How to teach students to be global citizens

Jeanne Perrett
Children working together outdoors picking up litter
Reading time: 4.5 minutes

As teachers, weÌýallÌýwant ourÌýstudents toÌýwork toward making the world a better place. Through focusing onÌýglobal citizenship,Ìýthis drive to change the world is something we can help foster every day in the classroom.ÌýIn this post, we’ll explore how.

What are global citizens?

ÌýA 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.ÌýÌý

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.ÌýÌý

How can we introduce the concept?

BeforeÌýstudents put themselves in a global context, they should get to know themselves as individuals. But they should also get to know themselves as people whoÌýare part ofÌýtheir immediate communities.ÌýÌý

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?Ìý

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

Tips and activities

Social media makes it possibleÌýforÌýteachers 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,ÌýcanÌýhelp learners become more globally aware.Ìý

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How can we teach students to be proactive?

Once students know something, they can progress to putting their knowledge into action. Teachers can foster thisÌýby encouraging good habits –Ìýa simple example isÌýhow weÌýteachÌývery youngÌýchildren to throw their litter in a bin. As they grow older, we canÌý‘unpack’ these habits. That is,Ìýwe can helpÌýchildrenÌýlook deeper into whyÌýthey're so important.ÌýUsing the example of litter again,ÌýthisÌýcould meanÌýmaking students aware about how their civic responsibility has a real environmental impact.Ìý

Let’s look at how we canÌýgo from knowing to doing, in simple stages, with a range of topicsÌýthat are common in theÌýlanguageÌýclassroom:Ìý

Food

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

Buildings

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

Jobs

  • Teach about the jobs people do at school – such as cleaning, cooking, or driving.Ìý
  • Think about jobs withinÌýthe communityÌýand why they are necessary.Ìý
  • Think about what skills each child and their parents have and how these skills are needed for different jobs.Ìý
  • Have a skill-sharing day whereÌýstudentsÌýteachÌýeach otherÌýsomething new.ÌýÌý
  • HostÌýaÌý‘kids take over day’Ìýwhere studentsÌýget toÌýdo an important jobÌýatÌýschool (such asÌýcleaning the classroomsÌýorÌýserving lunch).Ìý

Technology

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

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 aÌý‘Let’s go toÌý[name of a city or country)Ìýday.’ÌýMake posters about famous sights, learn some phrases of the language spoken thereÌýandÌýhave studentsÌýimagineÌýtheyÌýhave gone abroad for the day.

Sharing the messageÌý

The United NationsÌýhas set out a collection ofÌý17Ìýglobal goals, called theÌýÌý(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. Ìý

Teachers can encourage students to spread the message aboutÌýSDGs inÌývariousÌýways. For example, students can:ÌýÌý

  • Give speechesÌý– at school or in the local community.Ìý
  • Begin a fundraisingÌýcampaign.Ìý
  • 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.Ìý

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    6 tips for planning your first English classes

    By Nicole Kyriacou

    You are nervous, yet excited. You want to appear relaxed and fun, but still be taken seriously. Most of all, you are keen to make an excellent first impression.

    With all that in mind - planning your first English classes of the year can be a daunting experience.

    Here are six things to consider when planning your first classes:

    1. Set clear aims

    Whether you are teaching young learners, teenagers or adults, it’s important you discuss the aims and objectives of the course from day one. You’ll need to learn more about your students' needs to do this. Why are they learning English? Do they want to prepare for an official exam? What activities do they enjoy? What things do they need to improve the most?

    The way you do this will depend on the age of your learners. For example, with adults and teens, you could get them to interview each other and write a report about what they found out. With younger children, do a survey they can complete using smiley faces.

    2. Find out students’ interests

    Although you should understand your students' needs and why they want to learn English - to help make your classes relevant and engaging - you should also discover what they enjoy doing outside of class.

    To do this, get students to write mini bios you can stick around the classroom. Or have them prepare presentations where they share something they are passionate about with the rest of the class - using coursebooks. As a class, go through the contents page, vote on which topics students find most interesting, and start with those.

    3. Break the ice

    You want your first class to be fun so that students are motivated, and associate English language learning with something they can enjoy. Ice-breakers can also be an excellent way to get to know each other and learn about your students' current level of English.

    Activities where students have to ask each other questions work well.

    4. Provide a comfortable environment

    Young learners and teenagers tend to be shy at the start of a course - especially if they don’t know each other. Develop a rapport and break down boundaries by including team-building activities in your first class.ÌýYour aim is to have all the students feeling more comfortable with each other before the end of the lesson so that there are no awkward silences in future lessons.

    5. Manage expectations

    Managing expectations is an essential part of a teacher's job. Make sure in the first class you are clear about what you expect from your students and what they can expect from you.

    Have students brainstorm the rules for the class and then make a big poster or ‘class contract’ which all students have to sign. Display the poster on the wall so you can always refer to it if someone misbehaves.

    Try to keep the rules as positive as possible. Instead of writing: 'Don’t speak your first language', write: 'Try to always speak English and ask if you don’t know a word'. If you are feeling really brave, you can even get your students to devise a list of rules for you which you can display on the wall next to theirs.

    6. Make it challenging

    It’s great making your first lesson fun - but there’s nothing more motivating than leaving a new class and feeling like you’ve made a good decision and you are going to learn lots (and you aren’t wasting your time or money). This is especially important for adult learners.

    So, as well as getting to know each other and finding out their needs, teach them something new. This could be 10 new pieces of vocabulary, how to structure a letter or report, or a list of resources they can use at home to practice their English.