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Κουλακίδου Αθανασία:Th

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Κουλακίδου Αθανασία:The article explains that SEL activities—such as role-playing, active listening exercises, and group discussions—help students develop empathy, cooperation, and conflict-resolution skills. This is a strong opportunity in ELT because these activities naturally require students to use English while interacting with classmates. For example, listening circles or role-plays encourage real communication and help students build confidence in speaking.

On the other hand,many teachers feel unprepared to integrate SEL into their lessons because they lack specific training. This is a challenge in ELT since teachers may not know how to combine SEL strategies with grammar, vocabulary, and communication goals. If teachers are unsure how to implement SEL or do not feel confident managing students’ emotional needs, SEL activities may be inconsistent or ineffective. Without ongoing professional development, it becomes difficult to include SEL meaningfully in our English classes.

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Sideridou Nikoletta

In my EFL classroom, SEL  offers significant opportunities to build supportive classroom community by promoting a sense of belonging and community among students

One significant challenge in integrating SEL into English Language Teaching (ELT) is the constraint of time and resources.

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Βόβουρα Παρασκευή<

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Βόβουρα Παρασκευή

Integrating SEL contributes to a warm and encouraging classroom atmosphere. It helps lower students’ stress levels and boosts their motivation. In my English lessons, this approach makes young learners feel more secure and comfortable, encouraging them to speak and take part in activities.

One key difficulty is that teachers often lack proper training, and there is little time available for SEL tasks. Because lessons are short, including SEL regularly can be challenging, but even brief, simple activities can still have a strong impact.

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Amarantidou Despoina

Opportunities

1. SEL supports Better Classroom Climate and helps build trust, empathy, and respect.

2. SEL improves Communication Skills and aligns naturally with ELT because both focus on:

expressing feelings.

listening actively.

3. SEL enhances Motivation and Engagement.

Students with strong self-management and are more willing to participate.

4. SEL builds Intercultural Competence.

SEL encourages empathy and perspective-taking, key components of communicative competence and intercultural communication.

5. SEL helps Develop 21st-Century Skills and strengthens collaboration, critical thinking.

Challenges

1. Limited Teacher Training.

Many English teachers are not formally trained in SEL principles.

2. Curriculum and Time Constraints.

SEL activities may be seen as “extra” or not aligned with language objectives, reducing their priority in class time.

3. Cultural Sensitivity Issues.

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Opportunity* Builds Collaboration and 21st-Century Skills * communication, collaboration, creativity,critical thinking

Group tasks, project work, and peer-assisted learning become more productive when students have SEL skills like cooperation, conflict resolution, and empathy.

Challenge * Difficult Classroom Conditions

Large classes, limited materials, or students with behavioural challenges can make SEL implementation harder.

Ipermahia Christodoulou

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Integrating SEL in ELT offers the opportunity to build a supportive, motivating classroom where students feel confident to use the language. At the same time, limited lesson time makes it challenging to balance SEL with strict curriculum goals. Still, small SEL moments can fit naturally into everyday activities. Overall, the opportunity to boost engagement outweighs the time-related challenge.

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An opportunity highlighted in the article is that integrating SEL in English Language Teaching enhances students' engagement and motivation. This is relevant to my teaching context because by incorporating SEL activities such as group discussion or role-play, I can create a more engaging learning environment, especially for students who struggle with low confidence and have difficulty expressing themselves.

The most relevant challenge from the article would likely be 'Curriculum constraints'. Having to follow the national curriculum which has specific language items, along with the fact that class periods are often short may discourage the inclusion of SEL activities.

Δέσποινα Χαλβατζή

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Integrating SEL in ELT: Opportunities and Challenges by MARIA PANOU

SEL helps students grow not only academically but also emotionally and socially, creating more balanced and resilient individuals. Through teamwork, communication, and empathy-building activities, learners develop essential life skills that go beyond the language classroom. This holistic development supports both academic success and personal well-being, preparing students for future challenges inside and outside school.

