Humanistic Language Teaching in the 21^st Century

Paul Bress, UK

Paul Bress freelance and works for Trinity College London, the University of Leicester, UK, as well as in International Study Programmes and the London Tests of English. E-mail: paulbress@talktalk.net, www.bemycoach.co.uk

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Introduction
Features of HLT
The 21^st century
Conclusion

Introduction

Humanistic Language Teaching (HLT) has attracted considerable criticism in recent years1, and yet organisations such as Pilgrims (based in Canterbury in the UK) still run popular courses and offer a much visited website for aspiring teachers of HLT. But does HLT still have a place in the modern world? I want to examine, in this article, the origin and meaning of humanism, how humanistic tenets can be applied to ELT, how the world has changed in recent years, and, finally, whether HLT can really hope to survive in this new century.

The origins of humanism go back some 2,500 years in fact. In the west, Socrates stressed the importance of thinking for oneself, while in the east Confucius stressed the need to work together for the greater good. These two strands of thought have merged together in modern humanism, resulting in a number of axioms, such as:
We need to use independent thinking to determine how we can develop best.
We need to base our development on facts/evidence.
We should develop all aspects of ourselves, e.g. our ability to think, feel, and plan.

Features of HLT

I want now to look at key features of humanism that a typical HLT teacher might include in his/her teaching. I will also refer to actual classroom activities that demonstrate those features. These appear in italics.

1. Deep thinking
   
   Humans have the ability to contemplate, which other species appear to lack. A classroom example of contemplation would be for individual students to write down three guiding principles by which they lead (or could lead) their lives.
2. Creativity
   
   Humans have an astonishing ability both to imagine and to represent what's imagined in a variety of 'artistic' forms. A classroom example: groups of students who have similar philosophies create either a poem, a song, or a picture - which represents their common philosophy.
3. Empathy
   
   Our ability to imagine incorporates an ability to imagine what it's like to be another person. In the classroom: students, in pairs, discuss their thoughts and feelings concerning something that is very dear to them. When each student listens, they have to tune into the other's thoughts, feelings, and intentions. They can then check they got them right.
4. Communication
   
   Obviously other species communicate with each other, but, as we are more complex creatures, and have much more complex language, we have so many nuances to communicate and so many tools to communicate those nuances with. In the classroom: when the students are talking in the above exercise, they endeavour to express their thoughts, feelings, and intentions in a way that the other student will understand.
5. Theorising
   
   Other species don't seem to have that advanced cognitive behaviour that we call 'theorising'. This involves abstracting oneself from the here and now, constructing an idea, and then testing that idea in the physical world. In the classroom: groups write (e.g. five) 'agree/disagree' statements to be put to the other students in class. Before they ask the questions they guess how each student will respond. An example statement: "Immigrants should always completely adapt to the culture they are now living in."

The 21^st century

If you are older than 30, you should be able to look back and see enormous changes in society during your lifetime. Particularly in the 'developed' world there is more conspicuous consumption, the economy is dominated by a number of vast multinational companies, there is less chance of having an accident at work or at home, and there are increasingly rigorous procedures for quality control. But let's look at some specific recent changes, and, for each, consider whether they are compatible with HLT or not. So I'm seeing each through the eyes of a HLT student.

1. Everything is changing with increasing speed
   
   Perhaps some students (used to a lot of external stimuli) will be resistant to some individual work which involves both quiet and reflective thought.
2. We are becoming more 'politically correct'
   
   This change in the use of language should involve empathy - i.e. an idea of what it might be like to be another person. You might argue that only a fully empathic person is genuinely politically correct. In this context, HLT is very much in tune with the application of political correctness (or, as I prefer to call it, 'social awareness').
3. We have more and more choices
   
   In think that HLT teachers can give students the option to do an activity - but if they prefer to do a different one, they should be allowed to do so. They may want to experiment with the original activity when they feel they are more ready for it.
4. There is less tolerance of war
   
   I think HLT is in tune with the modern zeitgeist here. Its emphasis on thinking deeply about problems - and clear communication - is likely to result in a reduction in the desire for conflict.
5. Our attention spans are getting shorter
   
   I think that the multi-tasking, multi-media, lives we lead today make it more difficult for us to reflect and empathise. However, I suppose it is possible we will revert to those more human traits (listed in section 2) when we get used to certain technologies. I think the jury is out on this issue of attention spans.
6. We have increasingly high expectations of goods/services etc.
   
   I think that many students might feel disappointed with a HLT course ( particularly if they don't know what they are expecting). They may develop the feeling that the teacher should be doing more (other than adopting a facilitative role). They may too expect a greater focus on the learning of discrete items of target language.

Conclusion

So, in some ways, HLT would seem to be in tune with the development of a rapidly changing world, but in other ways it isn't. Does this mean that HLT needs to do an about turn in certain areas? Not necessarily. One advantage of increased technology is the popularity of the internet, and, with it, a particular kind of democracy in which everyone is free to express his/her opinion in chat rooms and blogs etc. This gives people who are not content with the way society is developing a chance to challenge it. In turn, this could mean that a solid core of people, voting with their feet, will be only too happy to follow the principles of learning inherent in HLT.

In fact, it might even be time for the creation of a Certificate or Diploma in HLT. This may seem to be in contradiction with the spirit of humanism - but, in my view, this would ensure that a) HLT has a higher profile, b) interested professionals are clearer about what HLT means, and c) people who profess to be HLT practitioners do not slip into non-humanistic practices.

www.usingenglish.com/speaking-out

Please check the Skills of Teacher Training course at Pilgrims website.
Please check the Expert Teacher course at Pilgrims website.