Developing empathy should be a natural fit for language teaching. Shouldn’t it? But how do we actually encourage students to move from being mere spectators and tourists to seeing life from another person’s point of view and to stand alongside them? This was the challenge I set myself in designing a unit on Venice for students in Stage 2 (Primary Years 3 and 4) based on a unit I taught to Year 2 a few years ago (you can read my post about that here).
The students' first task was to discover why so many tourists want to visit Venice. They took on the role of tourism operators to research Venice attractions and then in groups designed a publicity campaign with simple slogans in Italian to encourage people to visit. I told them their campaigns had been hugely successful. These had had economic benefits for the Venetians but had also created some problems. We watched a news video with Venetians explaining the problem of over-tourism and the negative effects it had on their lives. We looked at photos, from various news sources, of protests by the Venetians and discussed possible solutions, the pros and cons of banning tourists. Then the students explored the solution the Venetians had come up with themselves: the campaign #EnjoyRespectVenezia. The aim of this campaign is to raise awareness on the need to find a sustainable coexistence between tourists and residents. I encouraged the students to think of ways to contribute to this campaign, to show the people of Venice we care about their city and the quality of their lives. One option was to design posters to teach tourists responsible, respectable and culturally sensitive ways they could behave when visiting Venice. A selection of these are in the photo above. The level of engagement and motivation was high. The students' responses showed they could identify with the problem and were keen to be part of the solution. In designing this unit I was inspired by the following quote from David I Smith: "Learning the language of the country where we are guests, and coming with a desire to connect and to listen, allows us to participate at some level. Not just “let me take your picture”, but “let me stand alongside you and begin to learn”. Not just monuments, but people, with all their hopes and concerns. Not just photos for later, but participation, being present, listening and asking questions in the language of our hosts." I hope you may also be inspired to explore ways in which you can encourage your students to connect and listen, to stand alongside and learn. Libby Colla For more information about David Smith see his website On Christian Teaching Information about #EnjoyRespect Venezia campaign: https://www.comune.venezia.it/en/content/buone-pratiche-il-visitatore-responsabile https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXvpfyfF_kg
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