NCTE 2021

For many years, education has focused on “Hard Thinking”: prioritising “Cognition” in the language classroom. Aspects such as creativity, emotions and strategic training have been neglected in the pursue of rational thinking and knowledge. Nowadays, educators have started to acknowledge the relevance of “Soft Thinking” and the “Socioemotional Domain” as scaffolding elements that enable the development of learners’ Communicative Competence. Resourcefulness, Resilience and Reflection are posed at the forefront in such a way life-long learning can be promoted. “Desperate times, take desperate measures” but, why not understanding the world as an everchanging force and enabling learners to adjust to dealing with face to face and online interactions? Developing “Resourcefulness”, “Resilience” and “Reflection” can certainly promote the combination of “Soft” and “Hard” thinking our students need to move in the world.
In this session, we will discuss how theorists such as Claxton, Vygotsky and Brunner identify the relevance of fostering learning as a whole and how, as practitioners, we can help build the bridges that enable our learners to “be” in a foreign language.