Page 36 - ELG2505 May Issue 494

REVIEWS .

Compassion-based Language Education
Oxford Handbooks for Language Teachers
Oxford University Press, 2024
By Sarah Mercer
ISBN: 978-0-19-407074-4
arah Mercer introduces this title
by describing her ideal classroom
as one infused with ‘compassion’;
Sthis she defines as the psychological
process of imagining how others think and
feel, along with being able to help them.
Whereas in Teacher Wellbeing*, (reviewed
in the Gazette in issue 471) which she
co-authored, the focus was on the mental
and physical health of the teacher, the
current title has more general aims. Firstly,
to show how teaching with compassion can
enhance the language learning process;
and secondly to illustrate how teaching for
compassion may enable the betterment of
society, including more global citizenship,
ecoliteracy and living a sustainable life.
Whilst each are no doubt important areas,
coverage of the first clearly has more direct
relevance to the average ELT classroom
practitioner.
Following on from what she feels a
compassionate language educator does
(including quotes from Dalai Lama XIV) in
chapter two Mercer identifies issues teachers
should be aware of. Firstly compassion
fatigue, when all emotional energy has
been used up. This creeps up slowly
when teachers are unable to give more of
themselves, for example when dealing with
learners who have traumatised backgrounds.
In order to combat such crises, what Mercer
terms ‘disconnecting from the world’ is
required. This can be done by setting
physical, mental and emotional boundaries
between personal and professional issues,
including making one’s self unavailable
when necessary.
The first of the two chapters in Part
One, concerning teaching with compassion
focuses on teacher-learner relationships.
Mercer makes explicit what for most environment by removing what she terms sustainable life by showing compassion for
language teachers is a feeling that develops ‘implicit bias’ such as stereotyping. Making the natural world. This title is an excellent
perhaps after several years in the ELT teaching materials more representative addition to the still growing literature on
classroom, that positive teacher-student and inclusive involves understanding, for teacher self-care and caring for others.
rapport is vital and has been linked to example, that not all English speakers I would strongly recommend it to practising
higher levels of learner-motivation and represented in course materials are young, language teachers, language teacher
better group dynamics. Inclusiveness is slender, not disabled, and heterosexual. educators plus ELT and TESOL Masters
key in teaching with compassion, and Part One concludes with a focus on and Diploma students.
Mercer (page 53) comments on how ‘One enhancing compassion among language
of the challenges for teachers is to build learners and looks at ways of developing * Teacher Wellbeing, by Sarah Mercer and
connections with all our learners and to empathy, promoting peer relationships Tammy Gregersen. Oxford Handbooks for
ensure every single learner feels a sense of and group cohesiveness, and dealing Language Teachers, 2020.
belonging in our classes. (author’s italics). with bullying.
She discusses various ways of teaching The focus in Part Two is on developing
inclusively so that all learners develop compassion for one’s self, others and the
the three factors key to being safe and planet. Mercer’s comments on page 107
comfortable in the classroom: a sense of regarding body shaming and avoiding Wayne Trotman is
belonging, competence, and autonomy. labelling persons as ‘fat’ or ‘skinny’ are more a teacher educator
Mercer outlines on page 54 the DEI than pertinent. The final two chapters at Izmir Katip
Framework involving Diversity, Equity and emphasise the need for a greater emphasis Çelebi University,
Inclusion, and suggests more institutions on global citizenship in the form of being Izmir, Turkey.
should implement this in order to introduce able to embrace diversity and promote
a more appropriate work or learning social justice, plus ideas for living a more
36 May 2025