Are you teaching in a 21st-century classroom? Chances are, If you are an English educator working in the classroom today, you have already moved well ahead of your peers and colleagues teaching math, science, and good old-fashioned grammar. Now that you know you are a 21st-century teacher, what does that mean? And how do you know if you have moved ahead of the curve to embrace what we call 21st-century skills?
Actually, "21st-century skills" is a bit of a misnomer. The prized skills of this age have existed in teaching and learning as long as we have been teaching and learning. In a modern-day class, Socrates and Aristotle would feel right at home (although maybe underdressed).
The phrase itself is meant to imply a classroom ready for the upcoming STEM needs of employment that will allow for innovation, development and significant advances across tech and non-tech industries. Yet, the skills themselves do not imply a highly technological classroom. A modern 21st-century class can be a surprisingly low-budget place.
It can be summarized by the 4Cs:
Reading through this list, you may think, "Hey, those are my classroom goals as an English language teacher!" Finally, the rest of the world has caught up with the modern English language classroom. Of course, when describing these skills, we aren't just talking about teaching English, but skills that can be used to prepare learners for the modern age. This means we want our students to be able to:
This goes a bit above and beyond the basics of the walls of the English language classroom. And yet, preparing our students for the 21st century doesn't require a classroom resembling a science fiction movie set. Several teachers have proved that you can embed these skills by utilizing the most important resource available in the classroom.
Your students.
Sergio Correra is an inspired young teacher at the Jose Urbina Lopez Primary School on the US Border with Mexico. After a year of teaching uninspired curriculum to disengaged students, he returned to the drawing board. He spent time researching ways to improve student engagement and performance and stumbled across exciting research that could be boiled down to one question: Why? Or rather, getting students to ask the question: "Why?" At the beginning of his next school year, he arranged the desk in a circle, sat his students down and asked: "What do you want to learn about?".
Using this as the jumping-off point, he encouraged students to ask questions, seek out more information, and find more questions to answer.
Over the next year, he saw his students' test scores rise, the engagement and enthusiasm improved and he received approval from his principal and fellow educators. With few resources and limited access to technology, he found his students shifting from the lowest testing group in the nation to being ranked among the highest for their performance on standardized tests in the country. One of his students was the highest-performing maths student in the country.
Mr. Correra was inspired by research and reports based on the work of the Indian educator Sugata Mitra. The principle behind Mr. Mitra's approach is to drive student's curiosity by letting them carry out their own learning. In one of his most famous examples, he walked into a classroom in India with computers loaded with information. He explained to the students, now curious about the big shining boxes that held inside something interesting.
And then he left the students to it.
In the course of a year, students had taught themselves everything from English to molecular biology, all without the guidance of a teacher. Rather, they were driven by their natural curiosity, playing off of each other's discoveries to go farther and learn more. Embodying what it means to be self-guided, innovative, collaborative and curious learners.
These students who were given freedom are much more likely to ask questions out of curiosity, motivate themselves and learn without guidance. And while this may be wonderful for learners, this isn't exactly helpful for teachers. To get to the 21st-century skills and inspire motivation, do we have to throw away our syllabus and books and trust only in our learners to motivate themselves?
Fortunately for those of us who have chosen a career in education, that is not the case. We as educators can take lessons from Mr. Correra and Mr. Mitra and use these as a way to inspire interest and engagement in our own classroom while building these skills in our learners.
As language teachers, it's a matter of blending the 4Cs more thoughtfully into a student-centered classroom where learners can engage in high-interest content that is relevant, useful, and promotes innovation.
Take your average prepositions lesson as an example. Even in the best communicative classroom, a teacher may still spend time explaining the rules, setting up the activity and delivering instruction. By applying the 4Cs we can turn this lesson a bit more on its head, making a typical ELL grammar lesson magical.
For example:
Collaborate: Start by handing out magazines or picture books. Have the students work together and choose a picture.
Communication, critical thinking, and creativity: Ask your studentsÌýto work together to create two ways to give directions. One set of directions for a student who is blind. Another set of directions for a student who is deaf.
Encourage students to think outside the box and think about ways to give directions using a computer, a mobile phone, a television, or a YouTube video. While there may be some L1 use in the classroom, the goal is for the final product to be in English. Stand back and watch your learners go.
