Innovation in Language Learning

Soft skills such as communication, collaboration, self-confidence, and self-management are widely recognised as essential competences in contemporary education. Yet within foreign language instruction, these transversal skills often remain implicit – noticed, perhaps even valued, but rarely made visible or deliberate. For many adult learners, however, the language classroom is more than a linguistic environment; it is a space where personal growth unfolds alongside grammar and vocabulary. This paper/presentation introduces an early-stage initiative within a broader pedagogical project that seeks to integrate soft skills development more consciously into foreign language education. Drawing on current literature, feedback from adult learners (military leadership curricula), and practical classroom experience, it presents the rationale and design of a purpose-built questionnaire that helps educators observe how soft skills emerge and evolve through language learning. The instrument combines scaled and open-ended items and focuses on four core areas repeatedly cited in both theory and learner reflections: communication, teamwork, self-confidence, and self-management. The aim is twofold: to provide a practical diagnostic tool for use in adult language classrooms, and to lay the groundwork for more systematic, research-informed inquiry into the role of soft skills in language pedagogy. Ultimately, this approach supports a shift in perspective – one that views the language classroom not only as a site of linguistic acquisition, but also as a meaningful context for developing 21st-century competences through intentional, learner-centered strategies.