I don’t know about you, but I sometimes feel like the black sheep of the school because I don’t teach a STEM or state-tested subject. I agree that STEM classes are needed and necessary, but I also feel that learning about and developing compassion and empathy for others is equally important. As a result, I regularly campaign in my classes. I mean it! I frequently explain the reasons why we do what we do. I remind my students that the number one job skill they can have right now is a second language. I have nothing at all against high level math and science – my own children take these classes. But the truth is, calculus is going to help a small few in their chosen fields whereas being able to communicate in more than one language will help EVERYONE. From working at retail centers, to small businesses, to major manufacturers, knowing a second language puts you one step ahead of the competition.
I recently came across an article by Cathy N. Davidson that confirmed my belief that what I teach is just as important as STEM (if not even a little MORE important). Davidson is the director of the Futures Initiative and a professor in the doctoral program in English at the Graduate Center, CUNY, and author of the new book, The New Education: How to Revolutionize the University to Prepare Students for a World in Flux.
In this article, Davidson describes a recent Google study on the importance of soft skills in their work environment. Soft skills are those skills that include being a good coach, communicating and listening well, having empathy toward and being supportive of others, and being able to make connections across complex ideas. These are all skills that are developed in liberal arts programs across the country. They are also skills that are the focal point of my TPRS/CI Spanish classroom!
According to Google, the number one soft skill employees need to possess is emotional safety. They need to know that they can speak up AND make mistakes. This is what we do in TPRS/CI language classrooms! We provide input in a variety of contexts in order to create a strong language foundation. The games that we play and the laughter we share create an emotional safety net for our students where they can explore and try out their language in a variety of supportive contexts.
The cultural lessons I use in class (example here and here) are aimed at making the world a smaller place and creating a sense of we’re all the same instead of we’re all different. They also provide a compelling reason to want to learn a second language. We often work on listening with the intention to understand, being supportive of others, and making connections across complex ideas.
One last thing I want to emphasize: I could do very little of this when I taught from a textbook with pre-created lessons, long vocabulary lists, and a focus on grammar instead of communication. With TPRS/CI I am free to teach compelling content that focuses on students learning to communicate. Just one more reason for me to shout “TPRS/CI FOR THE WIN!!”