Another way to engage with 21st-century skills using a typical ELL lesson: the "What's your favorite food lesson?" At some point, we have all experienced it.
Collaborate: In groups, have students create a survey to assess classroom interest in 10 different foods representing different types of meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert).
Communication: Once finished, have learners use the information to create a pie or bar graph to communicate the results and determine which meals are the favorite.
Critical thinking: Have the students compare their answers with answers from other groups. How many differences are there in the reporting? Is the information consistent with the same foods or does it change drastically? Have students compare their results with other teams. Then ask the groups to create a short written or spoken piece to explain how their results differed from other students.
Creativity: Using the information collected from the class and after analyzing data from other students, have groups work together to create an advertising campaign that will make the foods that students liked least into foods students may like more. For example, if the survey said that most students did not like for breakfast, the group would need to work together to create an advertising campaign to make kim-chi-chigae seem like a tasty choice for breakfast. To do this students should consider what makes certain foods more popular in the class.
This may require further follow-up interviewing to find out why students like one thing and not another; this information can then be used in the campaign. This lesson may play out over a few days, but in the end, everyone involved will have gotten much more out of the lesson than they had anticipated.
Both of these examples represent the use of skills in the ELL classroom. Each lesson also embeds, in one way or another, critical STEM skills.
In the preposition lesson, the students may use engineering and technology to find a better way to give directions. In our favorite foods lesson, students engage with science (and a bit of sociology) and mathematics. Altogether it becomes a rounded classroom experience where teachers have an active role as facilitators and students become inspired, self-guided learners who still manage to work inside of the confines of the curriculum.
In the end, 21st-century skills, and using them in the classroom is not really about teaching at all. These skills are truly ones that will spell success for our learners in the future, leading them to be capable, Independent and curious individuals.
Our real challenge as educators is to model a desire to embrace the known, the unknown, and the just plain unknowable. As Alwin Toffler, writer and futurist, put it: "The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn."
Ever wondered why Monday is called Monday or how Wednesday got its name? The names of the days of the week in English have fascinating origins, rooted in ancient history and steeped in mythology. Understanding these origins not only enriches our language ability but also provides intriguing insights into cultural heritage.
Have you ever wondered which world languages are spoken by the largest number of people globally? Whether you’re a language enthusiast or someone looking to learn a new language, understanding the most spoken languages around the world can be incredibly insightful. In this blog post, we’ll explore the top languages by number of speakers, shedding light on languages with the most native speakers and widely spoken languages globally.
Spoken languages are a vital part of human communication, culture and identity. With over 7,000 languages spoken worldwide, each language has its unique characteristics, nuances and significance. Understanding the most spoken languages globally provides valuable insights into geopolitics, economics and social dynamics. In this article, we will explore the top languages spoken in the world, their distribution and use.
Knowing which languages are most popular worldwide can influence your language learning decisions. Enhancing your language skills in these widely spoken languages can significantly boost your communication abilities and cultural understanding. It can open up opportunities for travel, business and cultural exchange. Additionally, understanding global language popularity can give you a broader perspective of the world’s linguistic diversity.
Measuring language popularity is a complex task that involves various factors, including the number of native speakers, global influence, and use as a second or foreign language. The criteria for measuring language popularity include:
Number of native speakers: This refers to the number of people who speak a language as their first or native language. Languages with the highest number of native speakers often have a significant cultural and historical impact.
Global influence: This measures the extent to which a language is used in international communication, business, science and diplomacy. Languages with a broad global influence are often used as lingua francas in various regions.
Use as a second or foreign language: This considers the number of people who speak a language as a second language or foreign language. Languages that are widely taught and learned around the world tend to have a larger speaking population.
By considering these criteria, we can better understand why certain languages are more prominent and widely spoken globally.
Here’s a closer look at the ten most spoken languages by number of speakers:
When evaluating these languages, it's important to consider not just the number of native speakers but also the total number of language speakers, including those who speak it as a second language.
Speakers: Approximately 1.5 billion
Native speakers: Around 360 million
Regions: Widely spoken in the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia and Oceania.
Highlights: English is the most widely spoken language worldwide when combining native and non-native speakers. It's the primary language in countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia. English is the dominant language in international business, science and technology.
