Cambridge Life Competencies Framework: Teenage Learners

The Cambridge Life Competencies Framework

Teenage Learners

Introductory Guide for Teachers and Educational Managers

Why teach Life Competencies?

Our world is changing fast and we need to prepare our students with the skills and experiences that go beyond learning an additional language.

We see the increasing need to work together with people from around the world, to think creatively and solve problems, to analyse sources more critically, to communicate our views effectively,

and to maintain a positive mindset in an increasingly complex world.

The Cambridge Life Competencies Framework supports teachers in this challenging area – we understand that the engaging and collaborative nature of the language classroom is the perfect place to develop and embed these key qualities.

Hear from our experts

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What is the Cambridge Life Competencies Framework?

The Cambridge Life Competencies Framework helps teachers and educators who want to understand how life skills, or 21st century skills, can be integrated more effectively into English language programmes. The framework has six Competencies that describe how these essential skills develop and vary across different stages of education, as learners grow and change.

CREATIVE THINKING

Learners actively participate in creative activities, generate new ideas and use them to solve problems.

CRITICAL THINKING

Learners identify patterns and relationships, evaluate ideas and use these skills to solve problems.

LEARNING TO LEARN

Learners develop practical skills to support and take control of their learning and reflect on their own progress.

COMMUNICATION

Learners choose the most appropriate language to use in different situations, manage conversations effectively and express themselves clearly and confidently.

COLLABORATION

Learners work well together in groups through actively taking part in group activities, listening to others, sharing tasks and finding solutions to problems.

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Learners recognise and describe different roles and responsibilities in a variety of groups and understand cultural and global issues.

EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Learners describe and manage emotions and develop positive relationships with others.

The Learning Journey The Cambridge Life Competencies Framework supports learners at all stages of their learning journey, from very young pre-primary learners right through to adults in education and at work. The framework maps out how learner behaviours typically found within each competency can change and develop as learners encounter new situations and circumstances in their lives, both within and beyond the classroom.

This booklet describes how the Cambridge Life Competencies Framework allows us to support learners of English in secondary education.

Pre-Primary

Primary

Secondary

Higher Education

At Work

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Understanding the Cambridge Life Competencies Framework The framework describes what each Competency really means by breaking it down into sub-skills. Each Competency is divided into Core Areas, and those are divided into Component skills.

Can Do Statements describe the observable behaviours that could be suitable targets or objectives for learners at each stage of their learning. This booklet gives one example Can Do Statement for each Component.

Example Language is also provided as suggestions for how learners might express the actions and behaviours in each Core Area.

See this example for one Core Area within Creative Thinking at the Secondary stage: COMPETENCY

CORE AREA

COMPONENTS

EXAMPLE CAN DO STATEMENTS

EXAMPLE LANGUAGE

CREATIVE THINKING

Generating ideas

Elaborating on and combining ideas

Builds on others’ ideas.

I really like that idea.

Imagining alternatives and possibilities

Asks ‘what if’ and ‘if only’ questions to come up with alternatives and possibilities.

We could even…

Get Involved The Cambridge Life Competencies Framework is an ongoing project, evolving through stages of validation and teacher feedback.

Go to cambridge.org/clcf to see how you can get involved.

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What is Creative Thinking ?

Creativity is the ability to generate new ideas, alternatives, or possibilities rapidly, and elaborate on them. Some of the attributes of creative thinking include curiosity, divergent thinking, imagination, cognitive flexibility, tolerance for ambiguity or unpredictability, intrinsic motivation, and enjoyment of things previously unknown.

We have identified three key Core Areas within Creative Thinking: • Preparing for creativity includes taking part in activities that promote the development of creative skills. These might be drama, music and artistic tasks but also include discussions of hypothetical scenarios, brainstorming and problem-solving activities.

In addition, it involves exploring issues that need to be solved or concepts that a learner needs to grasp, ensuring that they see this from multiple different perspectives.

This lays the foundation for coming up with original and useful ideas.

• Generating ideas requires coming up with lots of new and varied ideas (fluency and flexibility), developing those ideas (elaborating), and coming up with ideas that do not occur to most people (originality). This will often require divergent thinking and imagination.

• Implementing ideas and solving problems involves learners testing out the ideas they have generated and refining them. It also involves them being able to confidently present and explain their ideas to others.

Within these Core Areas we break things down further, defining the Components that make up each Core Area:

CREATIVE THINKING

Preparing for creativity

Participating in a range of creative activities Exploring issues and concepts Considering multiple perspectives Finding connections

Generating ideas

Generating multiple ideas Elaborating on and combining ideas Imagining alternatives and possibilities

Implementing ideas and solving problems

Experimenting with and refining ideas Implementing, presenting and explaining ideas and solutions

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Creative Thinking Can Do Statements and Example Language SECONDARY CORE AREAS

COMPONENTS

EXAMPLE CAN DO STATEMENTS

EXAMPLE LANGUAGE

Preparing for creativity

Participating in a range of creative activities

Engages with and responds to creative works from art, music or literature.

I love…

Exploring issues and concepts

Explores different possible interpretations of a story or poem.

I think it means…

Considering multiple perspectives

Considers the points of view of different characters in a story.

He probably feels…

Finding connections

Can relate the content of creative works to own experiences.

I remember when I…

Generating multiple ideas

Comes up with many options to adapt a story.

Maybe we could change the location of the story.

Elaborating on and combining ideas

Builds on others’ ideas.

I really like that idea.

We could even…

Imagining alternatives and possibilities

Asks ‘what if’ and ‘if only’ questions to come up with alternatives and possibilities.

What if we had no money…?

Experimenting with and refining ideas

Redrafts a story or proposal in order to improve it.

This section wasn’t working.

Implementing, presenting and explaining ideas and solutions

Presents a solution confidently to their peers.

The best option seems to be…

Generating ideas

Implementing ideas and solving problems

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Creative Thinking in the classroom SECONDARY It is possible to foster creative thinking in the classroom through the use of different types of tasks. By simply tweaking a familiar task – for example, adding a game-like element (e.g. a time or word limit) – teachers are able to introduce an element of spontaneity and unpredictability in class. This can also be done by offering learners more choice, by prompting them to use their imagination, to interact more with their peers or simply to ‘think outside the box’ and encourage original ideas. Overall, whatever the age, the following methods for fostering a creative environment in the class are worth considering: • Celebrating originality – giving praise to learners demonstrating creativity and reward out-of-the-box thinking.

• Asking learners questions and encouraging them to ask questions too. By using questions as a vehicle to dive deeper into your learners’ thoughts and ideas, you are promoting creative thinking and encouraging learners to consider different perspectives.

• Allowing learners to be playful in their creative thinking – no answers are wrong answers; they should celebrate diversity and even absurdity.

• Ensuring learners feel that the classroom is a safe space in which to engage in creative thinking.

Learners at this age can be more reserved when it comes to creative tasks – they may feel anxious or embarrassed to share their own thoughts and ideas with others. It is therefore important for teachers to create a safe, judgement-free environment in which learners feel comfortable and free to think and act creatively. Much of this will be done through effective feedback and praising of original and creative thought.

