Emotional intelligence through literature

Abstract

Children develop emotional intelligence during the early years of life, and according to some experts, emotional intelligence is a more reliable predictor of academic achievement than is IQ. However, today's children appear to be low on emotional well-being. This has potentially negative consequences, not only for academic achievement but also for personal relationships. Literature has the potential of fostering emotional intelligence by providing vicarious emotional experiences that will shape the brain circuits for empathy and help the child gain insight into human behavior. Literature will also promote language learning by enriching learners' vocabulary and modeling new linguistic structures. Moreover, literature can provide a motivating and low-anxiety context for language learning. Some successful literature-based strategies are offered to help teachers develop students' personal and emotional intelligence while also developing language skills, and demonstrate how these strategies can be adapted to different grade and proficiency levels. Emphasis is on the teaching of English as a second language.