How to teach students to be global citizens

Jeanne Perrett
Children working together outdoors picking up litter
وقت القراءة: 4.5 minutes

As teachers, weallwant ourstudents towork toward making the world a better place. Through focusing onglobal citizenship,this drive to change the world is something we can help foster every day in the classroom.In this post, we’ll explore how.

What are global citizens?

A global citizen is someone who knows that they are part of a worldwide community. They understand that there are people who have completely different lifestyles, appearances, cultures and routines but with whom we share common values and responsibilities. Global citizenship encourages tolerance and understanding, and learning about it helps children become open-minded adults.

In a primary English classroom, helping students become aware of themselves as citizens of the world will introduce them to a global way of thinking. We can do this while also helping them become familiar with, and proficient in, English.

How can we introduce the concept?

Beforestudents put themselves in a global context, they should get to know themselves as individuals. But they should also get to know themselves as people whoare part oftheir immediate communities.

In the classroom, this can be done by encouraging students to think about something personal, such as their likes and dislikes. We can then encourage students to look a little further: What kinds of homes do they see in their communities? What makes a house a home to them? What about people working in their communities — what important jobs do they do, and how do they make an impact?

For language teachers,the idea is tocombine vocabulary and grammar structures with a slowly widening view of our world.Simply by introducing the conceptthat we are part of a worldwide communitycantake the children out of their own experiences and help them start to consider others.

Tips and activities

Social media makes it possibleforteachers to contact each other across borders and to collaborate between their schools. Something simple, like organizing a class video call for students after lunchtime and encouraging students in different countries to discuss what they ate in English,canhelp learners become more globally aware.

Get in touch and learn about how ɫèAV can help your language teaching

How can we teach students to be proactive?

Once students know something, they can progress to putting their knowledge into action. Teachers can foster thisby encouraging good habits –a simple example ishow weteachvery youngchildren to throw their litter in a bin. As they grow older, we can‘unpack’ these habits. That is,we can helpchildrenlook deeper into whythey're so important.Using the example of litter again,thiscould meanmaking students aware about how their civic responsibility has a real environmental impact.

Let’s look at how we cango from knowing to doing, in simple stages, with a range of topicsthat are common in thelanguageclassroom:

Food

  • Ask students to think about what they like and dislike.
  • Ask students to name foods that are good for us and what we should eat more of.
  • Teach about school lunches in other countries.
  • Teach about dishes eaten on special occasions around the world.
  • Haveafood festivalor ‘munch day’ where students make snacks from around the world.

Buildings

  • Ask students to talk about their own homes.
  • Teach about types of homes in other countries.
  • Discuss eco-architecture – such as solar panels, living walls, wind turbines on roofs, and local materials that might be used in building processes.
  • Venture outside as a class to plantpottedflowers and improve the school yard or make a container to collect rainwater for the school garden.

Jobs

  • Teach about the jobs people do at school – such as cleaning, cooking, or driving.
  • Think about jobs withinthe communityand why they are necessary.
  • Think about what skills each child and their parents have and how these skills are needed for different jobs.
  • Have a skill-sharing day wherestudentsteacheach othersomething new.
  • Hosta‘kids take over day’where studentsget todo an important jobatschool (such ascleaning the classroomsorserving lunch).

Technology

  • Discuss the different types of technology used at home and school.
  • Think about how to use this technology responsibly.
  • Talk about different householdsand find outhow and whentablets, laptops and phones are used. For example, who is allowed to watch videos while eating?Who can read on their tablet in bed?
  • Make your own set of technology rules for the classroom and discuss why they’re important.

Holidays

  • Ask students what they like to do on holiday.
  • Teach about how to stay safe at the ocean or in the countryside.
  • Talk about other countries students have travelled to or would like to travel to and learn about interesting landmarks in those countries.
  • Discuss eco-tourism efforts and why they are important.
  • Have a‘Let’s go to[name of a city or country)day.’Make posters about famous sights, learn some phrases of the language spoken thereandhave studentsimaginetheyhave gone abroad for the day.

Sharing the message

The United Nationshas set out a collection of17global goals, called the(SDGs), which aim to create a better future by 2030. They address issues like gender equality, hunger and poverty and can be an excellent resource for teachers to use in the classroom when discussing how global citizenship can help to improve our world.

Teachers can encourage students to spread the message aboutSDGs invariousways. For example, students can:

  • Give speeches– at school or in the local community.
  • Begin a fundraisingcampaign.
  • Write letters to politicians.

Teaching students to be global citizens may sound like a big task. However, through weaving these ideas through language lessons, teachers have the opportunity to plant an important seed in students. Because who knows, they may really grow up to change the world.

About Rise and Shine

Rise and Shineis a 7-level story-based primary course that combines language learning with global citizenship. It is built on theGlobal Scale of English, which helps students to understand exactly what they are learning and why.

The courseinspires learners to becomeconfident explorers– they learn English and aim to become responsible global citizens. The series is also designed for use in inclusive and mixed-ability classrooms and supports every learner to achieve and shine.

