Empathy and Immigration in the English Language Classroom

Empathy allows students the opportunity to integrate other people’s perspectives with their own. Empathy is an ancient practice that is still crucial in the twenty-first-century as a skill for our students as they learn to navigate an ever-expanding global community. 

Stories are a powerful component in cultivating empathy. Exploring, analyzing, and creating their own stories of immigration is one type of communication that lets students look through the eyes of another. Immigration stories can breakdown bias, can encourage action to help others, can promote inclusiveness. 

Incorporating these skills into English language classes affords students a unique opportunity to connect with real world experiences and a safe place to explore them all within the context of developing language skills.