OTGONTUNGALAG CHOIJILSUREN (DORNOD SECONDARY SCHOOL #1)
TSETSEGJARGAL DAMBII (Dornod, Shine Hugjil School)
CAMERON RUSCITTI (Dornod Secondary School #1)
FLOYD PALMER (Peace Corps Mongolia)

THE ROLE OF POST-PANDEMIC SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING ACTIVITIES IN THE CLASSROOM : GLOBAL ISSUES IN LANGUAGE EDUCATION

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, students were forced to remain at home and attend classes remotely. As a result, they lacked the opportunity to develop interpersonal communication skills with their classmates and teachers in an academic setting. Our session will focus on utilizing social-emotional learning (SEL) activities in the English classroom in order to support students as they recover from social isolation. We will define social-emotional learning in the school context, why it is relevant for students and teachers both inside and outside the context of English language study, and how it can promote inclusivity among students from different demographic groups, including orphans, children from herding families, and latchkey children from more affluent households. Particularly as a post-pandemic tool, effective SEL programming can promote communication skills as well as combat the negative influence of pre-adolescent and adolescent screen addiction. After leading an example activity for workshop participants, our presentation will also include case studies from each of our institutions, highlighting how different socioeconomic situations can lead to similar developmental impacts. Although the Mongolian education system must account for unique demographic challenges, and although the topic offers certain additional benefits to ESL students, this content is nonetheless universal through any language medium due to the similar effects that the pandemic has had on societies worldwide.

Otgontungalag is an English instructor at Secondary School #1 in Choibalsan, Mongolia. She completed the US Embassy Mentor Teacher Program in 2017. She earned her bachelor’s degree and professional master’s diploma from the Mongolian National University of Education in Ulaanbaatar.

Tsetsegjargal is an English instructor at Shine Hogjil School in Choibalsan, Mongolia. She completed the US Embassy Mentor Teacher Program in 2018. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Mongolian Knowledge University in Choibalsan and Master of Education from the University of the Humanities in Ulaanbaatar.

Cameron is a Peace Corps Volunteer from the United States currently serving in Choibalsan, Mongolia. He graduated from Connecticut College in 2013 with a BA in Chinese Language and Literature. He has spent most of his career in the field of international education.

Floyd is a current Peace Corps Mongolia Volunteer serving at Shine Hogjil School from August 2023 until August 2025. Floyd received his Bachelor’s degree in the Russian language along with a minor in Applied Linguistics from Portland State University. Previously Floyd has spent time in Palestine and Kazakhstan.