Integrating Human Values in EFL Instruction

Abstract

This paper reports the results of a study that had been conducted to examine the successfulness of carrying out a project of integrating human values in EFL classrooms in two years in a row. It was part of the practical work of Arab student teachers who are majoring in Teaching English as a Foreign (EFL) in a teacher training college in Israel. The aim of including human values in EFL instruction is to qualify student teachers not only professionally and academically, but also humanly since they live in a deeply divided society which suffers also from increasing violence either at school or in the street. The project is designed to promote values that help pupils grow intellectually, morally and emotionally which eventually helps in creating a productive, healthy and peaceful society. The focus of the project is on three main values: respect, cooperation and tolerance. The project was carried out by adopting content-based instruction, problem solving and technology. Therefore, the participants integrated all language skills, included stories and folktales, showed video segments, prepared games and presented dilemmas for group discussions. The results showed that the student teachers as well as the pupils evaluated the project very positively and asked for more opportunities to extend it.