Using images to develop creativity through imagination One way to foster an imaginative response in teenage learners is through the use of images.

In this task learners look at an image as the launch pad for a creative piece of story-telling.

Traditionally, when confronted by an image, learners are asked to merely describe what they can see. However, there are other options which allow for more creativity on the part of the learner. For example, in an activity called ‘Who am I?’, learners create a role for a person in an image, describing their character’s feelings, and then guess the role created by others.

To help learners frame and structure their story, questions can be presented such as: Choose a person in the artwork and think about them for a few minutes: a) What’s my name? Where am I? (I am in…) b) What is happening?/What has just happened to me? (I am/I have…) c) What am I feeling now? (I’m feeling…) d) What will happen next? (They will…) e) What do I regret or what am I looking forward to? (I regret…) f) What do I wish most in the world? (If only…)

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It is worth noting here the use of hypothesis in the final questions of the task, which should allow learners to make the sufficient imaginative leap to place themselves in the shoes of the person in the painting and imagine how they would think.

Using Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks as an example painting (the image can be found here: www.edwardhopper.net/nighthawks.jsp), the following is an example answer from a secondary-school student – this could be presented to learners as a model, depending on the level and age of the learners: (A) I am at 24-hour café in a big US city. I am waiting for something important to happen. I feel tense and nervous. (B) I am worried that they look for us, that they will hurt us. (C) We’re in trouble. (E) We should never do what we did, we shouldn’t took (sic) the money but we needed it. (D) Now they’re looking for us and I think they’ll catch us. (F) I wish the waiter will stop working, making that noise. Oh no!… It’s so late, I can’t keep my eyes awake. I wish I was somewhere else…

As a follow-up, learners could discuss the reasons for their answers to the questions in order to understand how they each interpreted the images in the painting differently, and discover different possibilities for divergent thinking. This can also help to boost self-esteem and confidence through praising each other’s originality.

These tasks provide learners with different options and choices (flexibility), they require the learners to provide details (elaboration) and come up with ideas that do not occur to most (originality) or provide unusual angles (novelty). This is achieved within the framework of creating a story.

Over to you…

1. Try this task with your class. Consider letting the students choose the image and try to give feedback on the creative efforts. This need not be overly evaluative, but more observational.

2. Reflect on the activity: did it work well? If so, in what ways? Could you improve it?

What would you do differently next time?

3. A key element of creative thinking for learners is developed through facing novelty.

How could you foster this in class? Consider asking students to change the task in a way they would prefer. This activity could also be gamified by asking students to decide on which story is most elaborate and original.

4. Students at this stage of learning are better able to understand their own learning.

Why not consider talking with them about creative thinking skills, their importance, and how to develop them. This can help motivate them to get involved.

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Creative Thinking in learning materials SECONDARY

Here, students practise creative thinking by imagining a scenario from the world of work – a job interview (see ‘Life Competencies’ box). For this, they need to envisage a range of alternatives and possibilities, as well as generate their own ideas in a role play situation (exercise 10).

2 Read Part B of the text. Complete the tips on how to

7 Choose the correct meaning for each sentence.

prepare for a job interview with the phrases below.

Which tip do you think is the most important? Why?

PHRASES YOU MIGHT HEAR 1

anything that isn’t true feel comfortable interested and enthusiastic practise answering

2 3 Read the typical interview questions in Part C of the

text. Match the blue words with the meanings.

1 2 3 4

3

to give someone a job arriving on time, not late related to the job you are applying for people who can give information about you and say what kind of person you are free and able to do something exams that you have passed good things about you and your character bad things about you and your character can be trusted to behave well and work hard

5 6 7 8 9

4

5

6

4 Read the interview questions again. Which three

would be the most diff icult to answer? Why? Compare with your classmates.

5

126 Listen to two interviews for holiday jobs.

What kind of job is each person applying for?

6

126 Complete the things you can say about

yourself in a job interview with the words and phrases in the box. Listen and check. get on quickly

hard my best would enjoy

Take a seat. a Please bring a chair from outside. b Please sit down.

Did you find the office OK? a Did you find the office easily? b Do you like our office?

We’ll be in touch. a We will contact you. b Please contact us.

How flexible can you be on dates? a Can you repeat those dates? b Can you start earlier or later than this?

We’ll let you know. a We will contact you. b Please contact us.

We’ll need to follow up your references. a We need to check the references you gave us. b You need to give us more references.

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Watch the video about job interviews. What tips do you learn? Write a list of things you should and shouldn’t do.

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Compare your lists. Then watch again and check your ideas.

WATCH

pay attention

PHRASES YOU MIGHT USE 1 2 3 4 5 6

working here.

I think I .

I always do to detail.

I can .

I work very .

I learn well with everyone.

I

LIFE COMPETENCIES

ATION CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION, COLLABOR 10 Imagine you want to apply for a job as a waiter in

Tenerife. Work in pairs.

• •

write typical interview questions prepare your answers

Work with a new partner.

• •

ask four of your questions decide if you would give your partner the job

Tell your class about your interview.

UNIT 14

ON TOP OF THE WORLD

189

Open World Preliminary, page 189, ISBN 9788490365601

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What is Critical Thinking ?

Critical thinking refers to higher levels of thinking that learners need to enable them to think effectively and rationally about what they want to do and what they believe is the best action.

Thinking critically is effortful (Halpern, 2014) and consists of skills such as identifying links between ideas, analysing and evaluating arguments and undertaking reasoning in order to come to appropriate conclusions.

We have identified three Core Areas within Critical Thinking: • Understanding and analysing ideas and arguments refers to a learner’s ability to identify and analyse information in order to recognise patterns and relationships. This helps students to gain a deeper understanding of ideas and arguments as well as to interpret and draw inferences about the information they are presented with.

• Evaluating ideas and arguments is related to a learner’s ability to judge which arguments or ideas they can rely on and which they should be sceptical about. This includes evaluating evidence presented in an argument as well as the argument’s overall logic.

Mastering this competency helps learners draw appropriate conclusions and construct strong arguments themselves.

• Solving problems and making decisions involves many skills such as identifying and analysing problems, gathering appropriate information, evaluating a range of options, making decisions about which options to implement and finally, evaluating those decisions to further refine solutions.

Within these Core Areas we break things down further, defining the Components that make up each Core Area:

CRITICAL THINKING

Understanding and analysing ideas and arguments

Identifying and classifying information Recognising patterns and relationships Interpreting and drawing inferences from arguments and data

Evaluating ideas and arguments

Evaluating specific information or points in an argument Evaluating arguments as a whole Drawing appropriate conclusions

Solving problems and making decisions

Identifying and understanding problems Identifying, gathering and organising relevant information Evaluating options and recommendations to come to a decision Justifying decisions and solutions Evaluating the effectiveness of implemented solutions

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Critical Thinking Can Do Statements and Example Language SECONDARY CORE AREAS

COMPONENTS

EXAMPLE CAN DO STATEMENTS

EXAMPLE LANGUAGE

Understanding and analysing ideas and arguments

Identifying and classifying information

Identifies the basic structure of an argument.

