Promoting soft skills in the English classroom
When teaching English, we often focus on developing technical skills such as grammar, pronunciation, and vocabulary. However, developing students’ soft skills is also necessary. These competencies—effective communication, teamwork, creativity, and critical thinking—are essential for both learning and developing students. Read on for tips on how to create strategies that foster students’ soft skills while learning English.
Classification of soft skills
Currently, these skills can be classified under the 4 Cs model:
Critical thinking: It consists of the analysis of information, its interpretation and its conclusions. This makes students question the “why?” of things or situations. Critical thinking will be a valuable personal trait for their development in society.
Communication: It involves sharing ideas, asking questions, and inspiring others. When students gain this skill, it is crucial to their effectiveness in teamwork, their success in leadership, and community building.
Cooperation: It fosters skills such as trust in others, mutual support and taking responsibility. These abilities support the student’s future development both in the classroom and in their professional future.
Creativity: It involves developing ideas, thinking, creating. The value of creativity and authenticity also improves students’ performance both in the classroom and in their daily lives.
Benefits of soft skills development for English language learners
– They foster important qualities for their personal growth, such as responsibility, decision-making and problem-solving.
– They improve their teamwork, critical thinking and global awareness, which are necessary when studying a foreign language.
– They increase active listening and the ability to maintain conversations through oral expression activities.
– They practice collaboration and negotiation through tasks in pairs or groups, reinforcing effective cooperation.
– They develop communication skills applicable to real-life situations, beyond grammatical mastery.
– They integrate critical thinking when interpreting complex information.
– Students obtain comprehensive learning.
Activities for students to develop soft skills in the English classroom
1. Planning and execution of agendas: In the results, students could analyze why certain decisions were made, what responsibilities were fulfilled, and debate the decisions made.
2. Team tasks: Development of activities that have to be solved as a team, for example solving a case through clues related to grammar learning, etc.
3. Planning: It can be anything from launching a project to managing an imaginary company, which would help exemplify decision-making, leading teams and practicing
4. Rephrase ideas: Ask students to express an idea but with a different approach.
5. Simulation of situations: Debates, problem solving or even role-playing are all great ways to get students interacting and getting their creativity going.
Conclusion
By applying soft skills in class, we foster student development as they learn, which will not only create a more dynamic environment and confidence in the language, but will also make them better prepared for the challenges of their future.
References:
Bartolomé, A. (2022, October 20). Discover how to enhance your child’s soft skills and how they can help them in their professional future. Novakid. https://www.novakid.es/blog/trabaja-con-tu-hijo-sus-habilites-blandas-en-ingles/
Blog, S. (2021, August 27). Soft skills in language teaching. Sanako. https://sanako.com/soft-skills-in-language-teaching
Oxford University Press ELT. (2024, May 28). Soft skills activities: ideas for your language classroom. Teaching English with Oxford. https://teachingenglishwithoxford.oup.com/2024/05/28/soft-skills-activities-language-classroom/
