Proposal of Bilingual Strategies Based on Socio-Emotional Skills in a Learning Environment in a Social Outreach Center in Villavicencio.

Abstract

This research project presents a qualitative case study on the integration of social-emotional skills into a bilingual learning environment in a Social Outreach center. The aim of the research was to propose bilingual strategies based on socio emotional skills for the implementation in English teaching processes, as well as to explore students’ and teachers’ perspectives regarding these skills. Data were collected from 17 students and 4 teachers through non-participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and questionnaires. The data were analyzed using an inductive thematic analysis approach. Results evidenced that socio-emotional practices such as activities oriented to the recognition of emotions, supportive interactions, and collaborative tasks were present in the classroom; however, these were applied unintentionally. The findings also revealed the presence of emotional and linguistic barriers, including anxiety, fear of making mistakes, and low self-esteem, which limited students’ participation and interaction. Furthermore, although teachers demonstrated a general understanding of social-emotional learning, they faced difficulties in integrating these practices into their teaching. In conclusion, the integration of socio-emotional skills into bilingual learning environments highlighted the need to design and implement structured bilingual strategies that address both socio emotional and linguistic challenges in the classroom. Keywords: socio emotional learning (SEL), learning environment, socio emotional bilingual strategy.