On Monday, 12 June 2023, VVOB and NISSEM hosted a webinar to mark the release of NISSEM's Global Briefs Volume 4, a comprehensive collection of diverse research papers examining the vital relationship between language teaching and social and emotional learning in diverse global contexts.
This eagerly anticipated volume, titled 'Doing More with Language Teaching,' brought together 37 contributors from around the world who shared their insights and experiences on how language interventions can enhance social and emotional learning and promote learners' holistic development. The webinar (available to watch here) featured the work of four of the latest volume’s contributors, showcasing their expertise and valuable perspectives on the intersection of language teaching and social and emotional learning.
The importance of social and emotional learning
Social and emotional learning is the process of acquiring skills that empower the learner with abilities to build healthy relationships, cope better with stress, engage in healthy conflict, empathise, and be aware of self and those around them. Seen as crucial for achieving the targets of the Sustainable Development Goals, social and emotional learning supports learners to develop into responsible, empathetic, and productive citizens who can actively participate in addressing individual and global issues.
Insights from the webinar
The webinar began with Susan Iannuzzi, an Independent Education & Publishing Consultant, setting the stage for the discussion by drawing on her experience in The Gambia. Iannuzzi explored how concepts of social and emotional learning are being incorporated into the new competence-based curriculum for English, focusing specifically on the textbooks.
She drew on the example of adjectives and how to teach adjectives as feelings which can be personalised by learners. By understanding language as a tool to communicate about themselves, learners can develop a deeper connection with the language. As Iannuzzi put it, using metalwork as an analogy, there's a big difference between knowing what different types of hammers are used for and actually being able to use them.
Abdelkader Ezzaki, an Independent Expert on Education & Training, raised similar points on the teaching of Modern Standard Arabic in the Moroccan school system. As he summarised, the problem lies in the teaching about the language rather than teaching the language or teaching with the language. Ezzaki proposed embedding social and emotional learning into a curriculum that is relevant across all subjects, not limited to language alone. This holistic and integrated approach, complemented by teacher training and school leadership, ensures that teachers are equipped to communicate effectively in the language they are teaching.
Michael Phiri, Research Advisor at VVOB in Zambia, shared insights from the Catch Up programme in Zambia, which uses the Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) approach to increase literacy and numeracy skills. Phiri discussed the potential of TaRL to build social and emotional competencies in learners through its accelerated learning methodology, including learning through play. Initial findings from a pilot research study indicate that Catch Up contributes to social and emotional competencies in the domains of empathy and conflict resolution.
The reason for the performance of learners in these two domains could be the ability grouping of learners in TaRL, which encourages equality among different grades and strengthens the spirit of cooperation and prosocial behavior and less of competition. This condition has the potential to reduce negative conflict and increase empathy. However, this argument is subject to further investigation should a scale-up of the research be conducted but proved an interesting subject for discussion during the webinar.
Le Anh Vinh, Director General of Vietnam Institute of Educational Sciences (VNIES) & Director of National Center for Sustainable Development of General Education Quality, delved into the challenges and opportunities associated with promoting social and emotional learning through language teaching in Vietnam. While the Vietnamese curriculum has made progress in integrating social and emotional learning, Vinh highlighted the need for a more systematic approach to ensure essential competencies are covered. He also emphasised the crucial role of teachers and the involvement of families in supporting social and emotional learning.
Common threads
Although each case study presented a specific geography and context, they all highlighted the strong connection between language teaching and social and emotional learning, emphasising the importance of integrating social and emotional learning into language instruction to foster learners' holistic development. The journey of language learning is not solely about acquiring grammar and vocabulary; it is also about fostering personal growth, empathy, and global citizenship. The presenters highlighted the need for better instruments to measure social and emotional learning skills.
These valuable insights also underscored the importance of policy frameworks, teacher training, and family engagement in successfully integrating social and emotional learning into language teaching practices.
Inspired by the common threads highlighted in this webinar, let’s continue to explore and innovate in the intersection of language teaching and social and emotional learning, empowering learners to thrive academically, emotionally, and socially in an ever-changing society. Download the full volume of NISSEM’s Global Brief 4: 'Doing More with Language Teaching.
