Social emotional learning (SEL) refers to a collection of skills and competences that enables students to proficiently initiate, cultivate, and sustain interpersonal relationships, as well as to regulate their intrapersonal emotions and reactions to social interactions. Despite the growing need for schools and educators to meet students' social-emotional needs, there is still a notable gap in knowledge about how to implement these practices effectively. The purpose of this qualitative case study is to examine English language instructors’ perceptions of SEL and how they implement SEL principles in the classroom. A group of language instructors at the university level were interviewed to investigate how language instructors understand SEL and integrate them into their teaching practices. The findings indicated that the instructors perceive SEL as an important component of language teaching; however they stated the need for guidance, support and assistance in implementing SEL principles in the classroom. They also reported that they needed more comprehensive and sustainable approaches to address the needs of their learners in terms of social and emotional language learning. By addressing these gaps, language instructors can empower their learners’ academic and emotional development, fostering a more holistic approach to language education.