Improving Leadership Qualities during Foreign Language Classes

Numerous specialists agree with the fact that learning at least one other foreign language brings a multitude of advantages both to the individual who makes the effort to learn it, but also to the society he or she is part of. At the “Nicolae Bălcescu” Land Forces Academy, cadets learn about leadership not only from the specialized courses like Fundamentals of Leadership or Military Leaderships, but they can find opportunities to improve their leading skills and qualities during the foreign language classes. The article focuses on some of the most important qualities of a leader and offers suggestions on how these could be developed during the English, French or German classes. We believe that the foreign language courses will help students develop much needed leadership traits like adaptability, flexibility, open mindedness, the capacities of being good team players, good listeners and good communicators. These are qualities without which they will have a very hard time functioning not only in an international environment but also in a national one. As teachers we have to understand that it is more than vocabulary and grammar that we help our students learn, we also help them to learn about life, about being leaders of others.