However, integrating SEL in ELT can be difficult because students have different emotional needs, language levels, and cultural backgrounds. Teachers must adapt SEL strategies to suit these differences, which can be time-consuming and complex. Finding ways to make SEL activities meaningful and inclusive for all learners remains a key challenge in diverse ESL classrooms.

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SEL Opportunities and Challenges

ELPIDA-MARIA TSAKIRDAI

One opportunity that SEL gives to teachers is the improvement of their students' communication skills through role-plays and project work. I think this is very important because student engagement is one of the most difficult parts of language teaching.

On the other hand, the challenge that I consider more important is student diversity and differentiation. Adapting to each student's level gives teachers an opportunity to develop a holistic approach to their lessons.

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One opportunity and one challenge

Regarding the implementation of SEL practices, an opportunity persistently relevant to my teaching context, most contexts in fact in primary and secondary education, is building a supportive classroom community. This opportunity should ideally be cultivated not only for the sake of academic development, as it boosts motivation and student confidence, but also to contribute to a positive school experience and emotional growth of students.

A challenge worth addressing in the ELT classroom is balancing curriculum constraints such as grammar and vocabulary acquisition  with integrating SEL techniques. This requires careful planning and flexibility.

Evdoxia Kinali

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Opportunity:

Integrating Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) offers a valuable chance to enhance students’ self-confidence and empathy through interactive tasks like role plays and group work in English. Such activities encourage students to communicate more freely. For students with learning difficulties, SEL also helps them feel more included in the classroom community.

Challenge:

It’s not always easy to design lessons that give equal attention to both language skills (for example, grammar and vocabulary) and emotional growth (such as teamwork or self-awareness), particularly in a mixed-ability class with diverse learning needs.

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The importance of SEL is undesputable:

emotional and educational growth,

empathy, problem solving abilities,

integration into groups and sharing opinions and knowledge are some of the benefits.

But limited time, grammar and vocabulary - centered school curriculum, lack of sources and absence of ongoing learning for teachers makes it difficult, but not impossible, to use. With lots of love and willingness to integrate SEL , EACH ONE can try and use it as much as he/she can.

In ESL teachers use SEL already many years in routines like group work, presentations, problem solving, role-plays,etc.

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An important opportunity identified in Wicaksono and Saraswati’s (2024) article is the potential of SEL integration to enhance student engagement and motivation within English Language Teaching (ELT). Embedding reflective and interactive SEL practices—such as mindfulness activities, peer feedback, and role-playing—can foster learners’ emotional connection to the subject matter while simultaneously improving communicative competence. In my teaching context, this is particularly significant as it encourages a more holistic, empathetic, and participatory learning environment where students feel valued and confident using the target language.

Challenge:
Conversely, the authors highlight teacher preparedness as a central challenge to effective SEL implementation. Many educators lack formal training and ongoing professional development in SEL pedagogy, resulting in uncertainty about how to align emotional learning objectives with linguistic outcomes. This issue is especially relevant in my context, where limited institutional support and resources constrain teachers’ capacity to implement SEL meaningfully.

Significance in My Context:
Both aspects underscore the necessity of a balanced and well-supported approach to SEL integration—one that combines pedagogical innovation with targeted teacher training. Such an approach can sustain both academic achievement and students’ emotional well-being, fostering more resilient and communicatively competent learners.

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I encourage active participation and collaboration and try to foster a sense of community within the classroom in every possible way.I would like some more training though.Developing social and emotional skills is very important and promotes learning.

