Speaker
Description
Empathy in EFL classrooms is an essential element which positively correlates with greater student engagement, motivation, and outcomes due to teachers’ socio-emotional skill of perception, understanding and adaptation. Rather than an inherent intuition, empathy is a skill that can be developed and deepened through teacher self-reflective practices, leading to greater cognitive (perspective), affective (emotional) and motivational (compassion) empathies.
Special scheduling requests
If possible, Morning or Noon would be best due to nerves.
Short summary
Empathy in EFL classrooms is an essential element which positively correlates with greater student engagement, motivation, and outcomes due to teachers’ socio-emotional skill of perception, understanding and adaptation. Rather than an inherent intuition, empathy is a skill that can be developed and deepened through teacher self-reflective practices, leading to greater cognitive (perspective) , affective (emotional) and motivational (compassion) empathies.
Keywords
Empathy, Teacher Development, Reflective Practices, Experiences
Abstract
In the realm of EFL - which is underscored by a multitude of obstacles such as linguistic barriers, and socio-cultural misalignments (Hieu, 2024) - empathy is an essential element of effective EFL teachers to recognizing students’ struggles and adapting practices accordingly to navigate gaps and cultural divides (Li & Costa, 2023) (Aldrup et al, 2022). Beyond knowledge and academia, the empathetic practice of teachers is shown to positively correlate to increasing student engagement, motivation and learning outcomes (Tettegah & Anderson, 2007). Empathy, rather than simply a personality-based intuition, has potential for development (Kunyuk & Olseon, 2001). This presentation will explore how EFL instructors can deepen and revitalize their own levels of empathy for their students through reflective teaching practices of: perspective shift, narrative recollection, and teacher observation, ultimately leading to self-growth as individuals and as empathetic teachers (Thao et al, 2023) (Thuy, 2024). Such practices aim to develop cognitive empathy (understanding others perspective), affective empathy (understanding others emotion) and motivational empathy (compassion to distress) (Morse, et al. 1992) (Goleman, et al. 2017), all which in turn will aid to foster supportive learning environments for students.
References
Aldrup, K., Carstensen, B., & Klusmann, U. (2022). Is empathy the key to effective teaching? A systematic review of its association with teacher-student interactions and student outcomes. Educational Psychology Review, 34(3), 1177-1216. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-021-09649-y
Goleman, D., McKee, A., & Waytz, A. (2017). Empathy (HBR emotional intelligence series). Harvard Business Press.
Hieu, H. H. (2024). Integrating Empathy in EFL Education: A Study of Vietnamese Tertiary Teachers' Adaptive Responses. Journal of Language Teaching & Research, 15(4).
Kunyk, D., & Olson, J. K. (2001). Clarification of conceptualizations of empathy. Journal of Advanced nursing, 35(3), 317-325.
Li, H., & Costa, C. (2023). Internationalising teacher education at home: developing empathy through the sense of otherness in language learning. European Journal of Teacher Education, 46(3), 1-19. https://doi.org/10.1080/02619768.2023.2259082
Morse, J. M., Bottorff, J., Anderson, G., O'Brien, B., & Solberg, S. (1992). Beyond empathy: expanding expressions of caring. Journal of advanced nursing, 17(7), 809-821.
Tettegah, S., & Anderson, C. J. (2007). Pre-service teachers’ empathy and cognitions: Statistical analysis of text data by graphical models. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 32(1), 48-82. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2006.10.010
Thao, L. T., & Mai, L. X. (2022). English language teaching reforms in Vietnam: EFL teachers’ perceptions of their responses and the influential factors. Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching, 16(1), 29-40. https://doi.org/10.1080/17501229.2020.1846041
Thuy, T. T., Thuy, P. T., & Thao, L. T. (2024). Empathetic pedagogies in English as a foreign language (EFL) teaching: Specific strategies and experiences from the Mekong Delta context. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 23(1), 39
| Scheduling preference | Anytime on Saturday |
|---|---|
| Title | Essentialness of Empathy for EFL Instructors |