Adil Bentahar, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA

As language educators, we have not only the opportunity but also the honorable charge of bringing about change in our classrooms, schools, and communities. There is more we can do in EFL and ESL classrooms than teaching students subject-verb agreement and thesis statement creation. A pivotal instructional area worth considering in English language classrooms is leadership.

Of course, adding leadership-oriented content would lay the onus on teachers to promote leadership development while still meeting specific course goals. Paterson (2019) and Barton (2019) highlighted many ways of introducing leadership in language classrooms. In this article, I aim to supplement some of their suggestions with practices I have experienced firsthand, along with other practices shared with me by colleagues with expertise in EFL and ESL.

Leadership in the English Classroom

Sharing stories in class about leaders is a reliable way of recognizing and celebrating the value of leadership. Depending on the goals, language teachers can assign students a leadership figure to read about or listen to. Teachers can provide content with level-appropriate listening-and-reading comprehension tasks, whereby students complete wh– questions, such as “What made X a leader, and how successful were they?” In an intensive English program (IEP) reading and writing course, my students chose a book on a leader who—they thought—made a difference (e.g., Barack Obama); this was an assignment used for extensive reading purposes. The students then reported on their books by evaluating the figure in terms of socially responsible and not socially responsible leadership or by comparing them to another figure introduced earlier or chosen by the students for this very purpose. Using readings on leadership figures of relevance to students, the unit, or the activity as a foundation for productive-skill (writing or speaking) assignments can truly help enhance students’ learning.

In addition to leaders portrayed in texts, language teachers’ own leadership roles are worthwhile for class discussion. During an ESL class discussion, I seized the opportunity to list a few student organizations and exemplified my previous involvement as the former president of U.S.-based student organizations. Weeks later, two of my students pleasantly surprised the class by announcing they had joined Virginia Tech’s Saudi Student Club as officers. As long as it is done humbly, displaying one’s leadership in class can be empowering to students. In addition, depending on the context, teachers can share examples of previous and current leadership providing major service to the department and college (e.g., as union representatives or level coordinators) or to civil society (e.g., as not-for-profit organization founders and active members); they can also explain how they share leadership with other colleagues or with students. Students often look up to their teachers as the best role models and as great leaders.

As an additional step in developing leadership skills, a common practice among my colleagues is to put students in charge by assigning them roles and asking them to take responsibility for class activities. Some students facilitate or lead a discussion; others take notes of the discussion, while other members may be tasked with presenting the group’s view to the rest of the class. By a small stretch, we may consider even those handing out papers as taking on a leadership role of a sort. In a word, putting students in charge is tantamount to helping them assume leadership roles.

Promoting English Through Leadership Beyond the Classroom Walls

Social justice and civic responsibility are examples of content areas replete with opportunities for students to learn to deliberate options, objectively examine social issues, and propose well thought-out solutions to a community problem (Bentahar & O’Brien, 2019), which are skills great leaders are known to possess. Hoping to raise awareness of a major social issue, a group of teenagers in my EFL class in Morocco spent hours in schools and neighborhoods educating other students about bullying, a social issue fraught with unspoken assumptions in that country, especially when numerous teenagers’ bullying-related suicides go unnoticed and soon become forgotten (Nasri, 2014). Despite their age, these young leaders candidly and confidently affirmed that school stakeholders [including administrators and students] ought to speak up to ensure the accountability of everyone involved. Back in the classroom, students then reported their learning outcomes and reflections through oral presentations in English with, in this case, some of the school administrators in attendance.

Opportunities abound for building students’ social responsibility and active involvement in their communities beyond the classroom. Teachers and administrators can give students relevant responsibility outside the classroom and help them build the confidence needed for success. For instance, taking on relevant IEP administrative duties, some students could commit to announcing events, while others could translate forms for new students during placement testing. Regardless of the scope of the tasks, small undertakings may become big responsibilities and authentic opportunities for developing social responsibility at school (Barton, 2019). As previously mentioned, school or university clubs can also be empowering, especially when students help recruit other members to join clubs and exercise essential civic concepts, such as campaigning, voting, and running for leadership positions. Similarly, extracurricular activities constitute an authentically appropriate support mechanism for English learners to interact responsibly and confidently with community members, collaborate on school projects, and take on roles, such as committee members, media coordinators, and club chairs, which reflects an informed, active, and responsible civic awareness that leaders possess (Bentahar, 2018).

Overall, rather than a strict adherence to textbooks, supplementing and diversifying the curriculum with leadership-oriented materials and activities is well worth our time and effort. By considering the merits of leadership content, language teachers will be able not only to meet their learning outcomes but also to create opportunities for their students to exercise leadership. The role and power of teachers is paramount in shaping students’ present and future experiences as socially responsible and active community members. In Harold McAlindon’s words, “Do not follow where the path may lead…go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”

References

Barton, T. (2019). Developing student leadership through service learning. Serve Learn. https://servelearn.co/blog/developing-student-leadership-through-service-learning

Bentahar, A. (2018, March). Empowering ELLs through civic learning. Virginia TESOL Newsletter, 21(1), 10–11.

Bentahar, A., & O’Brien, J. (2019). Raising students’ awareness of social justice through civic literacy. Journal of Social Studies Education Research, 10(1), 193–218.

Nasri, A. (2014, September 26). Bullying in Moroccan schools. Morocco World News. https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2014/09/140092/bullying-in-moroccan-schools

Paterson, J. (2019). Strategies for teaching students leadership skills. Education World. https://www.educationworld.com/tips-teaching-students-become-tomorrow%E2%80%9s-leaders.