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An opportunity of integrating SEL into our ELT is that SEL helps students grow into holistic learners, by focusing on their overall mental and emotional health. It supports emotional well-being and a balanced lifestyle. Teaching English is not just about academic content; it involves supporting the student's entire development. This holistic approach is crucial because promoting emotional health and well-being, helps students manage their emotions. Hence, it reduces the likelihood of burnout, ensuring they can better sustain their learning efforts in ELT. by helping our students develop resilience by helping them embrace coping strategies to handle stress and difficulty. It helps students cultivate a growth mindset, meaning they are more likely to embrace challenges and persist when they face setbacks. In language learning, students frequently face difficulties, such as making errors or struggling with complex grammar, which can lead to frustration. Resilience and a growth mindset are essential for English learners because they equip students to overcome these difficulties, persist through problems, and achieve their long-term language goals. SEL focuses on teaching critical life skills that are useful far beyond the classroom, such as problem-solving, goal-setting, and responsible decision-making. It also strengthens interpersonal skills necessary for success in professional settings, like teamwork and effective communication. These skills are highly transferable; they prepare English students for their future careers and personal relationships. By engaging in collaborative learning and group projects, ELT students learn to negotiate and support each other, which reinforces essential teamwork skills vital for success after school.

An important Challenge of Integrating SEL into ELT can be the difficulty in balancing SEL goals with language objectives. Integrating SEL requires careful planning to align the five SEL competencies with specific language learning objectives. As teachers, we face the difficulty of having to balance the needs of SEL (like empathy training) with the core goal of ELT (like acquiring grammar and vocabulary). This ongoing pedagogical challenge requires the careful adaptation of teaching strategies to ensure that SEL activities reinforce, rather than distract from, the core academic content, a challenge highlighted by curriculum constraints.

Anastasia Galanou

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SEL in ELT?

Definitely YES. A school subject like English is certainly an appropriate environment for SEL. Through activities like role-playing, group discussions, problem solving, for-against exercises, active listening, peer mediation, group projects, feedback sessions and many more, we can achieve a better classroom environment. A place where kids feel safe, respected and confident. Such an environment would minimize stress and boost motivation, interest, participation, empathy, cooperation, communication, inclusivity and a sense of belonging.

But there's a catch, so hold your horses...

There needs to be careful planning, since there is a 4o-minute time limit and a curriculum to bare in mind!

By Meropi Efstratiou

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One opportunity to integrate SEL in my classroom is by using empathy-building activities, such as sharing personal stories or exploring diverse cultural perspectives.

The greatest challenge is that Educational curricula often prioritize language learning objectives, such as grammar and vocabulary acquisition, which may leave limited room for SEL activities.

But sometimes limited time can be overcome if we focus on a friendly and supportive environment in our classrooms. A study by Taylor et al. (2017) highlights the importance of empathy in developing positive social relationships and enhancing prosocial behavior among students.

Evi Bana

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THEODORA KETSETSIDOU
One key opportunity is that integrating SEL in English Language Teaching enhances student engagement, motivation and communication skills by promoting empathy, cooperation and reflection in language activities.
In teaching context, this is valuable because it helps students feel more connected and confident using English, creating a supportive and interactive classroom environment.

A major challenge is the lack of time, resources, and teacher preparedness to effectively integrate SEL alongside language objectives.

This is significant in teaching because without proper training and support, teachers may struggle to balance SEL with curriculum demands, limiting its impact on students’ overall growth.

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One key opportunity discussed in the article is that integrating Social Emotional Learning in English Language Teaching can enhance student engagement and motivation.Through activities such as reflective journaling, peer feedback, and group discussions, students become more emotionally connected to their learning, improving both their language skills and personal growth.

A major challenge identified in the article is curriculum constraint.
Teachers often have limited time to include SEL activities because the curriculum mainly focuses on grammar, vocabulary, and academic content. This makes it difficult to balance SEL with language learning goals.

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Integrating SEL into one’s teaching can prove beneficial on multiple levels. Providing students with opportunities for critical thinking, receiving and delivering feedback to their fellow classmates can help students develop both academically, through increased engagement, and, also, personally, through dialogue and interaction, thus fostering healthy relationships, and self-management skills. Furthermore, activities which promote inclusivity can set up a positive, safe environment for students to ‘unfold’ feeling secure as the learning process develops.   Lewin (1946) asserts that “interdependence of fate and task also results in the group being a ‘dynamic whole’.” In other words, people with varied dispositions, working together to reach a shared goal, are more likely to achieve it since they communicate better. In addition, SEL gives students the opportunity to negotiate assertively, which, in turn, nurtures communicative skills and interpersonal skills, empathy, active listening, and conflict resolution being amongst them. Through self-regulation students, also, grow mentally and emotionally into complete personalities. In contrast to the above, challenges are present on the way to implementing SEL. Initially, having to ‘rush’ in order to cover academic content throughout the school year can take a toll on embracing SEL as a teaching approach. Preparing material for SEL, prioritizing academic goals, professional training-practice in SEL, and limited budgets are but a few issues in adopting SEL practices. To conclude, adopting SEL one must take into account the varied degrees of student receptiveness, and response, justified in the multiple cultural background factor.

