RATE Issues

by Ovidiu Leonte, Colegiul Național "Mihai Eminescu", Iași

It is now common knowledge that a language teacher’s job is not to pour vocabulary and grammar content into students’ heads, but rather to use that content as well as a plethora of tricks and tools to foster skills in those bright young minds. But what is also commonly felt, though not often enough openly admitted, is that the skills we are paid to develop in them are not merely linguistic. In a country plagued with corruption and lack of civic engagement, there are clear indirect skills related to civic attitudes that teachers indirectly target in the language class, but what exactly is needed in a crisis situation like the current prolonged pandemic?
One cannot and should not advocate for one political party’s agenda, if we are to avoid losing credibility and focus of teaching goals. It is very easy to mistake those goals for other considerations that a teacher might unsuspectingly hold equally dear, yet which represent their political preferences or even affiliation. Naturally, it is crucial to steer clear of any reference to politics or any partisan approach.
On the other hand, it is equally dangerous to keep away from any meaningful discussion in class for fear of appearing biased. Nobody says a teacher cannot or should not take sides when it comes to right versus wrong in the broadest sense, as in fact vs disinformation, democracy vs totalitarianism, rule of law vs anarchy, human rights vs fundamentalist bigotry.
Therefore, it may be safe to argue that the task ahead for the responsible language teacher is to engage with the alternative fact culture and the fake news reality of the world they find themselves and their students in. Granted, discussions need to start out soberly and factually, with an inviting neutral tone; moreover, rather than moral sentences being solemnly pronounced by the omniscient teacher, facts and resources could be handed out to students in an effort to enable them to reach conclusions of responsibility, civic engagement, including a pro-vaccination stance. One may find it strange that civic engagement and pro-vaccination even need fighting for, but we never really choose our battles. Rather, they choose us. We may take either side or avoid the battle altogether; or do the right thing and arm students properly.