Humans Wanted: Soft Skills in the English Classroom

By Mayra Yaranga Hernández

Tolerance, social perception, empathy, emotional intelligence, cultural awareness, critical thinking and others are part of a set of crucial skills we all need to survive in a world filled with materialism and vanity. We all know these skills are essential to adapt to a rapidly changing world but, are we born with them? Can we learn to develop them? Can they be taught? And if so, can they be measured somehow?

         The World Economic Forum, through its Future of Jobs Report 2018, suggests that by 2022 the top skills people must have will be: analytical thinking and innovation; active learning and active strategies; creativity, originality and initiative; technology design and programming; critical thinking and analysis. As we can see, most of them are soft skills. If the aim of education were to develop them, would it be possible to insert them in the context of a classroom? To be more precise, do they have a place in an EFL lesson?

         Current knowledge on soft skills tells us that they are not really teachable –-that we are somehow born with them-– and that they are common to all human activity. It is also agreed that they are not easily measured because they are of a more qualitative and subjective nature. Therefore, it may seem that their application in an English classroom is not feasible. On the other hand, if asked, teachers would probably say they all develop these skills to a certain extent when they promote leadership, tolerance or empathy. I would argue that this is true, though the key word here is “promote”, which is different from “teach” and sounds a lot less overwhelming! This could be done on a daily basis and without any explicit instruction: a hidden curriculum for the benefit of students.

         Given their importance, then, we should reflect on ways to promote soft skills in our daily work. An example could be how we encourage active listening: we could ask students to talk about something personal, and then ask their partners to report it to the whole class in as much detail as possible, including personal reactions to what they heard. It may sound rather obvious, but for some students this is quite challenging, as they are not used to paying too much attention to their peers. Furthermore, the next step would be to discuss ways to address soft skills with colleagues, in order to find common best practices and set criteria to assess them in a way as objective as possible. Perhaps, in our current world filled with emotionless technology, this could be the light at the end of the tunnel: a way to create the human beings the world needs.

Now it’s your turn

What do YOU think?

Do you promote soft skills in your lessons? How?

  

Biodata
Mayra Yaranga (1985) has completed Doctorate studies in Education at UNIFÉ; Master’s Degree in Media, Culture and Identity from Roehampton University (London) revalidated by PUCP, a Bachelor’s Degree in Education - UPCH and the Professional Title of Licenciada - IPNM. Currently she is Cambridge Oral Examiner and Member of the Research Area for Universidad del Pacífico Language Centre. She is also ESP coordinator and Pre-University Centre Director at UNIFÉ.

Why is it Vital to Maximize Our students’ Oral Production?

                                                              By Mayra Yaranga

It may seem obvious to say that students should be given the opportunity to speak as much as possible in language class. Although “TTT” has become a sort of monster that we should avoid at all costs, the truth is that it remains high in our lessons. Let’s revisit some of the rationale behind maximizing our learners’ talking time:

For students, there are several clear benefits of speaking repeatedly in class. First of all, the classroom is the safest setting where learners can practise what they have been learning in class. Teachers should correct mistakes which impede communication and provide feedback on the speaking activities so that students can reflect on what they did well or not. Furthermore, practising speaking from very basic levels –-with carefully graded activities and language patterns, of course-- can boost the students’ confidence and prepare them to face greater challenges in the real world. Finally, when activities, interaction patterns and degrees of challenge vary from lesson to lesson and within lessons, students will need to adjust their effort to meet the demands of the language class.

Teachers can also see benefits in having their students talk most of the time. Obviously, this has a very positive impact on classroom dynamics, because the students become the centre of attention; what they say is the most important thing, much unlike the traditional “let-me-tell-you-about-my-life” teacher that we’ve all had at some point. Lessons in which the students are doing most of the talking are less predictable and the teacher will have the chance to try different activities or techniques to cater for their groups. This extra effort, which may seem exhausting in the long run, can be truly appreciated by students in the end. Let’s not forget that the result of a good class will always be identified in students’ production. If we decide to show off our command of the language and not provide chances for experimentation, we are talking to ourselves, not teaching.

All in all, leading a change in class towards helping our students to maximize their oral production sounds logical though very challenging; nonetheless, we should not neglect it.

It’s your turn

What do YOU think?

What do you do to maximize your students’ oral production in class?

Biodata

Mayra Yaranga (1985) has completed Doctorate studies in Education at UNIFÉ; Master’s Degree in Media, Culture and Identity from Roehampton University (London) revalidated by PUCP, a Bachelor’s Degree in Education - UPCH and the Professional Title of Licenciada - IPNM. Currently she is Cambridge Oral Examiner and Member of the Research Area for Universidad del Pacífico Language Centre. She is also ESP coordinator and Pre-University Centre Director at UNIFÉ.

Foreign Language Professional Resolutions for 2018

By Mayra Yaranga

A new year has started and the time has come for resolution lists! Apart from eating more healthily and doing more exercise after the high in calories Christmas season, professionals should also reflect on how 2018 will make a difference in their careers. What about foreign language teachers? There are several areas where we can make resolutions… and fulfil them!