In my teaching context, I place special emphasis on patience before expressing contradiction, self-confidence, assertive negotiation, mutual respect, and collaborative mentality, not as separate practices, but embedded in our academic struggle in class, and though this may well be a challenge in its own right, I would concur with specialized training in effective use of SEL. Georgia M. Koutsou

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One opportunity for my classroom is to teach them how to actively listen in order to help them evolve into effective interlocutors.

One challenge is time restraints.

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In my EFL classroom SEL integration can provide students with the opportunity to build a supportive classroom community in which interpersonal conflicts can be deminished as students develop a sense of belonging; thus, supporting each other and depending upon each other. In this sense, group work can help them know each other much better and work towards a common goal. However, teacher preparedness is a major challenge as SEL implementation requires continuous teacher training and mentoring so as to successfully combine the teaching process with SEL.

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One of the opportunities mentioned by the authors of this article is that if you want to build a supportive classroom community, then one way of achieving this is by promoting a sense of belonging and community among students, as it makes them feel valued respected and connected to their peers and thus results in their emotional evolution and academic development. For me one of the most important challenges mentioned is the student diversity and differentiation. This poses a serious challenge as you have to support students with diverse emotional and social backgrounds. Both of these aspects are challenging in my teaching because I teach students of various backgroungs (religion, nationalities,cultures) and I have noticed that they learn and respond better when they feel included and you care for what they have to say and attend to their individual needs. Therefore, inclusion and caring for the emotional well-being of students is of paramount importance in creating a conducive learning environment in my classroom.

Panagiota Koutsogianni

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The authors highlight that integrating SEL into ELT can lead to higher student participation, motivation, and deeper connections to the material. They note things like using reflective journals, peer feedback, mindfulness, role-plays and group problem-solving to engage students emotionally and socially, not just linguistically. In many language-classes students may feel passive, shy, or anxious (especially when speaking a foreign language). If SEL strategies boost motivation and create a more inviting atmosphere, that helps reduce anxiety and encourages risk-taking.

One of the main challenges the authors identify is that existing curricula often prioritise language-objectives (grammar, vocabulary, exam preparation) leaving little time or “space” for SEL activities. That’s a significant challenge because in many schools the syllabus is fixed, the timetable tight, and there is significant pressure to cover set language curriculum/exams. If I try to add SEL activities, I may feel like I’m “stealing” time from language objectives, or students may resist if they think we’re “not doing English.” NATALIA IOANNOU

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An opportunity shall be that SEL practices that promote a sense of belonging often involve activities that encourage collaboration and peer support.

It's important because a sense of belonging isn't a passive feeling, it's an active one, a lived experience built on positive relationships. Collaboration and peer support are the very mechanisms that create and strengthen those bonds. When students work together on a shared goal, they practice interdependence, learning that their unique contributions are valued and necessary for the group's success. This shifts the classroom dynamic from individual competition to a "we're in this together" community. Peer support builds trust and psychological safety. Knowing you can ask for help, offer support, or make a mistake without judgment makes you feel accepted for who you are. These activities are the practical application of SEL, proving to students that they are seen, valued, and an essential part of the group.

A significant challenge in integrating SEL into English Language Teaching (ELT) is the constraint of time and resources.

That's a significant challenge because ELT curricula are already densely packed. Teachers face constant pressure to cover specific language skills such as grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, and the four main skills (reading, writing, listening, speaking) often to prepare students for term tests and end-of-year exams.