This is the conclusion.

Recognising patterns and relationships

Compares points and arguments from different sources.

Here…but there…

Interpreting and drawing inferences from arguments and data

Identifies assumptions and inferences in an argument.

[She] really thinks…

Evaluating specific information or points in an argument

Identifies evidence and its reliability.

How can you prove it?

Evaluating arguments as a whole

Gives reasons for an argument’s plausibility.

I think it’s true because…

Drawing appropriate conclusions

Selects key points from diverse sources to create a new account and/or argument.

In summary…

Identifying and understanding problems

Identifies problems in a proposed plan (e.g. to organise an event at school).

It’s fine in theory, but…

Identifying, gathering and organising relevant information

Gathers information from reputable sources to understand different perspectives on an issue.

I did some research on [website].

Evaluating options and recommendations to come to a decision

Examines possible solutions to a given problem and states how effective they are.

The problem with [x] is that…

Justifying decisions and solutions

Presents justification for a particular solution in a well-structured report.

There are three main reasons for…

Evaluating the effectiveness of implemented solutions

Considers which elements of the solution have worked well and which have not.

[x] went well because…

Evaluating ideas and arguments

Solving problems and making decisions

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Critical Thinking in the classroom SECONDARY Regardless of the age of learners, at the heart of critical thinking is the notion of asking questions. Learners should be encouraged to continually question the information they receive and the conclusions they come to. The teacher should push learners to deeper critical thinking by asking them questions, such as: • Why is that your answer?

• How did you come to that answer?

• Do you think there could be another answer?

Teachers should genuinely listen to learners when taking feedback and respond accordingly, by properly evaluating their ideas and arguments. In so doing, they show their learners that they too are critical thinkers (i.e. act as an effective model).

Learners at this age are motivated by topics and activities that are relevant to them or that interest them. It is therefore important to personalise the learning. Teachers should try to link course book material to learners’ actual lives, or to their educational institution. If what they are learning in the classroom really means something to the learners, or if they are more familiar with the subject matter, they are far more likely to be able to understand the concepts and make links between ideas.

The following are some classroom activities and strategies that teachers can use to promote the development of critical thinking skills: Flipping the learning Learners may benefit from flipping the learning. Learners (especially higher-level learners) can be given more responsibility and opportunity to develop the core ‘knowledge’ outside of classroom time (e.g. for homework). This will help them to synthesise ideas and information.

It will also mean that time in the classroom can be maximised for aspects of language acquisition which learners are less able to do by themselves, for example arguing, discussing, comparing, challenging and debating.

Exploiting productive activities Productive activities (i.e. involving speaking and writing) are good opportunities to develop critical thinking. For example, when teaching writing, a teacher could set the same essay question for the whole class, then take the learners through the following steps: 1. Student A writes the first paragraph, and then passes it on to Student B. 2. Student B must read this paragraph and continue the writing.

3. After a few minutes, this is passed on to Student C, who continues the process.

At every stage, learners are having to synthesise ideas and information as well as evaluate ideas, arguments and options. This can be a very effective and controlled method for developing writing, particularly for learners who are nervous about the idea of writing a long text by themselves.

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The snowball technique This is an effective way to take feedback from a whole class and get learners listening to each other. This is usually done after an individual task in which learners have come up with their own answers. Then, after getting into pairs, learners follow these steps:

Snowball technique 1.

A

2.

A

B

C

D

B

1. Students A and B compare their answers, and agree on one they are both happy with.

2. Students A and B share their answers with C and D (and vice versa), and repeat step 1.

3. Step 1 repeats with the group size doubling each time, until it gets to the whole class level.

3.

A

B

E

F

C

D

G

H

Ranking and scales Scales, such as a Likert Scale, can be used to get learners to think more deeply about their attitudes and opinions, and compare their answers with others in a visual way, such as in the following activity: Read the following statements. For each, write down the number which best represents your answer.

1

2

3

4

strongly disagree

disagree

agree

strongly agree

Over to you‌ 1. Choose one of the example activities in this section and try it out with your class. – Following the activity, reflect on what worked well and what could be improved next time, particularly focusing on the extent to which learners were able to develop their critical thinking skills.

2. Using your course book or other materials, choose a few activities that you may be using in your classes in the next week or so. Consider how you could make these activities more effective in developing critical thinking skills.

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Critical Thinking in learning materials SECONDARY

Here, students practise critical thinking by considering a number of statements (exercise 7) and evaluating the arguments in them to come to a conclusion as to whether they agree or disagree with them. They are also encouraged to justify their decisions.

RESEARCH SKILLS PRACTICE 2

7

Read and listen to the extract. Do you agree with Thomas Gradgrind’s view of education? Why / Why not?

[3.02]

1 ‘Learning facts like historical dates or the periodic table is pointless for today’s children – all the facts they need they can find at the touch of a button.’

2 ‘Teaching children to write with pens and paper is vitally important. Everyone needs to be able to write.’

3 ‘Schools should concentrate on teaching skills that are useful for future jobs. Anything else is wasting their time.’

3 Decide if the sentences are true (T) or false (F). Correct the false ones.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

There are only boys in the class.

Mr Gradgrind wants his own children to learn facts.

The schoolroom is very colourful.

Mr Gradgrind keeps touching the schoolmaster.

Mr Gradgrind smiles at the children.

Mr Gradgrind has a musical voice.

There is some hair on Mr Gradgrind’s head.

The other people in the classroom do not speak.

T T T T T T T T

Critical thinking Tick (✓) the statements you do not agree with and explain why.

F F F F F F F F

4 Look at the picture of Tom Sawyer. Where is he? Do you think he likes school? Why / Why not?

8 PAIRWORK Look at the list

of books and films. Do you already know these works?

What do you know about them?

■

■

■

■

■

■

■

The Catcher in the Rye (1951) Lord of the Flies (1954) To Kill a Mockingbird (1960) The Breakfast Club (1985) Dead Poets Society (1989) Moonrise Kingdom (2012) Boyhood (2014)

9 RESEARCH Choose one of the 5

works above and find out:

Listen to Tom Sawyer talking about school and answer the questions.

[3.03]

1 2 3 4 5 6

1 What happens to the young characters in them? Are their experiences positive or negative or both?

2 What do they learn from their experiences?

3 Is there a happy or sad ending?

What does Tom think of school? Why does he think this?

Why does Mr Dobbin say, ‘Tom Sawyer! Is that you again?’

Would Tom like to be a better student?

Why is school not all bad for Tom? Does Becky like Tom? How does Tom spend his time in class now?

6 Choose one of the following tasks.

1 You are a pupil who listened to Mr Gradgrind. Tell a friend in an email what he looks like, what he said and what you think of him.

2 What are the advantages and disadvantages of learning outside the classroom? Can you name any examples of this?

3 Find out about a novel that talks about school and education.

Does it present a positive or negative image? Present your ideas to the class.

