In ELT, as teachers, managers and curriculum developers we may place too much focus on our academic objectives and forget that learners are young human beings mostly overwhelmed with emotions, stressors and they usually lack the strategies to cope with them. Language learning brings about an additional set of emotions (anxiety, boredom, hopelessness and lack of self-confidence) to the educational settings. As language teachers we do our best to contain these feelings as much as possible but sometimes we are out of solutions. In the 21st century as educators, our job is to support the learners not only in their academic skills but also in their life skills which will help them to grow into whole, resilient and competent individuals. Learners who cultivate these life skills will be able to deal with the challenges and stressors in their life and achieve better academic results. Mindfulness based pedagogies and practices are a way to instil these life skills in learners. In this webinar, I will introduce the mindfulness concept and its effects on learning and learners. By the end of the webinar, participants will have learnt some mindfulness activities designed specifically for ELT classes and language learners.
