EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE DEVELOPMENT THROUGH ENGLISH CLASSES: LEARNERS' DISPOSITION, MOTIVATION, AWARENESS

The paper is focused on Emotional Intelligence (EI), which is considered by the authors to be an integral constituent of Sophisticated Thinking. Being a complex phenomenon comprised of several structural elements (Critical Thinking, Cognitive Flexibility, Complex Problem Solving, Creativity, and Emotional Intelligence), Sophisticated Thinking can be developed through educational interaction. The same rule works for each of its constituents. The objective of Emotional Intelligence is to recognize the meanings of emotions and their relationships and to use them as a basis in reasoning and problem solving. Development of an ability to use emotions to enhance cognitive activities should include students' understanding that an emotion does not reflect only feelings, as it is an organised mental response to an event including physiological, experiential and cognitive aspects among others. This understanding should be based on students' disposition towards engaging into problem solving with and about emotions. The paper presents the provisional results of the ongoing multi-staged project. In a five-month study aimed at Emotional Intelligence development the authors paid special attention to the process of motivation building as a necessary part of the research aim. The participants were 147 second-year students of RUDN University (Moscow, Russia) who throughout their English classes performed purposely designed assignments targeted at detecting and enhancing level of disposition as well as motivation to integrate EI course in university curricula. The research is divided into three sessions each having a particular focus. All three sessions are preceded and followed by questionnaires ending with a final interview. All the participants were informed about the aims of the study and participated in the study willingly. The results collected from the study indicate that the students with intentionally developed and motivated disposition to emotional intelligence achieved much better results both in Emotional Intelligence formation and in building English language competence.