topical.

No fixed Address – again, perhaps a selection bias of mine, the story just seems to resonate with my taste for people in unconventional situations.

You make a good point here. I think we are all led by our own reading preferences when selecting books for out¡r students. I think if the teacher is enthusiastic about the book and the subject, it’s much easier for them to transmit enthusiasm about reading.

I’m not sure to be honest how my students would react to any of these titles!

Good point. You never really know until you try them out. You might be pleasantly surprised!

No. As mentioned in the previous post, I hope to implement a reading course.

Best of luck in to implement the reading course.

a) novels have lost their place as a result of the growing presence of visual media and the internet. Why read when you can stream?

Very good point.

b) teachers might feel that time spent on reading in class is “lost time” and so they don’t encourage it.

Yes. I think many teachers have this viewpoint. But, in my opinion, it’s not true that time spent reading is lost time as the benefits of reading are so great.

c) in the case of adult learners, they might already have pre-established set of preferences when it comes to learning, and sometimes reading may not be one of them. They may feel like children if the teacher imposes a reading program.

Great point. I think there has to be more teacher education about the benefits of reading in language learning.

Thanks again for your excellent answers, Anthony.

All the best,

Kieran

[Kieran]

Hi Anthony,

Thanks very much for your great evaluation of the activity sheets.

(1) They are adults, and I can’t make reading mandatory, I can only encourage them to do so.

Yes. It’s difficult to oblige adults to read but an institution can make certain activities a compulsory part of the course.

(2) The course is in Business English: I’m afraid that they might respond to my initiative by saying that’s it’s a bit too off topic or irrelevant to them.

Good point but there are readers which focus on the biography of business leaders and entrepreneurs which would be of interest to professionals.

(3) I might be met with a bit of resistance from those who say they “don’t like reading” and prefer to watch movies.

Yes. if students don’t read in their native language/s, it’s almost impossible to get them to read in English.

1. Circle viewpoints:
Effective. It is well scaffolded to help the learners formulate their thoughts. I think it can also be adapted to different genres and situations. In fact, all you would need is a context (real or imaginative) in which several actors (real or fictive) are involved. Of course, there would have to be a spotlight on the characters or actors.

Yes. This activity is well scaffolded and flexible.

2. Empathy fostering questions:
Effective. They generate empathy by asking learners to relate to the character’s experience, on a personal level. I like how the questions also ask learners to share examples of experiences they have had and that relate to the character’s experience.

Yes. Many of the questions ask students to share examples of experiences they have had and that relate to the character’s experience. This personalisation is a great way of getting students of focusing on commonalities not always differences.

3. Readers Empathy workshop:
Effective: The activity has a nice sequence with plenty of opportunities to communicate to it which would make TBL teachers happy :-)…

Yes. This would work in TBL, won’t it?

I think that a nice follow up to this would be the role plays. Because learners by this time will have gathered enough ideas and knowledge of the characters.

Great idea. Roleplay would be a¡n excellent follow up.

4. Role Play questions
Effective, but when used with n.3, because learners may feel their imagination is too limited to answer the questions. Some questions might be a bit daunting to answer, or simply not be relevant to the story.

Yes. Some of the questions work better with certain narratives.

5. “List of Questions to Discuss the Character” (I forgot the name of this one!)
Effective, but insofar as the students don’t answer all of the questions. The idea is to discuss how the character’s beliefs change. This is obviously very specific to novels and stories.

Yes. The students would only be asked the Character Question they s¡think work best with the narrative they’re dealing with.

Thanks again for your great evaluation, Anthony.

All the best,

Kieran

[Kieran]

Hi Anthony,

Thanks very much for your excellent answers.

Things I do regularly
1. Listening
Peers who have observed me say I take time to listen to my learners. I try not to interrupt, I try to give them as much room to express themselves.

Giving students the time and space to express themselves is vitally important. It sounds like you do this really well.

I think sometimes I do this maybe too much as I don’t end up moving the lesson to the next stages.

I think if students are actively engaged in the activities and learning is taking place, we don’t don’t necessarily have to be overly-worried about not covering all the areas of the lesson.

2. Positive and affirmative approach.
This is something I’ve been including more and more, as I noticed some years back I was not doing much positive reinforcement. Actually, my director was the one who brought this up. I try to give genuine praise, not fake praise, too.

Yes. Genuine praise is the key here, in my opinion. I think students know when the praise is not real.

3. Enthusiasm.
This is a trait that both my learners and peers have observed. I think there is a cultural side to this: Americans are much better at showing enthusiasm. French people much less.

Enthusiasm is such an important quality for a teacher to have. I’m interested to hear you think Americans are generally more enthusiastic than French people. I’d be inclined to say that in general Americans are more enthusiastic in their attitude than Europeans in general.

Things I could do more regularly?

1. Giving attention.
I sometimes find myself thinking about the next stage of the lesson while listening to learners. Or, as this happened recently, I take notes on what the learner is saying. In both cases I end up losing sight of what the person was saying.

This is a very good point. It is difficult to focus completely on what each student is saying especially when you’re concerned about covering all the parts of the lesson plan.

2. Holistic view.
I want to make my classroom an “open horizon of encounter” for exchanging with my students on holistic level. This I think has a lot to do with Sidgwick’s statement. I think too often I am focused on the ‘teacher as teacher’ role, as well as with my lesson plan, and not enough on the genuine conversation. There’s a great irony in ELT that via classroom procedures and lesson objectives and course books we avoid the very thing we want to achieve – the ability to communicate.

This is an excellent point. An overemphasis on the syllabus, lesson objectives and course books, can prevent us from taking a holistic approach and forget about helping students communicate effectively.

3. Time-givers.
This is in line with the idea of wanting to “move forward” and get to the next stage of a lesson. I want =to feel it’s okay to “lose control”, and actually transform this into a learning experience.

This is a good point. There’s obviously a limit to how much time one teacher can give to each individual teacher in a classroom.

Thanks again for your excellent answers, Anthony.

All the best,

Kieran

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