Speakers: Over 1.1 billion
Native speakers: About 920 million
Regions: Mainly in China, Taiwan and Singapore
Highlights: Mandarin is the language with the largest number of native speakers. It's one of the six official languages of the United Nations and has a significant cultural and historical importance.
Speakers: Around 600 million
Native speakers: Approximately 341 million
Regions: Predominantly in India and Nepal
Highlights: Hindi is predominantly spoken in India and Nepal, with approximately 341 million native speakers. It is one of the official languages of India and is spoken by a large portion of the Indian population. It has numerous dialects and is written in the Devanagari script.
Speakers: Approximately 560 million
Native speakers: About 460 million
Regions: Spain, Latin America and parts of the United States
Highlights: Spanish is the official language in 21 countries and is widely spoken in the Americas. In many of these countries, Spanish serves as the national language, playing a crucial role in government, education and media. It’s known for its rich literature and cultural heritage.
Speakers: Around 280 million
Native speakers: About 77 million
Regions: France, parts of Africa, Canada, Belgium and Switzerland
Highlights: French is another of the six official languages of the United Nations. It's widely used in international diplomacy and has a significant number of speakers in Africa due to France's colonial history.
Speakers: Approximately 270 million
Native speakers: Around 310 million
Regions: Middle East and North Africa
Highlights: Arabic is a central Semitic language that is the liturgical language of Islam. It has many dialects, with Modern Standard Arabic being used in formal settings and media. Arabic has numerous spoken forms, with significant variations in dialects across different regions.
Speakers: Around 265 million
Native speakers: About 230 million
Regions: Bangladesh and parts of India
Highlights: Bengali is the official language of Bangladesh and the second most spoken language in India. Alongside other languages like Hindi and Urdu, Bengali plays a crucial role in the cultural and linguistic landscape of the region. It’s known for its rich literary tradition.
Speakers: Approximately 220 million
Native speakers: Around 220 million
Regions: Brazil, Portugal and parts of Africa
Highlights: Portuguese is mainly spoken in Brazil, which is the largest Portuguese-speaking country. It has a growing number of speakers in Africa.
Speakers: Around 258 million
Native speakers: Approximately 154 million
Regions: Russia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia
Highlights: Russian is one of the six official languages of the United Nations and is widely spoken in the former Soviet Union countries.
Speakers: Approximately 128 million
Native speakers: Around 128 million
Regions: Japan
Highlights: Japanese is predominantly spoken in Japan and is known for its three writing systems—Hiragana, Katakana and Kanji. It has a rich cultural history and is influential in technology and entertainment.
Understanding the most spoken languages in the world can provide valuable insights for language learners. Developing strong language skills in these world languages can open up numerous opportunities for travel, business and cultural exchange. Whether you’re looking to enhance your travel experiences, broaden your cultural horizons, or improve your career prospects, learning one of these widely spoken languages could be a significant advantage.
Ready to start your language learning journey? Learn a new language with Mondly by ɫèAV.
Mastering a new language can be a game-changer for your career. Whether it's for expanding your professional network, exploring new job opportunities, or simply enhancing your cognitive skills, learning a language is an invaluable investment. But how can you juggle language learning with a demanding full-time job? Here are some practical tips designed for busy professionals.
Before you start, it's crucial to set clear, achievable goals. Whether you aim to hold basic conversations, read professional documents, or become fluent, having a specific target will keep you motivated and focused.
Finding time to study can be challenging, but integrating language learning into your daily routine can make it more manageable:
Modern technology provides a plethora of tools to help you learn a new language without disrupting your schedule:
Staying motivated is crucial to your success. Celebrate your progress, no matter how small, and remind yourself of the benefits of being multilingual:
Some companies offer resources or discounted access for learning. It's always worthwhile to check if your employer provides:
If your workplace has international colleagues, take advantage of this opportunity to practice. Try to speak with them in their first language or ask for help with pronunciation and vocabulary. Not only will this provide real-world practice, but it will also strengthen your professional relationships.
Consistency is key when learning a new language:
Balancing a full-time job with language learning is no small feat, but it's entirely possible with the right strategies. By setting clear goals, integrating learning into your routine, leveraging technology, practicing consistently, engaging with native speakers, making learning fun and staying motivated, you can achieve fluency without sacrificing your professional responsibilities. Ready to start your language learning journey? Take the first step today and open a world of new opportunities.
