Jie Zhao's Portfolio Page

• Navigation link to mini-course: Social-emotional learning practice in L2

About Me

My name is Jie.  I’m from northeast China originally. Now I reside in Buffalo, NY. I love to watch Bills game. I have a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and worked as a journalist and mobile news editor after graduation. Moving to the US allowed me to pursue a new career--being a language teacher. I teach Mandarin online for three years. Currently, I work at a local high school.

I like to try new recipes when I am not teaching. Home-made pizza, Kimbap (Korean food), tacos, etc. My favorite food is dumplings. I also love to go camping with my family.

My Topic and Purpose

This mini-course focuses on social-emotional learning practice in second language acquisition. The purpose of this course is to discuss why social-emotional learning is vital to second-language learners and how social interaction and learners’ affective states promote the development of second-language competence, and to show instructors how to integrate social-emotional learning into teaching.

What is covered in this course

• What is social-emotional learning?

• How does social-emotional learning affect second language learners?

• Classroom Practices on Social Emotional Learning in L2.

Scope of Learning Outcomes

• Participants understand the relationship between social-emotional learning and L2.

• Participants can help L2 learners to link their cognitive and affective factors to develop their second language competence through classroom practice.

Needs Assessment

Instructional problem:

• Instructors focus too much on students’ academic development and neglect the importance of social-emotional learning.

• Language learners are a highly diverse population sharing unique cultural, academic, social, and emotional experiences, which requires educators to have the knowledge, skills, and support to help students deal with social-emotional struggles.

• Social-emotional learning improves academic achievement by an average of 11 percent, increases appropriate social behavior, improves students’ attitudes, and reduces depression and stress. (Durlak, Weissberg, Dymnicki, Taylor, & Schellinger, 2011, as cited in Sprenger, 2020, p.3).

Learner Analysis:

Participants include second-language instructors, preservice educators, or professionals in the educational field who are interested in learning and using the SEL approach to improve students’ language learning competencies.

Instructional content:

Participants will complete the minicourse online. Each unit begins with an overview of that unit's learning objectives. A text-based lecture or a related video lecture explains learning content and instruction. Participants must read two textbooks and additional scholarly articles to write posts and respond to peers in the discussion. Instructors will write a response to summarize the participants’ viewpoints at the end of the discussion. A reflective journal will put an end to each unit.

Analysis of gaps:

Language teachers focus on understanding students’ linguistic needs while addressing multiple measures for students’ success. There is a missing link between the benefit of integrating Social Emotional Learning (SEL) with social, emotional, and academic development. ( Horrell ,2019, p.3)   

Existing efforts :

Throughout the course, participants will read scholarly articles that share other language teachers’ perceptions and strategies for integrating SEL into practice. They also will discuss the obstacles you may encounter in their professional field and brainstorm solutions with peers. Finally, they will be asked to design a lesson involving SEL to demonstrate their understanding.

Intent statement:

The intention of designing this course is to help participants build awareness of the importance of SEL in language teaching and learning and to use SEL approaches to enhance learning.

Performance-Based Objectives

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Define Social Emotional Learning (SEL).
• Identify the importance of SEL in language teaching.
• Define the Five CASEL SEL core competencies.
• Evaluate their self-efficacy when integrating SEL in instruction.
• Analyze language learners' social-emotional needs and respond to them by using SEL approaches.
• Develop class activities that integrating SEL for language classrooms.  
• Use assessments to evaluate students' SE skills.

Task Analysis

Essential prerequisites :

Prior to take this course, participants must:

• Have a college level comprehension and writing skill to read text and write posts.
• Possess a computer skill that can navigate online learning.

Supporting prerequisites:

• Open mind to SEL in improving learning.
• Willing to search methods for integrating SEL into teaching.

Unit one: Introduction to SEL

By the end of this unit, participants will be able to:

• Define Social Emotional Learning (SEL)
• Understand the importance of SEL in language teaching.
• Define the the Five CASEL SEL core competencies.

Unit two: Preparing teachers for incorporating SEL in classroom

By the end of this unit, participants will be able to:

• Understand the need for teacher training in SEL.
• Understand the relationship between student Social and Emotional Behavioral Problems, Mental Health, and Classroom Management.
• Apply SEL strategies to reduce student teacher stress.

Unit three: Practical applications of SEL in teaching.

By the end of this unit, participants will be able to:

• Develop class activities that integrating SEL for language classrooms.  

• Use tech tools to enhance SEL.

Unit four : SEL assessments

By the end of this unit, participants will be able to:

• Understand the different item types' strength and weakness.
• Use The Big Five framework to assess students' SE skills.

Curriculum Map

References:

Luis Javier Pentón Herrera, & Gilda Martinez-Alba. (2021). Social-Emotional Learning in the English Language Classroom : Fostering Growth, Self-Care, and Independence. TESOL Press.

Sprenger, B, M., (2020). Social-Emotional Learning and the Brain : Strategies to Help Your Students Thrive. ASCD.

Horrell, L. (2019). Social Emotional Learning: Teachers' Perceptions and Practices with English Learners. The College of William and Mary ProQuest Dissertations Publishing.