Μάττα Χριστίνα

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Building a Supportive Classroom Community

is a significant opportunity that SEL offers because it promotes a sense of belonging among students through collaborative tasks. Nowadays a sense of belonging is critical for students' emotional and academic development, as it makes them feel valued, respected, and connected to their peers and the learning environment. In this way , it contributes to a positive classroom climate where students feel connected to their school community, more motivated, engaged, and likely to succeed academically.

However, a significant challenge in integrating SEL into ELT is the constraint of limited time and resources.

The demands of covering the standard language curriculum can leave little room for additional SEL activities, making it difficult to balance both objectives . Time constraints are a common barrier, as teachers must prioritize core academic content over supplementary SEL programs.

In my teaching context I value the above opportunity that SEL offers as I strongly believe that students should feel connected to their school community and peers in order to succeed academically but also emotionally(those two should coexist). And as for the limited time and resources, a reality that we all face nowadays, is for sure a challenge that teachers should overcome in order for them and their students to benefit from SEL activities.

Fotini Chatzipanagiotou

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Eleni Alimpaki

In a multilingual classroom, students often face communication challenges due to cultural and linguistic differences. Using SEL activities like listening circles, role-plays, and group discussions can improve interpersonal skills, empathy, and collaboration thereby minimizing misunderstandings and conflicts. However, many English teachers in Greece lack formal SEL training, which can hinder the creation and implementation of SEL-integrated lessons. Without clear guidance or structured support, SEL may be applied inconsistently, limiting its effectiveness on students' learning and overall well-being.

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SEL is a teaching tool that mainly promotes student participation and motivation.It helps

to create a safe learning envinonment through classroom discussions, role-playing etc.One of the constraints though is students'emotional differentiation in applying the method effectivelly so training teachers more may be needed.

Maria Angelopoulou

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Antoniadou Anna

As regards my teaching method, students could improve their communication and interpersonal skills through active listening. Activities such as ''listening circles'' can reinforce students respond to information by taking turns and lead to more effective communication.

Thus, time is not always enough to complete such tasks. If there were more hours in ESL teaching, more SEL activities could be completed.

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Building a supportive classroom community

When students experience a positive classroom climate, they are more engaged, open to participating, and willing to take the kinds of academic and social risks that deepen learning. Creating this environment isn’t just about classroom management — it’s about fostering meaningful relationships that support growth.

Student diversity and differentiation

I recognize the ongoing challenge of addressing the diverse emotional and social needs of my students. SEL requires me to go beyond a one-size-fits-all approach and consider each student’s unique emotional development. This means I must constantly adapt my strategies to not only support academic progress but also ensure that every student feels emotionally safe and understood. Balancing these needs can be complex, but it’s essential for creating a truly inclusive and supportive learning environment.

Kouklatzidou Eleni

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Several techniques and activities mentioned in the article can prove to be quite useful in our classrooms. For instance, listening circles and group projects can build team spirit which can eventually eliminate any conflicts that often arise in class and outside it. Additionally, collaborative problem solving tasks help towards this direction. Role-playing activities may also help students to boost their confidence to use the language as well as their critical thinking. All these may gradually get integrated into the classroom routine, so as the pupils may benefit holistically, that is, both academically and emotionally. Any challenges may be overcome if we, teachers, listen carefully to the real kids' needs.

Ourania Chatzitoulousi

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Opportunity: Getting students more engaged through SEL activities.

I really like how the article mentioned using things like role-plays, and group discussions to build self-awareness and confidence. In my English classes, students often feel shy or afraid to speak. Adding these SEL-based activities could make them more comfortable and help them express themselves better in English.

Challenge: Not enough time to fit SEL into the lessons

Time is always a problem! Between reading comprehension, grammar, writing, and exam prep, there’s not always enough time to add extra activities. Still, I think we can start small—maybe short reflection moments or teamwork tasks that include empathy or communication practice. It’s about finding little ways to make it work.

Tania Rallousi

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The opportunity I find the most useful and valuable for every person's emotional, academic and social development is emotional resilience.

