“I found the method both creative and deeply meaningful, and it offered a refreshing perspective on how emotional values can be integrated into language teaching.” -Latvian English Teacher

“…unlike any traditional language teaching activity I had encountered before. Based on a conceptual art project, the session introduced the idea of using personal items that hold emotional value as a basis for classroom interaction. Students bring in meaningful objects, write emotional statements about them, and participate in an ‘auction’ by bidding with their own reflections. I found this approach fascinating as it blends reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills in a highly personal and emotionally engaging way. It encourages students to be vulnerable, empathetic, and expressive—qualities that are often underdeveloped in language classrooms.” -English Teacher in training from Turkey

“I was really inspired by your Emotional Values Auction idea…It was absolutely awesome! You were able to make me think about those aspects that have remained in the shadows to this day.” -Estonian English Teacher 

“The Emotional Values Auction” was not just about giving away objects but it was about sharing pieces of the heart. That made it truly unforgettable. It showed me that emotional value can often outweigh material worth, and that the act of giving can be even more meaningful when it’s based on understanding and empathy.” – Undergraduate Education student from Turkey

Introduction

An Emotional Values Auction (EVA) is a new, unique, and innovative methodology for teaching English. Based on a conceptual art process originally conceived of by Portland, Maine (USA), artist Adriane Herman, it replicates the structure of an actual auction. The process incorporates student skill development in the areas of writing, listening, reading, speaking and presenting. The context is both cognitive and emotional, as the students consider items to submit to an in-class auction that represent their experience with, for example, the emotions of generosity, pride, happiness, or loss. Students present their items to the class and expand on their experiences by telling their stories. Other students “bid” on the items that they feel a connection to. “Bids” are made by writing about why they think they would be good stewards for receiving the items “up for auction.” The submitted “bids” are reviewed by the original student donating their item, and that person selects the final recipient. No money is exchanged. The “currency” is shared experience and learning. Students report positive levels of satisfaction with the process based on several factors.

From a Unique Art Concept to an ESL Teaching Methodology

During the summer of 2023 while a friend was visiting from out of town, he suggested we take-in an art show in Portland, Maine. We expected a typical art show, but instead, found we had entered an art experience called an “Emotional Value Auction.” In consisted of displayed items that people were “letting go of” that had emotional value to them. The items were accompanied by written statements from the owners about what the item meant to them, and why they felt it was time to “let it go.” It was fascinatingly eclectic, that is, it included items as varied as a grandmother’s old flannel shirt, an antique leather diary, even an unused B-B Gun rifle from the early 1980’s.

Because it was an auction, you could “bid” on any item if you were somehow desirous of it. A visitor to this so-called Emotional Value Auction, could submit a “bid” on any item, or multiple items, by writing a statement about why they felt connected to it. The “bids” were collected during the several weeks the auction was underway and eventually they were given to the respective person who had originally submitted the item to the auction. That person would subsequently review all the “bids” placed on their item and select the one that “moved them,” or appealed to them, the most. The item was then awarded to that person.

I thought that this process could effectively be adapted to an ESL teaching methodology, one that helped develop the skills of reading, writing, speaking, listening and even presenting. So, I designed an approach and piloted it last Fall in two of my English classes at Daugavpils University in Latvia. The results were amazing.

Follow-up evaluations indicated that students both valued and enjoyed the process more than other learning activities they had experienced while learning English. Furthermore, and to my surprise, students reported that the Emotional Values Auction process revealed aspects of classmates they had not known previously, for example, their interests, hobbies and skills. And as a result, many felt that the class had become a closer group of learners.

Since that semester, I have implemented the EMA is several additional Spring classes. The results have been similar, that is, students report enjoying the learning process, while at the same time, enhancing their English language skills, acquiring new related vocabulary, and reporting similar group development outcomes.

Recent Developments in the Baltic States English Teaching Community

A trio comprised of two U.S. State Department English Language Fellows (ELF’s), and a Specialist, developed a so-called “Road Show,” where we offered training for regional English educators hosted by area educational institutions. We dubbed these trainings, “mini-conferences,” as the participants were offered the opportunity to attend two-workshops on a Saturday or Friday morning. The Emotional Values Auction was one of these workshops, intended to introduce the methodology to teachers and to provide a Teacher’s Guide as follow-up to interested attendees. These workshops have been offered in Wroclaw in Poland, at the University of Tartu in Estonia, in Riga at the University of Latvia, and in Daugavpils. The reception to the methodology has been highly favorable as indicated by the representative comments quoted at the outset of this post.

Alfred Mercier, a noted early American playwright, novelist and philosopher, who spoke five-languages, said, “What we learn with pleasure we never forget.” The Emotional Values Auction process seeks to combine the cognitive aspects of language learning with a focus on emotions all while providing students with a fun and memorable learning experience.

If you are an educator, or have further interest in the Emotional Values Auction process, and would like a copy of the accompanying Teachers’ Guide, please contact Steven Schuit: Schuitstephen33@gmail.com