COMPETENCY SKILLS ■

Planning and prioritising (ex 1)

■

Identifying links and relations (ex 7)

■

Communicating (ex 8)

■

Acquiring and interpreting information (ex 9) Literature Skills 1

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105

Talent Level 1, page 105, ISBN 9781108465274

What is Learning to Learn ?

The rate of change for what we need to know and be able to do at work is accelerating, and it is essential that we continue to learn new skills and knowledge throughout our working lives.

Even within schools, developing effective learning skills underpins our students’ success in all subjects, and is critical to building their autonomy and self-direction. Education and training needs to focus as much on the skills of learning as on the outputs of learning.

We have identified three Core Areas within Learning to Learn: • Developing skills and strategies for learning includes important techniques such as making notes, storing and retrieving information, as well as techniques for learning and remembering information. In an ELT context, learners also benefit from using strategies to help them understand and communicate in English. There are various methods for engaging in these techniques, and learners need to experiment and choose the one which best suits their own personal style, needs and resources.

• Taking control of own learning implies developing self-regulatory strategies, becoming autonomous, maintaining motivation, and staying focused on the task at hand in order to achieve the best results. To accomplish this, learners need to be clear about their learning goals.

• Reflecting on and evaluating own learning involves learners reflecting on their own learning in order to assess what worked for them and what did not. This reflection can inform decisions regarding whether to persevere with certain courses of action or to make changes. As a result, learners are able to identify and use effective learning techniques and strategies. In addition, learners who keep track of and evaluate their own progress in learning are more able to continuously improve, helping them succeed in reaching their learning goals.

Within these Core Areas we break things down further, defining the Components that make up each Core Area:

LEARNING TO LEARN

Developing skills and strategies for learning

Engaging in directed activities Using effective systems for finding, keeping and retrieving information Using effective strategies for learning and retaining information Using effective strategies for comprehension and production tasks

Taking control of own learning

Setting goals and planning for learning Taking initiative to improve own learning Managing the learning environment Managing attitudes and emotions

Reflecting on and evaluating own learning

Keeping track of progress Evaluating learning and progress Using feedback to improve learning

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Learning to Learn Can Do Statements and Example Language SECONDARY CORE AREAS

COMPONENTS

EXAMPLE CAN DO STATEMENTS

EXAMPLE LANGUAGE

Developing skills and strategies for learning

Engaging in directed activities

Follows instructions to complete homework as required.

When is the homework for?

Using effective systems for finding, keeping and retrieving information

Organises notes systematically.

Does this go at the front or the back of my book?

Using effective strategies for learning and retaining information

Records vocabulary in an appropriate way (e.g. in a vocabulary notebook or in a vocabulary flashcard app).

I use … to learn vocabulary.

Using effective strategies for comprehension and production tasks

Uses context to guess the meanings of unfamiliar words.

I think it means…

Setting goals and planning for learning

Produces a revision plan to focus on key skills and knowledge in a systematic way.

I’m going to study every day before dinner.

Taking initiative to improve own learning

Chooses ways to practise English outside the classroom (e.g. watching clips/TV/films in English, using English on social media, or reading novels/ magazines in English).

I’m going to [watch/ read]…

Managing the learning environment

Reduces distractions when working (e.g. putting their phone out of sight).

I’m going to put my phone away.

Managing attitudes and emotions

Overcomes affective reactions which might adversely impact on learning (e.g. anxiety, mood, friendship/ relationship issues).

I’m going to take some deep breaths before I start.

Keeping track of progress

Uses evaluation criteria (e.g. from an exam or coursebook) to create their own progress checklists.

Evaluating learning and progress

Plans for improving subject skills and/ or knowledge by thinking about what could have been done better.

Next time, I’m going to…

Using feedback to improve learning

Takes on board feedback from teachers and/or peers and uses it to improve.

Thanks. What else could I…?

Taking control of own learning

Reflecting on and evaluating own learning

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Learning to Learn in the classroom SECONDARY Organisational tools As part of reflecting and evaluating on their own learning, secondary learners can organise their thoughts and ideas through the use of mind maps and other organisational tools. In order to reach this point, the teacher needs to introduce and provide opportunities for the learners to use this range of tools. For example, these could be used for: • brainstorming • taking notes while reading or listening • subsequent discussions about the topic or theme • organising ideas that emerge during group work activities Here is an example template that learners could use/fill in during a listening activity:

Listen and complete to help you organise what you hear.

Speaker 1:

Speaker 2:

Speaker 3:

Summary:

New vocabulary:

The advantage of using a tool like this is that it provides learners with a scaffold to produce more useful notes and notice opportunities for learning, in this case, new vocabulary from the listening.

17

Developing metacognition through discussion As the range of such tools used with the learners grows, it is important to engage learners in discussion regarding which tool is best suited to a given activity, so that in time they are able to make these decisions independently of the teacher, whether in class or during their self-study. This kind of discussion is an example of helping learners develop their metacognition, a key aspect of independent learning, which should ideally be incorporated into lessons on a regular basis. By drawing learners’ attention to how they learn and the tools they use to complete different tasks, and by giving them opportunities to make decisions, teachers will, over time, enable them to become successful autonomous learners.

Over to you…

1. Choose one of the example strategies in this section and try it out with your class.

– Following the implementation of the strategy, reflect on what worked well and what could be improved next time, particularly focusing on the extent to which learners were able to develop their Learning to Learn skills.

2. Using your course book or other materials, choose a few activities that you may be using in your classes in the next week or so. Consider how you could use these activities to develop your students’ Learning to Learn skills.

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Learning to Learn in learning materials SECONDARY

Here, students practise using effective tools for organising, learning and retrieving information (see ‘Learn to Learn’ box, ‘Using spidergrams’).

As students become more familiar with this tool, they can start taking the initiative to use it independently when they are studying.

2 Complete the table with information from the text.

Kilts in the 18th century

One long piece of cloth worn around waist and over shoulder

3 Find these nouns in the text and guess what they mean. Then match them with the definitions.

Kilts in the 21st century

Highland dress for men

Highland dress for women

Who wears traditional tartan clothes?

Who wears modern tartan clothes?

dress (n)

funeral (n)

laces

pin shawl

1 a ceremony when a person dies 2 a combination of clothes worn together for a particular situation 3 a small piece of metal to attach clothes together 4 a large piece of cloth worn over your shoulders or head 5 string used to fasten shoes

LEARN TO LEARN Using spidergrams Spidergrams can help you remember words that are associated with other words. jacket jeans skirt trousers

pocket

shirt

4 Make spidergrams of clothes and shoes which can include laces, a zip, buttons and sleeves.

5

6 Highland dress is extremely popular in Scotland for special occasions such as weddings, funerals or parties, particularly for men. Women often wear kilts to do traditional Scottish dancing at sports and cultural events. Nowadays, tartan isn’t just used for traditional dress in Scotland. Fashion designers around the world use tartan to create modern designs such as tartan trousers or tartan shoes and celebrities from Rihanna to Shawn Mendes have been photographed wearing tartan. Even though people have worn tartan for centuries, it is still popular today and looks like it’s not going to go out of fashion any time soon.

COLLABORATE Work in pairs. Guess the words your partner has written in their spidergrams.

