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We talk a lot about skills in the English classroom: writing skills, speaking skills, exam skills. But one of the most valuable things we can help our students develop isn’t a language skill at all. It’s empathy. It is a fundamental pin to being a good human. What use is a B2 certificate if you can understand what others are going through?
It’s not something you’ll find in the coursebook contents page. There’s no B1 unit on “feeling what someone else is feeling.” But in every paired conversation, group activity or cultural exchange, there’s a chance to help students listen better, connect more, and understand people who live and think differently from them. And that’s what empathy really is.
Why Empathy Fits Naturally into Language Learning
Learning a language is, by nature, an exercise in perspective-taking. You’re stepping into someone else’s words, their idioms, their way of seeing the world. Even just trying to pronounce something like a native speaker takes you out of your own comfort zone.
It’s not always easy. But that’s exactly the point. Language learning makes us vulnerable — and vulnerability builds empathy. So the ELT classroom already has the perfect conditions for growing this kind of understanding. We just have to lean into it a little more.
This is one of the clearest benefits of empathy in the ELT classroom: it deepens communication, strengthens relationships, and makes learning feel more human. In many ways, developing empathy through English language teaching is about helping students to see themselves and others with fresh eyes.
What It Looks Like in Practice
This doesn’t mean sitting around talking about feelings all lesson. (Though that’s fine too, if you’ve got the group for it.) It means creating small, regular moments that encourage students to reflect, to consider someone else’s point of view, and to respond kindly….. in English.
Here are some ways to do just that:
- Switch roles, switch views
Roleplay isn’t new, but how we frame it matters. Instead of the classic “Ordering food at a café,” try something like “You’re a new student who just arrived in the middle of the term, and you don’t understand the homework.” How do your classmates respond? What language do they need to make someone feel welcome? - Listen to understand, not just reply
Get students talking in pairs about something simple, their day, a memory, a funny moment. Then ask the listener to report back: not just the facts, but how they think their partner felt. This develops listening with heart and encourages emotional intelligence in language learning. - Look beyond your borders
Use short texts, videos or photo prompts from around the world. Ask: What’s happening? What might this person be feeling? What would you do in their place? Questions like this move students beyond grammar exercises into real-world thinking. - Let them write it out
A short reflective writing task like “When was a time someone helped you?” or “When did you feel like you didn’t fit in?” can be powerful. It doesn’t need to be shared. Just writing it in English is already an act of empathy and self-awareness.
5. Make space for care
Build small routines that promote responsibility: class jobs like making sure no one is left out of a group, checking that everyone has spoken, or simply giving genuine compliments. These micro-moments of care create classroom habits that stick.
Developing Empathy Depends on the Person
Of course, empathy isn’t expressed the same way everywhere. In some cultures, talking about feelings openly isn’t the norm. In others, people show empathy more through actions than words. That’s why it’s important to give students choice and not push anyone too far too fast.
Let them choose what they share. Let them pass if they want to. You’ll often find that once the space feels safe, even the quietest students will open up… in their own way, in their own time.
It’s Not About Being Nice
Teaching empathy isn’t about being “nice.” It’s about helping students become more thoughtful communicators, people who listen, adapt, and care. Those are the skills that make someone not just good at English, but good people.
About the author:
Harry Waters wears many hats, both literally and figuratively. He's a multi-award-winning teacher trainer, a teacher, writer, climate activist, podcast host and a TEDx speaker. His journey into sustainability-driven education culminated in the inception of Renewable English, a platform merging language learning with environmental consciousness.