Language resolutions:

What should be on top of our academic/professional resolution list? Without any doubt, the language competence component. The best way to prove a real improvement in this aspect is sitting (and of course, passing) an English international examination. Besides, the feeling of achievement may motivate you to venture into more challenging duties within language teaching. However, we advise teachers to be careful when choosing a date: perhaps it is more advisable to sit a test early in the year, because the last three months are usually full of activities that leave teachers physically and mentally exhausted.

Another very important action to take is to start a study or a debate group. Some experts believe teachers’ command of the foreign language might become fossilised if it is only used to give instructions and explain through metalanguage. Do teachers have many chances to voice their views on a range of topics and push themselves to show their best lexical repertoire? A group can be the best option to try this.

Methodology Resolutions

Of course, methodology cannot be ignored in our perseverance list. One good action to try during the year is peer observation. Asking colleagues for their insights on our practices and techniques can be an incredibly revealing experience, and can throw light on aspects which we might have taken for granted. The most important benefit is that the observation can be carried out without the associated feeling of being evaluated for ‘quality control’ purposes, which scares even the most experienced teachers.

Another action that can help us make a difference this year is attending talks or conferences on foreign language teaching. Even if this is a requirement at work, having an open mind can help us discover, or re-discover, many aspects about our work that we might have forgotten. Sharing with other colleagues what we have learned and tried in our classes would be an interesting way to consolidate this learning.

Educational commitment at a broader scale:

One final resolution has to do with our commitment to the teaching profession. It is true: we are already committed by being part of the professional environment at work, or by studying to improve our skills. However, I believe that teachers cannot and should not remain passive before the wider context of educational policy on foreign language teaching or the measures taken to address the problems education faces in our country. We should not limit ourselves because we teach foreign languages – being informed is our right and our duty.

Now it is your turn:

What are your 2018 resolutions in the professional aspect?

Biodata

Mayra Yaranga (1985) has completed Doctorate studies in Education at UNIFÉ; Master’s Degree in Media, Culture and Identity from Roehampton University (London) revalidated by PUCP, a Bachelor’s Degree in Education - UPCH and the Professional Title of Licenciada - IPNM. Currently she is Cambridge Oral Examiner and Member of the Research Area for Universidad del Pacifico Language Centre. She is also ESP coordinator and Pre-University Centre Director at UNIFÉ.

Assessing Our Own Achievements

                                              

                                                       By Zarela Cruz

The culmination of the year is getting closer and closer; students are being persistently evaluated; and last but not least important, end-of- the-year exams are just around the corner. Perhaps a question to ponder is: Is it the time to assess only our students’ achievements or wouldn’t it be judicious to gauge our own ones as well?

How can we measure our own achievements?

As I pointed out before (see post Sep, 29th), most of our time is devoted to reach the set objectives, but, are we up to it? If we do not set our own goals, how can we demand our students to reach theirs? I do not mean at all to blame ourselves, what I do mean is to be consistent. At the beginning of the year, we should also prepare a list of the goals to be reached and also figure how effective we can be in doing it. We have to plan not only summative assessment, but also formative one; we have to be aware of the techniques we will implement and the reasons why we choose one or the other; we should be ready to make adjustments all along the year. Our achievement is not measured by how much our students like us, but how eager we are to expand their knowledge and to teach them not to be satisfied; to challenge themselves to get the well-known Krashen’s I + 1. That in itself will show us that we made our best effort.

Is being highly qualified opposed to being highly effective?

Not at all. Being highly qualified should be a starting point, but not the only one to be taken into account. Flexibility is the key concept that should lead our practice. Students highly rate a teacher who is able to inspire them by showing different strategies, one who is not afraid of trying harder and harder and who is capable of reflecting on their own performance. We do know that most teachers are perfectly proficient, but we do prefer the ones  whose techniques and styles can be perfected every time, that are never satisfied with what they already know, that are flexible enough as to allow themselves to find a more suitable way to educate. These are the ones that deserve our gratitude.

And now, YOUR TURN:

 Are you satisfied with what you have already achieved? If so, why? What else are you looking for? What strategies do you apply when you reflect on your own teaching?

Let us know what you think. Your expertise, your experience and your ideas are valuable to us!

References

http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/104136/chapters/The-Power-of-an-Effective-Teacher-and-Why-We-Should-Assess-It.aspx

http://www.sdkrashen.com/content/books/principles_and_practice.pdf

Biodata

Zarela Cruz graduated from Ricardo Palma University as a translator.  She also finished her master’s studies in Linguistics and took some specialization diplomas in English and Spanish. She has also completed a number of online certificates:  Teaching the Working Adult, Online, Hybrid and Blended Education, among other self-study courses. She has taught different courses, programs and levels and has been a teacher trainer, a lecturer and online instructor. This article aims to reflect on the self-evaluation all teachers are expected to do to assess their own achievements.