Which words did you both write? Add any new words to your spidergrams.

Voice it! Answer the questions in your notebook. Then compare with a partner.

1 How important is traditional dress in Scotland?

2 What is traditional dress in your country?

When do people wear it?

Explore it!

Guess the correct answer.

It was illegal to wear tartan in the middle of the 18th century in Scotland. True or false? a true

b false

Find another interesting fact about traditional Scottish dress and write a question for your partner.

Mini culture project p128

UNIT 1 | TRENDSE T TERS 19

Collaborate Level 4, page 19, ISBN 9788490366028

19

What is Communication ?

Communication is an essential professional and life skill, enabling us to share information and ideas, as well as express feelings and arguments (Cenere et al., 2015). It is also an active process influenced by the complexities of human behaviour in which elements such as non-verbal behaviour and individual styles of interpreting and ascribing meaning to events have significant influence. Mastering effective communication is more than just mastering the core language resources of grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, etc. It’s about using those resources for the desired effect – whether that is persuading someone of your argument, apologising for a mistake, or making friends.

We have identified three Core Areas within Communication: • Using appropriate language and register for context refers to a learner’s understanding that there are formal, semi-formal and informal situations which require them to vary their language and expressions and adapt their communication style. Learners can use language for effect by employing a variety of language and rhetorical devices, for example, to be more persuasive in an argument, to engage and catch attention or to add emphasis or humour. It also refers to learners’ awareness of differences in communication styles across cultures.

• Facilitating interactions is related to a learner’s ability to converse with others effectively and efficiently by knowing how to initiate, maintain and end conversations appropriately.

Learners are aware of and use key communication strategies that can help them convey their own messages as well as support others in communicating successfully.

• Participating with appropriate confidence and clarity refers to a learner’s ability to communicate effectively with appropriate fluency, confidence and pace. This may include using appropriate tonal and structural variation, facial expression and eye contact as well as an ability to structure content to create coherent and cohesive texts.

Within these Core Areas we break things down further, defining the Components that make up each Core Area:

COMMUNICATION

Using appropriate language and register for context

Using language appropriate for the situation Using a variety of language and communication strategies to achieve a desired effect Adapting language use according to different cultures and social groups

20

Facilitating interactions

Using communication strategies to facilitate conversations

Participating with appropriate confidence and clarity

Structuring spoken and written texts effectively

Using strategies for overcoming language gaps and communication breakdowns

Using appropriate language and presentation styles with confidence and fluency

Communication Can Do Statements and Example Language SECONDARY CORE AREAS

COMPONENTS

EXAMPLE CAN DO STATEMENTS

EXAMPLE LANGUAGE

Using appropriate language and register for context

Using language appropriate for the situation

Uses appropriate forms of address, greetings and farewells.

How are you?/How are you doing?/How’s it going?/What’s up?

Using a variety of language and communication strategies to achieve a desired effect

Uses language for emphasis (e.g. exaggerations or cleft sentences).

I’ve got a million things to do!

Adapting language use according to different cultures and social groups

Demonstrates understanding of which topics are appropriate for conversation in different contexts.

I guess you could say this to [a friend/an older person/someone you don’t know].

Using communication strategies to facilitate conversations

Uses simple techniques to start a conversation.

Hi! Long time, no see!

Using strategies for overcoming language gaps and communication breakdowns

Guesses or coins a ‘new’ item of language based on existing knowledge.

Can you say [coined word] in English?

Structuring spoken and written texts effectively

Develops a clear description or narrative with a logical sequence of points.

When…/After…/ Before…

Using appropriate language and presentation styles with confidence and fluency

Uses facial expressions and eye contact appropriately to support verbal communication.

Facilitating interactions

Participating with appropriate confidence and clarity

21

Communication in the classroom SECONDARY Communication skills are so inherently embedded within language teaching and learning; the question is not so much whether they have a place in the language classroom, but rather, the extent and ways in which teachers provide an overt focus on them.

Motivation is a key factor for engaging learners in communicative activities at this age, and it will be important for activities to have a clear communicative purpose and include topics that are of interest to them. One way of doing this is to create situations in which learners can be successful.

Recognising and praising good learner-generated models Teachers should monitor carefully during communicative tasks in order to pick up on good learner-generated models which can be acknowledged and shared to the benefit of the broader class. In addition, teachers can highlight examples of unprompted effective communication strategy use in the classroom – these are often both meaningful and memorable for learners. However, care should be taken with teens who may be more selfconscious.

For example, in a discussion about holidays, a learner who is observed to be actively listening and developing conversation with a classmate by asking further questions about their trip could be praised by the teacher. The experience could then be discussed (use questions such as ‘What did they find out?’, ‘Was it interesting?’), shared with the class and extended to a whole class activity.

Noticing communication strategies Learners should be encouraged to notice communication strategies used in a variety of texts, as a way of developing them in their own speaking and writing. Ideally teachers should choose texts that contain multiple examples of the strategy being focused on.

They should ensure the texts are appropriate for the learners’ age, interests and language level so learners can focus on the strategy rather than struggling with trying to understand meaning. Here is an example: • Learners work towards an understanding of appropriate forms of address and salutations in emails by analysing a selection of models. This analysis could involve reading tasks that focus on the relationship between writer and recipient, the email’s purpose and the phrases used.

• Learners then write their own emails based on what they have learnt from the models.

22

Using recordings to highlight progress A motivating sense of progress can be provided by encouraging learners to record themselves (if comfortable doing so) during tasks. Learners could be asked to speak about a topic, for example, their hobby, for a particular length of time with suitable fluency, using fillers to reduce excessive pausing. Learners record themselves using a device (e.g. a smartphone), listen back and self-assess. After self-assessing their performance, teachers could get learners to identify areas of focus before repeating the process. Finally, they prompt learners to reflect on their performance with questions such as the following: 1. What were you happy with?

2. What difficulties did you face?

3. How did you overcome these?

As an extension, learners could then re-record themselves to build on weaker areas.

Learners could also engage in peer-assessment based on the recordings. Encouraging learners to share and offer each other advice provides the basis for further speaking and language practice while establishing a supportive learning environment.

Over to you‌ 1. Choose one of the example activities in this section and try it out with your class. – Following the activity, reflect on what worked well and what could be improved next time, particularly focusing on the extent to which learners were able to develop their communication skills.

2. Using your course book or other materials, choose a few activities that you may be using in your classes in the next week or so. Consider how you could adapt these activities to have a greater focus on communication skills.

23

Communication in learning materials SECONDARY

Here, students practise communication skills by learning about (exercises 2–3), selecting (exercise 4), and, finally, using (exercise 6) language and register appropriate for a specific situation (writing a formal email).

This helps students adapt their language according to the situation.

4 Look at these pairs of sentences. Decide which

WRITING

sentence in each pair sounds more polite and is more suitable for formal conversations, letters and emails.

A FORMAL EMAIL 1 Lots of schools and colleges offer evening and

weekend courses to the public. Have you ever done a course in your free time? What did you study? What would you like to learn: a sport, a musical skill or an art or craft?

