Advocating A Pedagogy of Happiness in TESOL PDF
Advocating A Pedagogy of Happiness in TESOL PDF
Advocating A Pedagogy of Happiness in TESOL PDF
zet
Pozitif psikoloji ve yaam becerileri eitiminde tartlan pek ok konu arasndan mutluluk farkl bir neme
sahiptir. Pratik anlamda, pozitif psikoloji hareketinin nemli bir ayrc zellii, makul ekilde bireyin
mutluluunu zenginletiren mdahale programlar gelitirmek ve sz konusu ilerlemeyi srdrmek olabilir.
Eitimde iyi oluu gelitirmenin nemine ynelik olarak pozitif psikoloji ve yaam becerileri eitiminin
ncllerini, mutluluk konusunu ve retilebilir olma kapsamn inceleyerek bu aratrmada, Anadili ngilizce
Olmayanlara ngilizce retimi (TESOL) alannn, mutlulua ynelik bir pedagoji benimsenmesi ve mutluluk
mdahale programlar gelitirmek iin ayrt edici potansiyeller sunulmas iin esiz bir ortam olup olmayaca
tartlmtr.
Anahtar Szckler: Pozitif psikoloji, yaam becerileri eitimi, mutluluk, iyi olu, TESOL, uygulamal ELT,
yaam mfredat
Introduction
Individuals with a variety of mental disorders often seek help from expert counselors who can soothe
the pain and open new horizons in the life of their clients. Under this account, the idea of educational
therapy (Caspari, 1976) came into being as a specialized educational and therapeutic form of
instruction which is tailored to meet the specific needs of students. Put another way, in educational
therapy the teacher plays the role of a therapist, while the problematic learner plays the role of a client.
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Among a variety of topics typically discussed in educational therapy which can put at risk the mental
health of individuals are communication problems, learning difficulties, depression, and deficiency in
building interpersonal ties in society (Jarvis, 2005).
Such a disease psychology undertaking which has begun since the start of World War II was
overthrown by a rather new movement in the field of psychology known as positive psychology
(Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2000). This enterprise highlights the importance of enhancing peoples
strengths, virtues and competencies, rather than trying to alleviate their disease symptoms. In much the
same way, the idea of life skills education, backed up with several educational philosophers (Dewey,
1897; Freire, 1998; Krishnamurti, 1981; Walters, 1997) as well as many researchers (e.g., Hare, 1999;
Matthews, 2006; Noddings, 2003; Winch, 1999), has come to the scene for the purpose of improving
peoples well-being in educational settings.
Among the many issues discussed in positive psychology and life skills education, happiness
enjoys a distinctive stature (Diener, 1984; Seligman et al., 2005). For one thing, when it comes to
practice, an essential hallmark of the positive psychology movement would reasonably be to develop
intervention programs that enhance individuals happiness and sustain such improvement over time
(Seligman et al., 2005). To date, a number of happiness intervention programs have been developed
(e.g., Fordyce, 1983; Lichter, Haye, & Kammann, 1980; Seligman, Rashid, & Parks, 2006; Stones, &
Kozma, 1986).
In parallel to such interest, given the key role of language classrooms in the enhancement of life
skills in learners (Pishghadam, 2011), in this paper we argue that English language teaching (ELT)
classes can be unique sites that offer distinctive potentials for conducting happiness intervention
programs. In what follows, the readers are provided with a review on four forerunners of positive
psychology and life skills education as to the importance of improving well-being in education. We
continue our discussion by reviewing the topic of happiness and the need to incorporate happiness
intervention programs in educational settings. Finally, we will consider the potentialities of the field of
TESOL, as one particular case in point, in the incorporation of a pedagogy of happiness.
effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life (WHO). The pivotal life skills
emphasized by WHO include psychosocial and interpersonal competencies such as, decision making,
problem solving, creative thinking, critical thinking, effective communication, interpersonal
relationship skills, self-awareness, empathy and understanding, coping with emotions, and coping with
stress.