Life is so challenging itself full of obstacles, inflexible, unstable and unexpected situations and that one has to find internal strength so that can remain willing to overcome difficulties, to be flexible, stable and strong emotionally in order to maintain emotional and mental health.

Teaching a student methods and ways of confronting various situations with emotional strength and challenges, is as if you prepare him/her in order to avoid quitting from goals and perspectives even when failure is encountered.

On the other hand the challenge I find the most difficult to handle is using the same methods of teaching emotional resilience to different personalities that come from diverse family backgrounds and do not use the same way of exresssing themselves. This implies that the teacher has to implement various ways of SEL in the classroom as one method cannot apply to all students. How can a teacher manage this when time and schedule constrain?

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Papadopoulou Vagia

An opportunity

An indisputable opportunity is that students are actively involved and engaged. The benefits that accrue to learners are measurable and may be implemented both in their academic and personal life. SEL provides the opportunity for collaboration and team work.

A challenge

Limited time and resources provide a serious challenge for the ideal implementation of SEL pracices.

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A crucial opportunity is Building a Supportive Classroom Community as teaching practices which promote belongingness encourage collaboration and peer work. This can create a sense of interdependence, a feeling that one's success is based on others' success. This is a critical factor for students' engagement, motivation and thus their performance levels.

A significant challenge is teacher preparedness, as teachers are not well-equipped, even from their pre-service education, to meet their students' social and emotional needs. They need to stay up-to-date with the latest practices and for the best of the school community. Constant training, ongoing support are more than necessary not to mention practical, hands-on experience.

Δασκαλάκη Αθανασία

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Opportunity-Developing Holistic Learners This not only enhances students' academic performance but also contributes to their overall mental and emotional health.

Challenge-Student Diversity and Differentiation This necessitates educators to adopt strategies that not only cater to academic goals but also prioritize the emotional well-being of students, fostering a supportive learning environment. Adapting SEL strategies involves tailoring interventions that resonate with students from various cultural backgrounds, ensuring inclusivity and relevance in addressing their emotional and social learning needs.

Eleni Ortaxidou

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Although SEL offers a variety of opportunities in language learning, one of the most important is that it can boost students’ engagement, motivation, and interest. Through SEL practices, student participation and interest can be enhanced, while social skills, empathy, and a sense of community are developed. In this way, a more inclusive and stimulating classroom environment can be created, where the learning experience becomes more enjoyable for students. Unfortunately, limited time remains a significant challenge. Teachers often devote little time to SEL, as they must prioritize covering academic content.

Evdokia Kassapi

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One opportunity given by SEL being incorporated in ELT that really stands out for me is that of the student participation and motivation. During the last few years, it is noticed that students keep a rather distant approach towards learning at school. There seems to be no interest or no personal goals. According to SEL incorporation into ELT, the strategies and activities employed can reverse this “hostile” environment and establish a community of active learning and promote mutual respect and understanding.

However, there are multiple challenges and constraints in the incorporation of SEL in ELT, the main one being that of limited time and resources. Time can never be enough especially in a class with various levels of students’ learning needs, motivation and the demands of covering the respective language curriculum as well as the fact that the resources are often limited in many educational settings.

Σωτηρία Χατζηκωνσταντίνου

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One of the opportunities that has been highlighted in the article as to the integration of SEL into ELT and which is relevant to my teaching context, is that it enhances students' overall well being and resilience. In fact, in today's classroom, teachers should feel efficient when they are able to talk to their students about strategies that help them handle stress and adversity, which are -unfotunately- part of their school life.

Although the positive impacts of SEL outweigh the challenges, I cannot ignore the fact that the relevant resources are limited and so is the time in the classroom .

Peristera (Rea) Dailaki

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It's rather difficult to choose from the list of opportunities and challenges, since most of them appear in my classrooms.

Firstly, I would choose Enhancing Student Engagement and Motivation. Boosting students' participation and interest, using role-plays and group discussions that focus on empathy and cooperation and having group-solving exercises.

But Building a Supportive Classroom Community is also significant.