1 2 3

2 Look at this advertisement and email and tick the

things that Anna wants to know.

1 2 3 4 5

how much the course costs if the next course is fully booked if she needs to bring her own camera when the course will take place if you need to have experience to do the course

Is all the equipment provided?

I’d like to know if all the equipment is provided.

How much does the course cost?

Please tell me how much the course costs.

When will the course take place?

Please could you let me know when the course takes place?

5 Change these direct questions into indirect

questions.

1 2

Queenswood Hall

3

Photography Courses

4

When does the course start? .

I’d like to Is accommodation provided? ?

Please could you tell Can under-18s do the course? .

I’d also like to How should I pay for the course? .

Please let me

6 Look at this advert and notes. Write an email to Mr

Learn the latest photography techniques from the experts!

Collins asking him for the information in the notes.

Every weekend during July and August For more information contact Jenny Bolton jbolton@qhpc.co.uk

a b a b a b

£250 including

accommodation

Dear Ms Bolton, I am writing to enquire about the photography courses at Queenswood Hall.

Please could you tell me if all the equipment is provided? I’d also like to know if the courses are suitable for beginners.

Finally, please could you let me know if there are still places available on next weekend’s course?

I look forward to hearing from you.

ROCK VALLEY

How can I get there?

RACE TRACK LEARN TO DRIVE A RACING CAR! Half-day and full-day driving courses with qualified professional instructors No experience needed For more details contact Steve Collins stevec@rockvalley.co.uk Is there a What are the prices? minimum age for students?

Yours sincerely, Anna Rossi 3 Look at Anna’s email again and find

the phrases which she uses to: 1 2 3 4 5

start the email with a formal greeting explain her reason for writing ask for information ask for additional information end the email

UNIT 9

24

ALWAYS LEARNING

123

Open World Preliminary, page 123 ISBN 9788490365601

What is Collaboration ?

Collaboration is often described as a key skill for 21st century education (NRC, 2011).

Some advantages of collaboration over individual problem-solving are effective division of labour; use of information from multiple sources, perspectives and experiences; higher levels of creativity and better quality of solutions (OECD, 2013).

When people interact with each other, they are not simply sharing information but are supporting each other in collective thinking. This collaborative interaction allows participants to achieve more than they can alone.

We have identified four Core Areas within Collaboration: • Taking personal responsibility for own contribution to a group task refers to a learner’s ability to participate actively in group activities through taking on a variety of roles, to share their own ideas freely with others and demonstrate a willingness to provide explanations for their own contributions as required.

• Encouraging effective group interaction includes a learner’s ability to listen carefully to others and to acknowledge their views, even when conflicting with their own. Learners are thus able to take turns appropriately in a group task, provide constructive feedback and also put forward their own solutions and ideas in a way that helps the group progress towards completing it. It also involves groups establishing effective ways of working together and offering mutual support to one another.

• Managing the sharing of tasks in a group activity refers to a learner’s ability to identify tasks and sub-tasks in a group activity and to share them fairly amongst group members.

• Working towards task completion is related to a learner’s ability to ensure the group is making progress towards their goals. This might include evaluating multiple options and points of view during a group activity and recognising the most suitable solution for the resolution of the task. It also involves effectively identifying and resolving issues that may arise during the course of an activity.

Within these Core Areas we break things down further, defining the Components that make up each Core Area:

COLLABORATION

Taking personal responsibility for own contribution to a group task

Actively contributing to a task

Encouraging effective group interaction

Listening and responding respectfully

Taking on different roles

Establishing ways of working together Engaging and supporting others

Managing the sharing of tasks in a group activity

Agreeing what needs to be done

Working towards task completion

Ensuring progress towards a goal

Managing the distribution of tasks

Identifying issues and challenges Resolving issues

25

Collaboration Can Do Statements and Example Language SECONDARY CORE AREAS

COMPONENTS

EXAMPLE CAN DO STATEMENTS

EXAMPLE LANGUAGE

Taking personal responsibility for own contribution to a group task

Actively contributing to a task

Makes relevant suggestions based on the current topic of conversation.

I think we should…

Taking on different roles

Volunteers to take on a specific role.

I’m happy to [do this role].

Listening and responding respectfully

Respectfully waits for their turn to speak.

That’s a really good point. I’d also say…

Establishing ways of working together

Sets expectations of how long each group member should take on their task.

We’ll share what we find in [10 minutes].

Engaging and supporting others

Helps other students put their ideas across (e.g. by rephrasing their ideas or giving examples).

So you’re saying…?

Agreeing what needs to be done

Clearly explains the requirements of the task, asking other students for clarification when necessary.

It says we should…

Managing the distribution of tasks

Delegates to other students politely and respectfully.

Would you mind …ing?

Ensuring progress towards a goal

Encourages other students to stay on task.

Don’t forget…

Identifying issues and challenges

Identifies the reasons for disagreement.

The reason [for…] is…

Resolving issues

Encourages other students to agree on a solution after a negotiation.

Is everyone happy with that?

Encouraging effective group interaction

Managing the sharing of tasks in a group activity

Working towards task completion

26

Collaboration in the classroom SECONDARY Here are some strategies for making the classroom more collaborative: • Tasks should have clear goals and steps.

• By using the Core Areas and Components when planning lessons, teachers can clearly focus their activities to specific aims and therefore be more confident; teachers need to select tasks which require collaboration and which will motivate their learners.

• The task should be at the appropriate level of challenge for the learners so that they do not become demotivated by the task or complete it too quickly.

• It is crucial for teachers to explain and discuss the need for collaboration within each task with their learners.

• Learners should understand the aim of what they are doing and how their own contributions fit into the whole task – that the success of the task is the responsibility of each member of the group.

• Teachers must monitor group work and give timely feedback. The teacher can also encourage peer feedback.

• Learners should be encouraged to celebrate the success of the task by reflecting on their own contributions and roles, as well as setting goals for improvement.

• Active listening skills should be taught (making eye contact, showing empathy and understanding, not interrupting, summarising what the speaker has said, etc.) and the language of turn-taking introduced.

• Tasks should allow choice so that learners can choose to work to their strengths (for example, the best at drawing does the illustrating), or the opposite, in order for learners to be able to try things they are not confident at to develop new skills. Additionally, the learners that do have strengths in one particular area can coach others and support general upskilling.

27

As learners move into secondary education, they will generally encounter more opportunities for collaboration, especially with increased project work. However, it is worth considering the problems that teens may face when working together. They can be sensitive about sharing their ideas with their peers and about being judged by others. It is not unusual for some teens to opt out of group work and refuse to work with some of their classmates.

While it can be beneficial to mix groups up and get learners working with peers they would not normally work with, this may lead to conflict or silence. Allowing teens to work with their friends some of the time, and providing extra support to groups of learners who are working with others they wouldn’t normally work with, can therefore be important. Giving learners a clear objective for the task can also lead to greater motivation and increased levels of collaboration.

The following are examples of effective tasks/strategies for building collaboration skills: Project work Project work can be an excellent vehicle for developing collaborative skills as the aims are often very clear and outlined at the very beginning. It is also important when doing projects to establish clear norms and roles.

