PR1604: Incorporating Empathy In The English Language Classroom

Khairul Hisyam Bin Baharuddin Faculty Of Language Studies And Human Development, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan

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This study explores the integration of empathy as a core value in English language teaching and evaluates its impact through an experimental classroom study. Empathy, defined as the ability to understand and share the feelings of others, is posited as essential for fostering intercultural competence and creating supportive, communicative learning environments. The intervention involved explicit instruction, empathetic modeling, literature-based perspective-taking, collaborative activities, and reflective exercises in a class of 30 students. Employing a quasi-experimental, pretest-posttest control group design, students were randomly assigned to either an empathy-integrated instruction group or a control group receiving standard curriculum. Quantitative measures (empathy and engagement scales) and qualitative data (student reflections and teacher observations) were collected before and after a four-week intervention. Results indicate that students exposed to empathy-focused instruction demonstrated statistically significant gains in empathy and classroom engagement, alongside qualitative reports of increased confidence and emotional well-being. The findings suggest that embedding empathy within English language teaching not only enhances linguistic and communicative competence but also promotes a positive, inclusive classroom climate.