As far as challenges are concerned, Curriculum Constraints (the teaching material, exams, the 'Question Bank') and Limited Time (only 1 lesson per week) equally weigh us teachers down and restrict us from using SEL as often as we like.

Apart from that, Student Diversity is a big challenge, especially, when we have young refugees in our classrooms.

Pagonidou Efthalia

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One of the opportunities that SEL promotes is participation and increased motivation among students which is accomplished through role plays and group discussions creating a safe environment where students feel more confident.

On the other hand one of the challenges is the constraint of time and resources.Teachers don't have enough time to apply more SEL activities due to the curriculum needs

SEL activities are very important in my teaching context because there are a lot of students that have low self esteem and confidence especially in the speaking production and their emotional growth needs to be supported.

Eleni Tsitaki

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GEORGIADOU ANASTASIA

I totally agree that SEL is an invaluable tool which, in the right hands, can perform miracles. Among others, it can help create
a safe environment, where students are more likely to engage in learning activities and participate in classroom
discussions, role-playing, etc. Ideally, SEL should be aiming not only at enhancing the language proficiency of the weak ones but making sure that the already proficient users of the language will feel free to exhibit their skills, without fear of being ridiculed or stigmatised as the ones that stand out from the group.
Unfortunately, as in all powerful tools, when in the hands of an ignorant SEL can cause more damage than offer benefits. A vast majority of educators believe that teaching means passing their "wisdom "on to their students and following the curriculum. In my opinion, a real challenge is teacher preparedness but not just in terms of lack of adequate preparation. The actual challenge would be to "re-educate" teachers and change an entire mindset, before even making any attempt to integrate SEL into teaching.

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WHY ARE THE OPPORTUNITIES OF SEL IMPORTANT IN MY TEACHING CONTEXT

I believe that SEL is important in the teaching context of a Greek High School ELT class beacause SEL would help Greek High School students manage anxiety and low self-esteem, which are common challenges in language learning. Moreover, the integration of SEL in ELT in the educational system of Greece at a secondary level would promote understanding and respect among diverse student background. By focusing on emotional intelligence and social skills, SEL can prepare students not only for academic success but also for personal growth.

Nikolaos Kokkas

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The article entitled “ Social Emotional Learning in ELT” presents the opportunity that students have as they can develop their communication and interpersonal skills through SEL. A challenge shown in the article is related to the educational programs which often prioritize language learning objectives over SEL activities, making it difficult for teachers to balance both. In this way the integration of SEL in ELT is limited.

Nikolaos Kokkas

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SEL offers great opportunities for better classroom management, social, emotional and interpersonal controversies and student self-awareness. Problem solving group activities, role playing and collaborative projects are major ways for integrating SEL into the school curriculum. Limited time, mixed-ability classes and social/emotional differentiation are the most important constraints in applying this method.

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SEL offers opportunities for active participation in the learning process, enhances motivation and promotes mutual respect. There are several challenges, such as student diversity and differentiation in emotional development as well as the limited availability of resources or the varying teacher competence.

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In many classrooms I have seen students feeling anxious, shy, or disconnected, which hinders speaking, risk-taking, and participation. Using SEL strategies helps reduce those affective barriers. The opportunity here is to increase students' motivation. On the other hand one of the greatest challenges is, of course, limited time and resources. We may not have enough class time or access to materials needed for SEL. In Senior High School, especially in A and B class where there is pressure to cover content in English, there might not be enough time to explore relational and emotional dimensions in the classroom.

Kyrmanidou Elli

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In my SEL context I often prefer group discussion, group projects and problem solving tasks to enhance a collaborative approach in my teaching. These are useful tools to help pupils limit their anxiety, build their self awareness, empathy, mutual respect. When pupils discuss upon a problem or a project they cooperate to set goals, find solutions and augment their interest in learning. Unfortunately, time constraints for the teacher is a big issue because (s)he deals with language learning objectives and students' sociocultural diversity.