28

ons why ts team.

Discuss in small groups.

What sports teams do you follow?

How do you feel when they lose? mme 3 How do you feel when they win? ound Building a consensus of opinion you listed 4 What do these teams mean to you? h other Include age-appropriate activities on building 5 Are there any famous players frombased your country who play a consensus of opinion, in foreign teams? an end-of-year party. These could have a time limit, for example, planning 6 How do people in your feelquickly. about this? so that consensus must becountry reached In the following example, the the learners rank the qualities of teamwork based on their own opinions, but must y) with the ideas then work with others and share ideas to decide on a final ranking. nces that peakers.

Teamwork 1 2

1 Rank the following qualities in order of how important

they are to be a good team player (1 = least important; 5 = most important).

ne team. them.

being a good listener possessing strong leadership skills having a small ego liking your teammates respecting your teammates

an

hat

my el.

2 Think of and note down other important qualities and decide on your final top five.

3

ay about a

of the way

4

SPEAKING Work in groups of four. Compare your ranking and agree on a new list of five.

SPEAKING

Discuss in pairs.

How easy was it to come up with a group list?

2 Did your group work well as a team? Why (not)? elp young To get the most out of such tasks: 3 What sports teams can you think of that are an example of good teamwork?

• learnersa should understand the success criteria for a task; se they b bad teamwork?

• there4 should therefore be a sense of achievement once it’s finished; What makes them good/bad?

1

• teacher should monitor and help as necessary;

59

• reasonable time should be allowed – start with short tasks with quick resolutions and work up.

Over to you…

1. Choose one of the example activities in this section and try it out with your class.

– Following the activity, reflect on what worked well and what could be improved next time, particularly focusing on the extent to which learners were able to develop their collaboration skills.

2. Using your course book or other materials, choose a few activities that you may be using in your classes in the next week or so. Consider how you could make these activities more collaborative.

29

Collaboration in learning materials SECONDARY

Here, students learn about teamwork and cooperation before putting their newly-gained knowledge into practice by collaborating on a poster (exercise 38). For this, they need to manage the sharing of tasks and ensure progress towards a specific goal.

LIFE SKILLS Teamwork and cooperation LEAD IN 35 Match the words to the definitions.

1

teamwork is

2

cooperation is

a when one person works with another person for a specific reason b a group of people working together on one project

PRACTICE

37 tHINKING FURtHER Read the text again. Then

answer the questions and discuss with your partner.

36 Read the text and choose the best title.

1 According to the text, what can you learn from groupwork at school?

2 What is your experience of groupwork? Did you learn these things?

3 According to the text, how does groupwork prepare you for your working life?

4 Do you think team skills will be useful for you personally? Why / Why not?

1 Groupwork – A skill for your future 2 The advantages of groupwork in class 3 Groupwork – I always end up doing all the work!

G

roupwork in the classroom teaches students how to work in a team towards a common goal.

Students learn skills such as how to organise work and how to distribute tasks between group members at the beginning of a project. During work on the project, they learn to share their skills and talents and to ask other group members for help with the things they can’t do.

Good communication is essential to successful groupwork. Students need to learn to cooperate with all the other group members and to share ideas, research and resources. They also need to learn how to agree and disagree with other students in a friendly way.

In the world of work, a team usually has a mix of people from different jobs such as IT, design, administration, technical, marketing, sales. Each team member brings a different point of view to the project but the basic teamwork skills are the same as the ones you learn from groupwork at school.

LIFE STRATEGY tips for useful teamwork skills ■

■

■

■

■

■

■

Communicate your ideas clearly to other students in your team.

Listen to the opinions and ideas of other students.

Cooperate with other students – try and work together and share your ideas.

Persuade other students of your ideas in a friendly way.

Respect the opinion of other students – do not shout at or interrupt other students.

Encourage other students to ask questions.

Try and ensure that all students contribute to the project.

38 tAsK In groups of four, produce a poster

with information about voluntary work for teenagers in your area. Follow these steps.

1 Research: organisations that need volunteers information about the work contacts photos 2 Write out the information. Think of some short sentences and slogans.

3 Design the layout of the poster. Use your laptop / the internet to think of some ideas.

4 Print a few copies and present it to the class.

■

■

■

■

CITIZENSHIP AND COMPETENCY SKILLS Collaborating and participating ✓

30

Unit 5

57

Talent Level 1, page 57, ISBN 9781108465274

What are Learning ? to Learn Social Responsibilities How do we engage with other people in an increasingly globalised world? This competency looks at how we can help people develop the skills to contribute better to the social groups they engage with. As the groups they become part of change over time, they need to be able to think about their roles within them, and how they contribute positively to them. They also need to improve their ability to work and link up with people from very different backgrounds and cultures to their own. There is, in addition, the need to step back and see their social engagement from a more global perspective: what are the major issues affecting the world and how do they relate to their own lives?

We have identified three Core Areas within Social Responsibilities: • Understanding personal and social responsibilities as part of a social group refers to identifying and perceiving the significance of personal and social responsibilities across different levels, ranging from the local to the global. This involves learners fulfilling their personal and social responsibilities as a member of a social group and/or as a global citizen, and taking responsibility for their own actions. • Showing intercultural awareness refers to a learner being able to describe and analyse features of their own culture and of the culture of others, and to make comparisons in a positive and respectful way. It also includes being able to collaborate with people from other cultures. Culture in this context can relate to cultures of different countries or to cultures of different groups and organisations, e.g. workplaces. • Understanding global issues includes identifying, discussing and understanding a range of perspectives on global issues, for example on topics related to health, human rights and the environment. Learners will be able to understand how their own behaviours can contribute positively or negatively to the identified issues.

Within these Core Areas we break things down further, defining the Components that make up each Core Area:

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Understanding personal responsibilities as part of a social group

Understanding responsibilities within a social group

Showing intercultural awareness

Understanding aspects of own culture

Fulfilling responsibilities within a social group

Understanding aspects of other cultures Interacting with others across cultures

Understanding global issues

Discussing a range of global issues Recognising personal impact on global issues

31

Learning to Learn Social Responsibilities Can Do Statements and Example Language SECONDARY CORE AREAS

COMPONENTS

EXAMPLE CAN DO STATEMENTS

EXAMPLE LANGUAGE

Understanding personal responsibilities as part of a social group

Understanding responsibilities within a social group

Identifies positive behaviour in the social groups to which they belong (e.g. school class, family and friendship groups).

Friends should [tell you when you’re doing something wrong].

Fulfilling responsibilities within a social group

Takes an active role in defining collective rights and responsibilities in school.

In my opinion, we all have a responsibility to [welcome new kids to our school/support kids who are being bullied].

Showing intercultural awareness

Understanding aspects of own culture

Appreciates their own culture and its value.

I think it’s really good that we…here.

Understanding aspects of other cultures

Makes informed comparisons between their own society and other societies.

In [Scotland]…whereas in [Brazil]…

Interacting with others across cultures

Uses their understanding of differences between cultures to help avoid misunderstandings.