Learn more about Rise and Shine

More blogs from ɫèAV

  • تلوين المعلم وطلاب المدارس الابتدائية

    التخطيط لدروس اللغة الإنجليزية كلغة ثانية فعالة للعام المقبل: نصائح وأفكار للمعلمين

    By Sam Colley
    وقت القراءة: 4 دقائق

    مع اقتراب العام الجديد ، إنه الوقت المثالي للتفكير في ممارسات التدريس لدينا والتخطيط لدروس جذابة وفعالة لطلاب الإنجليزية كطلاب اللغة ثاني (ESL). يمكن لخطط الدروس المصممة بعناية أن تحدث فرقا كبيرا في نتائج التعلم ومستويات مشاركة طلابك. سواء كنت تقوم بتدريس الأطفال الصغار أو المراهقين أو البالغين ، تظل مبادئ التخطيط الفعال للدرس متسقة. فيما يلي بعض الأفكار والتلميحات والنصائح لمساعدتك في إنشاء دروس ESL ديناميكية وناجحة للطلاب من جميع الأعمار.

    ابدأ بأهداف تعليمية واضحة

    ابدأ كل درس بأهداف واضحة وقابلة للتحقيق. ماذا تريد أن يتعلمه طلابك بنهاية الدرس؟ توفر الأهداف خارطة طريق لك ولطلابك ، مما يضمن تركيز الجميع وإدراكهم للأهداف. على سبيل المثال، قد يكون الهدف هو "سيتمكن الطلاب من استخدام الأفعال ذات الزمن الماضي لوصف أنشطة عطلة نهاية الأسبوع". توفر الأهداف الواضحة التوجيه وتساعدك على قياس تقدم الطالب.

    دمج مجموعة متنوعة من الأنشطة

    لتلبية أنماط التعلم المختلفة والحفاظ على مشاركة الطلاب ، قم بدمج مزيج من طرق وأنشطة التدريس. فيما يلي بعض الأفكار:

    • مصغ: استخدم التسجيلات الصوتية أو الأغاني أو البودكاست لتحسين مهارات الاستماع.
    • يتحدث: قم بتنظيم مناقشات زوجية أو جماعية أو لعب أدوار أو عروض تقديمية لتعزيز قدرات التحدث.
    • قراءة: تقديم مجموعة متنوعة من النصوص مثل المقالات أو القصص القصيرة أو الحوارات.
    • كتاب: قم بتعيين مهام مثل إدخالات المجلات أو المقالات أو تمارين الكتابة الإبداعية.
    • أنشطة الواجبات المنزلية: بالنسبة لشيء خارج الفصل الدراسي ، يمكن استخدام نزهة في الطبيعة أو وصفة للمساعدة في تعلم مفردات معينة.

    استخدم مواد أصلية

    تعرض المواد الأصلية - مثل الصحف والقوائم والكتيبات ومقاطع الفيديو - الطلاب على لغة وسياقات في العالم الحقيقي. يمكن لهذه المواد أن تجعل الدروس أكثر تشويقا وذات صلة ، مما يساعد الطلاب على رؤية التطبيق العملي لمهاراتهم اللغوية. والأفضل من ذلك ، أنها موجودة في كل مكان ، ومن السهل جدا العثور عليها. فيما يلي بعض الاقتراحات الإضافية حول كيفية اختيار واستخدام المواد الأصلية في تدريس اللغة الإنجليزية الخاص بك.

    دمج التكنولوجيا

    اعتاد المعلمون بالفعل على الاستفادة من التكنولوجيا لتحسين الدروس باستخدام الموارد عبر الإنترنت وتطبيقات تعلم اللغة والمنصات التفاعلية لإنشاء بيئة تعليمية ديناميكية. لماذا لا تأخذ هذه الخطوة إلى الأمام باستخدام الذكاء الاصطناعي لإنشاء مواردك الخاصة. ألق نظرة على مدونتنا حول كيفية تحقيق أقصى استفادة من الذكاء الاصطناعي في الفصل الدراسي لمزيد من الأفكار.

  • English is the language of AI - why teaching it matters

    By Sam Colley
    وقت القراءة: 3 minutes

    In the rapidly evolving age of artificial intelligence (AI), language plays a critical role in shaping the future of technology. English, in particular, has emerged as the dominant language in the AI domain, driving innovations, collaboration and accessibility. As we delve deeper into the digital age, the importance of teaching English becomes increasingly evident. Here are some key points that underscore why English is essential in the realm of AI and why its teaching matters.

    Global collaboration and research

    AI is a field that thrives on collaboration and the sharing of knowledge. Researchers, developers and engineers worldwide contribute to the collective advancement of AI technologies. English is the common linguistic thread that binds this global community together, enabling seamless communication and collaboration among these diverse professionals.

    By teaching English, we empower individuals from various linguistic backgrounds to participate in global research projects, attend international conferences and publish their findings in widely accessible journals. This global exchange of ideas not only accelerates the pace of AI innovation but ensures that advancements are inclusive and representative of a wide array of perspectives.

    Access to educational resources and technical documentation

    Many AI research papers, educational materials, textbooks, online courses and technical documents are published in English. Leading AI platforms, libraries and frameworks, offer extensive documentation and support primarily in English.

    By equipping individuals with English language skills, we empower them to access these invaluable resources. This democratizes the learning process, allowing aspiring AI practitioners from non-English-speaking regions to acquire the knowledge and tools needed to contribute effectively to the field.

    Enhancing communication and language learning with AI systems

    As AI systems become more integrated into our daily lives, the ability to communicate effectively with these systems is paramount. Many AI-driven applications, from virtual assistants like Siri and Alexa to customer service chatbots, operate predominantly in English. Teaching English ensures that users can interact seamlessly with these technologies, maximizing their utility and enhancing user experience.

    Moreover, as continues to advance, proficiency in English allows individuals to better understand and contribute to the development of more sophisticated and intuitive AI communication interfaces.