Anastasios Navrozidis

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According to the article, one of the benefits is that SEL in ELT enhances students' engagement and motivation. Activities that promote self and social awareness, such as group discussions and role-plays, are important in ELT classrooms because they boost students' confidence and encourage positive peer interactions in a stress-free environment.

However, students' diversity and differentiation is always a challenge. Not all students learn in the same way and pace, and not all share the same social and cultural background. Emotional development may also vary.

Here, SEL offers a supportive environment and improves English language teaching and learning.

Christina Anagnostopoulou

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Opportunity: SEL practices help cultivate a supportive classroom community, where students feel valued, seen and respected. Collaborative learning experiences, like group-projects or peer feedback give students the space to interact positively with their peers in a safe environment, thus promoting student engangement and motivation.

Challenge: Teacher Preparedness

Teachers may not feel feel confident enough to implement SEL strategies in their classroom and may need additional/ongoing training, support or mentoring so as to succefully incorporate SEL without missing the language learning targets.

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Ipermahia Christodoulou: opportunity to communicate: Improved Communication Skills -SEL enhances students’ ability to express themselves and interact effectively in English.

and about challenges: Balancing SEL with Language Goals
I must carefully balance emotional development with linguistic objectives.

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I think that what we really want when we teach is cooperation, active participation sense of community within the classroom and enjoyable atmosphere. These are some of the opportunities SEL can offer to teachers and students. The problem is that teachers face difficulties integrating SEL into the rigid curriculum due to limited resources and support. Anthoula Tsortanidou

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SEL activities would give my students the opportunity to become more motivated and engaged in learning. Empathy-building activities, role-playing, group projects, peer feedback sessions, and collaborative problem-solving exercises are some of the activities mentioned in the article that are applicable in my teaching context. However, a key challenge would be the lack of time and resources. With a busy curriculum, it can be difficult to include SEL activities while still meeting our language learning goals.

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SEL gives students the opportunity to develop empathy, communication, and teamwork through activities like role-plays, group discussions, and collaborative projects. However, it can be challenging to integrate SEL effectively due to limited time, resources, and the need for teacher training. Using SEL strategies in my classroom can make lessons more engaging and supportive. At the same time, I need to plan carefully and seek professional development to balance language objectives with SEL activities, especially when class time is limited.

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In my ESL classroom I use the opportunity of SEL methods such as emotion check in, collaborative projects, role playing to integrate it with language learning. However, the time constraints I have is my biggest problem in applying this methodology

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Using role plays, group discussions and problem solving tasks to create a sense of belonging and community is a great opportunity to implement SEL in the classroom. On the other hand, the constraint of time and student diversity might pose a challenge in applying SEL in our classrooms.

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SEL Opportunity: SEL can build supportive classroom community by promoting a sense of belonging and community among students, which is critical for students' emotional and academic development, as it makes them feel valued, respected, and connected to their peers and the learning environment.

SEL Challenge: Teacher preparedness - without adequate preparation, teachers may struggle to understand SEL principles and apply them in ways that support both language learning and emotional development.

Skoupra A

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In my classes the integration of SEL through role-playing and group discussion promotes their ability to solve interpersonal situations and personal expression. Among the challenges mentioned in the article I think the curriculum constraints is the strongest of all.

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However, there is often pressure to complete the syllabus and prepare students for exams, which makes it difficult to dedicate time to SEL. This can lead to missed opportunities for supporting students' emotional growth, which is essential for their overall success, especially in language learning where confidence and communication are key.

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In my teaching context, many students struggle with speaking confidence and motivation. Using SEL strategies helps create a supportive classroom where students feel safe to participate, take risks, and express themselves in English. This can lead to better language fluency and a more positive attitude toward learning.

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One key opportunity from the article is that integrating SEL into English Language Teaching (ELT) can boost student engagement and motivation. Through activities like reflective journaling, role-playing, and group discussions, students connect more deeply with the learning material while also developing emotional and social skills.

A challenge highlighted in the article is curriculum constraints—language teaching curricula often prioritize grammar, vocabulary, and test preparation, leaving little room for Social Emotional Learning (SEL) activities.