A school in New York is using the Klingon language to teach communication in a new way

Brian Bonsall as Alexander Rozhenko (left) and Michael Dorn as Worf (right) in Star Trek: The Next Generation “Firstborn”

MAY 18, 2022 - Brooklyn school teachers are taking a new approach to connecting with students who may not speak much (if any) English at home. According to a report from NBC4 in New York, faculty at the Saint Mark Catholic Academy in Sheepshead Bay are learning Klingon as a way to develop empathy and promote more productive communication in the classroom.

It all started when the school’s teachers sought advice from SMCA Principal Mark Wilson in reaching out to their students. "The teachers were coming to me (saying) I want to help my students but I don’t know how,” Wilson said. “I wanted to help my teachers and I didn't know how. So that's when I reached out to ACES." ACES - the American Center for English Language Studies at St. Joseph’s University - developed a training program for teachers utilizing the Klingon language as a launching point in lessons about overcoming linguistic challenges, building student confidence, and developing empathy for the struggles of the student population whose native language isn’t English. As part of the training, interactive role play is used to help educators understand the language barriers their students might be facing.

As many of the students at Saint Mark’s have recently come to the United States from Eastern Europe, the primary language spoken at home isn’t usually English, if it is spoken at all. ACES assistant director Rania El-Badry weighed in on the benefits of the seminar training, saying, "One of the key parts of empathy is to think about what would it feel like for you if you were in the same situation.” By putting themselves in a situation similar to their students, teachers are better able to understand the challenges faced, and how they can help individual students overcome them. "They now are familiar with the psychology and emotions of students in the classrooms [...] That will influence the way that they teach going forward," said program director Erica David. 

It brings to mind the old adage about “walking a mile” in someone else’s shoes. With a better understanding of what the students are facing, teachers at Saint Mark’s hope to help them grow as individuals with confidence. "When you're able to act, and you have the protection of (a) character, it can help students be more bold in their speaking of a language they're unfamiliar with," David said.

Our hats are off to the teachers at Saint Mark Catholic Academy, for boldly going where no classroom has gone before.