Literature’s effect on students’ emotional intelligence and empathy

For a very long time, the odds were stacked in favour of rational intellect in the modern world of accomplishments and results. A person’s emotional intelligence was also disregarded at the same time. Emotional intelligence today is the capacity to recognise, make use of, comprehend, and constructively manage emotions. It enables us to handle life’s obstacles, communicate clearly, empathise with others, and lessen our stress levels.

When attending college, it is essential for students to grow in emotional intelligence and empathy. It’s because they’re perceptive and attentive to useful information. One of the most important tools for empathic education in the classroom. It could offer a certain emotional setting. It simulates our social interactions and helps us learn more about it.

How do I find the time to read the best works of fiction?

Students who want to advance their personal growth and gain career expertise must read extensively while pursuing an education. Choosing the right literature can affect how pupils grow their emotional spheres. Nonetheless, the fact that young people are busy and under pressure is not a secret. Yet every book must be read on schedule. They typically need assistance from their classmates or tutors in this situation. Some students look online for assistance. They can read book summaries on a number of different platforms. For instance, summaries on love medicine will expose students to a wide range of cultures. It is simultaneously brutal and sensitive, repulsive and beautiful, realistic and gothic. It offers emotional encounters that shape the brain’s empathy-inducing neural pathways. They help the pupil better comprehend how people behave.

ALSO READ: 2 students from Ghana win WAEC International honours

What advantages does reading fiction have?

There are several good arguments for including literature in academic work. The ability to promote emotional intelligence and compassionate communication is not the least of its benefits. Researchers have established that reading promotes emotional intelligence. It enables readers to feel things from other people’s perspectives. Brain pathways connected to empathy may evolve as a result. A pupil who hasn’t had any first-hand empathy experiences could get more prepared for it through the frequent vicarious experiences provided by novels. A child can learn about how people behave. They are aware that there is hope in everything. And that reading quality literature can help someone solve even the most difficult challenges.

How to implement a book into the curriculum

Teachers can engage in the following activities to foster emotional intelligence:

1. Discussions in groups

Students learn to sympathise with characters through class discussions of great works of literature. Also, young pupils are frequently exposed to conflict situations in novels. Also, the ways in which fictional characters resolve these issues and the results are shown. They discuss a moral decision that inspires reflection on how people behave. Uncontrolled feelings can have terrible effects on the characters and, eventually, the solution to the problem. However, when working with students, educators should keep in mind that not all literature can be used.

2. Scripting

For this task, stories with compelling characters work best. They might encounter obstacles or setbacks without much assistance from the other characters. To cheer up the others, the character might have said or done anything. Alternatively, the persona might have communicated with the others to let them know how they were feeling. Someone who is reading a book has the option of adding a script that illustrates these options.

3. Recognizing emotions in text

This is an excellent method. It makes them go back to the text to find support for their interpretations. They also try to understand how the author conveys the emotions of the characters. Students are aware that when writing stories, authors frequently choose exact language to capture the feelings of the characters. But sometimes understanding the characters’ feelings requires careful reading of the text. How do they come through in words, deeds, or silence? Although it’s not always simple, practise will help pupils develop understanding that will be useful in the actual world.

Conclusion

Emotional intelligence skills are important for success in a range of life sectors, according to research. It is an entire idea. It encompasses both self-awareness and comprehension of the feelings and emotions of the other person. People can resolve a variety of problems in their lives by having the capacity to swiftly and accurately sense others’ moods. They make crucial social connections.

Additionally, literature can offer several examples of emotional life. It can improve our inner and outer worlds as well as the lives of the kids. It can bring about specific emotional states that allow for a deeper understanding of things. Students who receive effective literature-based instruction develop their emotional and personal intelligence.

Subscribe to this blog and follow us on facebook