Learning life skills is a fruitful practice (Murthy & Wig, 2003) that helps individuals to deal
effectively with everyday challenges of life (Orley, 1997); accordingly, life skills training can enable
students to act in pro-social ways (Birell, Weisen, & Orley, 1996) and may help them take more
responsibility for their behaviors and actions (Orley, 1997). In effect, as Matheson and Grosvenor
(1999) have pointed out, school can be an appropriate place for introducing life skills programs
alongside other academic subjects. Therefore, given the fact that schools enjoy a high credibility with
students parents and community members (WHO, 1997), they can be sites for a life skills
intervention (Behura, 2012).
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Further, many studies have also been carried out with the aim of measuring happiness (Argyle,
Martin, & Crossland, 1989; Diener et al., 1985; Lyubomirsky & Lepper, 1999; McGreal & Joseph,
1993; Watson, Clark, & Tellegen, 1988). Nonetheless, in practical terms, an essential hallmark of the
positive psychology movement would reasonably be to develop intervention programs that enhance
individuals happiness and sustain such improvement over time (Seligman et al., 2005). Accordingly, a
number of intervention programs have been developed to improve individuals level of happiness (e.g.,
Fordyce, 1977, 1983; Lichter, Haye, & Kammann, 1980; Seligman, Rashid, & Parks, 2006; Stones &
Kozma, 1986).
Yet the question that needs to be answered is can we teach happiness? Fortunately, based on
the set point theory of happiness proposed by Lyubomirsky, Sheldon and Schkade (2005), despite the
fact that the major portion of the happiness construct is determined by genetic and demographic
factors, a considerable part of happiness also involves intentional activities to promote happiness. In
much the same way, other scholars (e.g., Morris, 2009; Noddings, 2003; Scoffham & Barnes, 2011)
have considered the notion of happiness to be teachable and have recommended that happiness should
be incorporated into different types of curriculum.
language and sociolinguists during the 1970s (Nunan, 1988). As its name implies, in a functionalnotional syllabus (Wilkins, 1976), instruction is organized around notions, or particular contexts of
communication such as duration, color, size, time, etc., and functions, or the purposes of
communication such as warning, commanding, complimenting, apologizing, etc., of a language, rather
than merely in terms of grammatical structures. An important point concerning functional-notional
syllabuses is that for the purpose of specifying the functions to be included in a course, it is often
mandatory to conduct some form of needs analysis. Moreover, White (1988) proposes some criteria
such as need, utility, coverage or generalizability, interest, relevance, complex of form, and frequency,
for the selection and gradation of notions and functions that should be included in any particular
functional-notional syllabus.
Finocchiaro and Brumfit (1983) provide a list of advantages of employing functional-notional
syllabuses among which are the following: These syllabuses motivate learners to communicate in the
target language by offering learners basic communicative functions; they remind learners that there
must be a real purpose for speaking; and they allow teachers to develop flexible and modular courses.
Regardless of the fact that functional-notional orientation in syllabus design was in some respects an
advantage over the grammatical and lexical syllabuses, many scholars and researchers of the field like
Widdowson (1979), Nunan (1988), Dubin and Olshtain (1986), and Richards (2001), have expressed
their strong concern regarding the design and application of such a syllabus.
In recent years, there has been a shift of focus in syllabus design from the product of instruction,
or the skills and knowledge the learners are supposed to acquire, to the process of learning a language
through which such knowledge and skills might be gained. Language learning is no longer considered
to be additive, i.e. only when one form is acquired by a person can one move on to the next form.
Rather, language learning is a complicated process of forming and testing hypotheses through which
learners will realize whether they should abandon or keep their former hypotheses (Willis & Willis,
2007). Accordingly, a process-oriented syllabus, or the analytical approach, which focuses on both the
learning process and the learner, rather than merely on the outcome of learning, was proposed. Prabhu
(1980) also proposed procedural syllabus as a new type of syllabus with the underlying assumption
that form is best learned when the learners attention is on meaning (Beretta, 1989, p. 233) with
more emphasis on the learner and the learning process. The procedural syllabus is structured around
tasks and activities including, information-, reasoning-, and opinion-gap activities, rather than in terms
of grammar or vocabulary items (Nunan, 1988).
One of the alternative syllabus models that have been proposed in the last twenty years is the
task-based syllabus. The starting point in a task-based approach to language teaching and learning is
focus on meaning. Rather than preparing lists of grammatical and vocabulary items, notions, functions,
etc. which is typical of traditional syllabuses, the task-based syllabus designer begins the design
process with conducting a needs analysis coming up with a list of the target tasks that learners are
required to perform outside the language class (Nunan, 2001). Irrespective of their numerous merits,
however, task-based syllabuses have been criticized on a number of grounds such as the difficulty of
their evaluation, their incompatibility with different educational settings (Ellis, 2003), their
incapability to tap individual differences and learning styles (Skehan, 1998), and their heavy reliance
on theoretical arguments, rather than on empirical evidence (Sheen, 1994).
The primary purpose of a content-based or topical syllabus as another type of syllabus is the
concurrent teaching of some well-defined content area pertaining to particular fields of study such as
chemistry, engineering, biology, medicine, etc. and language use skills. Therefore, content area and
language should not be considered separate operations (Mohan, 1986). The underlying assumption in
content syllabuses is that unlike science, history, or mathematics, language is not a subject in its own
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right, but merely a vehicle for communicating about something else (Xiaotang, 2004).
(3) English teaching classes mostly enjoy a funny and friendly atmosphere for learning. For
instance, discussing a cornucopia of topics, listening to various songs, watching different movies,
using computers, the Internet, cell phones, and different kinds of tasks make the English language class
be a fun.
(4) The fourth argument which adds to the unique nature of ESL/EFL classes is that these classes
mostly comprise pair/group work activities. In effect, knowledge is co-constructed once learners
engage in joint activities mediated by a variety of cultural artifacts, tools and signs (Rogoff, Turkanis,
& Bartlett, 2001). The socially constructed knowledge enhances the dialogic and dynamic nature of
these classes, giving learners a sense of accomplishment when they reach a joint objective.
Our fourth argument seems to match well with Lazarus (1991) contention that happiness takes
place when we think we are making reasonable progress toward the realization of our goals (p. 267).
Looking through this lens, learners learning difficulties are not regarded as disadvantages but rather as
an initiation.
Concluding remarks
It is on these grounds that we argue ESL/EFL classes are proper sites for the implementation of
happiness interventions. Given the positive shift of attitude in psychology from its traditional emphasis
on pathology to positive emotions, competencies and strengths (Huebner & Gilman, 2003), this study
has gone some way towards understanding the possibility of teaching happiness in the field of TESOL,
making reference to the unique character of ESL/EFL classes for adopting a pedagogy of happiness.
Accordingly, such pedagogy requires that life syllabus designers center all the tasks and exercises in
the language syllabus on happiness. Under this account, if a language course is aimed at improving
learners happiness, the relevant life syllabus should be designed based on the axioms and techniques
that are typically followed and utilized in happiness studies for the promotion of happiness.
The relevant life syllabus might also be benefited from the similar methods and techniques that
are being utilized to improve students life skills in life skills training. Among these are class
discussions, role plays, audio and visual activities, brainstorming, demonstration and guided practice,
case studies, emotional games and simulations, debates, storytelling, and decision mapping or problem
trees (Behura, 2012). Whereas we thoroughly acknowledge the importance of improving language
learning among ESL/EFL learners, we reckon that through the incorporation of a life syllabus which is
primarily concerned with the improvement of happiness among learners, both aims can be achieved.
To this end, the TESOL professionals in language policy and planning, materials development,
syllabus design and language teaching can make good investments in the promotion of language
learners happiness.
The question remains, however, as to what extent the TESOL professionals would be ready for
this big change of attitude. When it comes to practice, it would not be wrong to assume that, at present,
achieving the goal of increasing happiness through life syllabus in TESOL seems remote, if not
unreachable. It would thus be unwise at present to expect any rapid or radical change in the structure of
TESOL curriculum. Nonetheless, we surmise there is hope and cause that the ideas presented in this
paper might awaken an interest in language policy makers, materials developers and syllabus
designers, teacher trainers, teaching practitioners as well as researchers to take a fresh look at the
principles of ESL/EFL instruction. In view of this, the challenge for future research will be to first of
all prove if TESOL can be used for effective pedagogy of happiness and based on research findings to
propose possible ways through which TESOL can adopt happiness intervention program. Under this
account, it seems that, inevitably, educational policies need to be redefined; upon doing so, the new
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approach to ESL/EFL instruction would hopefully offer the biggest pay-off in tackling the issues
which are of prime importance in enhancing learners well-being.
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