I hope I didn’t seem rude.

Discussing a range of global issues

Demonstrates awareness of human rights issues around the world.

Young people have the right to [go to school].

Recognising personal impact on global issues

Identifies ways in which personal habits and behaviour have the capacity to affect the environment.

I make sure I recycle as much as I can.

Understanding global issues

32

Learning to Learn Social Responsibilities in the classroom SECONDARY Through their increased awareness of the world around them and their exposure to other subjects on the curriculum, learners at secondary-school level are now in a position to dig more deeply into issues related to themselves as people, their immediate community and their place in a global society.

Encouraging practical action outside of the classroom One crucial topic that has assumed increasing importance in the media lately is that of climate change. This topic can be explored through a wide variety of activities centred on: • reading texts • quizzes • discussions • competition

33

However, in order to further involve learners and develop their competencies, a clear call for action could be added to the activities listed above. In other words, any activities that are carried out in the classroom could be linked to practical action outside it.

Classroom activity Write down 3 personal actions you want to take to support the fight against climate change

Examples • encourage family and friends to recycle more • conserve resources like water and energy at home and in school

Personal actions • write an email to a national or world leader calling for urgent action on the climate crisis • link up with people in other countries (via Skype or ZOOM) to devise strategies and share tips on tackling the climate crisis

Over to you…

1. Choose one of the example activities in this section and try it out with your class.

– Following the activity, reflect on what worked well and what could be improved next time, particularly focusing on the extent to which learners were able to develop their skills related to Social Responsibilities.

2. Using your course book or other materials, choose a few activities you may be using or topics that you may be teaching in your classes in the next week or so. Consider how you could use these to build on your students’ Social Responsibilities skills.

34

Learning to Learn Social Responsibilities in learning materials SECONDARY

2

Here, students engage with Social Responsibilities by exploring the global issue of migration. By reflecting on the causes and effects of migration they are developing an understanding of human rights issues (e.g. refugee situations) and aspects of intercultural awareness (e.g. immigrants’ contribution to society).

HISTORY 3 Are the sentences T (true), F (false) or 1 Look at the title and picture and answer the questions.

1 When do you think this picture was taken?

2 Where are the people and what are they doing?

3 How do you think they feel?

2.14

2 Read and listen to the text. Check your answers to Exercise 1 question 2.

DS (doesn’t say)?

1 Most immigrants to the United States eventually returned to their country of birth.

2 There wasn’t much room on board the ships.

3 Poverty was a major reason for migration.

4 Irish immigrants felt hopeful about their future in the United States.

STARTING AGAIN Between 1880 and 1910, 17 million Europeans made the decision to move to the United States and start a new life.

Many of them never went back to their country of birth. This was part of what is known as the Great Atlantic Migration.

It started in the 1840s and it is the largest migration in history.

5 Immigrants from all over Europe moved for the same reasons as the Irish.

6 The immigrants made a positive contribution to American society.

4 Discuss other possible causes of

For many people, it was the first time they had ever left their hometown. The two-week journey was very unpleasant, and on larger ships up to 2,000 people were crammed into the lower decks. It was dark, there was little fresh water, and the air was rancid. So why choose to go through such a difficult experience?

migration throughout history and up to the present day.

5 Complete the definitions with the words in bold in the text.

1 … (n) the act of moving from one place to another 2 … (n) the floors of a ship 3 … (v) to make a home

One major reason was hunger. For example, in Ireland in the 1840s, people used to depend on potatoes for food. When the potato crop failed for three years in a row, there was not enough to eat and around one million people died. After this, half of the Irish population decided to move to the United States. They were nervous about the journey, but they looked forward to a better life. r a ni sraey eerht rof deliaf porc eht nehW .doof rof seotatop no dn I am exceedingly well pleased at coming to this land of plenty. ht fo flaH .deid elpoep noillim eno dnuora dna tae ot hguone ton sa Letter from an Irish immigrant to The Times, London, 1850

Immigrants from all over Europe had their own story to tell. Although they had never experienced life in the United States before, they arrived ready to settle in a new culture.

Immigrants helped build the United States into the country it is today. Like all migrations, the Great Atlantic Migration is the story of people making difficult decisions for the chance to start again.

4 … (v) to be filled with something so there is no room for anything else 5 … (adj) having a strong disagreeable smell (or taste)

Explore it!

Guess the correct answer.

How many people in the world live in a country different to the one they were born in? a over 50 million

b over 150 million

c over 250 million Find another interesting fact about migration. Then write a question for your partner to answer.

138 C LIL | UN IT 2

Collaborate Level 4 Student’s Book, page 138, ISBN 9788490366028

35

What is Emotional Development ?

Emotional development is an important foundation for success at all ages and emotional skills underpin and support both social and cognitive development in learners. Indeed, emotional development impacts on academic and social success over and above the effect of cognitive ability (Izard, 2002; Qualter et al., 2011). Emotional development affects our learning and our ability to carry out tasks effectively at work or in education. It is distinct from the other areas of competency in that the approach to supporting and evaluating emotional development is in most cases less explicit or teacher-directed. Generally, the recommended approach is to support emotional development by creating activities around other learning objectives that also give learners the opportunity to develop their emotional skills.

We have identified three Core Areas within Emotional Development: • Identifying and understanding emotions refers to a learner’s capacity to become aware of, understand and express how they feel in different situations and contexts. It involves understanding what may cause different emotions and the effects that these emotions might have on behaviour. This could be achieved through reflection and self-appraisals of their strengths and weaknesses, thinking about their emotions and verbalising them, and identifying and describing their beliefs, values and actions.

• Managing own emotions relates to the ability to utilise emotions once they have been identified in order to deploy coping mechanisms in emotional situations, to minimise negative emotions and to enhance positive ones. Learners are able to adapt to aversive or distressing emotions by using self-regulatory strategies that lead to emotional resilience.

• Empathy and relationship skills involve understanding others’ perspectives and being able to empathise with and support others. This is important in building and maintaining relationships and handling interpersonal problems such as conflict with respect and care.

Within these Core Areas we break things down further, defining the Components that make up each Core Area:

EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Identifying and understanding emotions

Recognising and describing emotions

Managing own emotions

Monitoring and reflecting on own emotions

Empathy and relationship skills

Establishing and maintaining positive relationships

Understanding emotions

Regulating emotions

Showing empathy for the feelings of others Supporting others

36

Emotional Development Can Do Statements and Example Language SECONDARY CORE AREAS

COMPONENTS

EXAMPLE CAN DO STATEMENTS

EXAMPLE LANGUAGE

Identifying and understanding emotions

Recognising and describing emotions

Describes a wide range of different emotions.

I’m over the moon!

Understanding emotions

Discusses what makes them feel different emotions.

It’s frustrating when…

Monitoring and reflecting on own emotions

Discusses and reflects on emotions (mainly with friends).

I keep thinking of…

Regulating emotions

Manages emotions by using strategies such as re-evaluating or changing the situation.

I was really annoyed when she…, but it probably wasn’t on purpose.

Establishing and maintaining positive relationships

Works at maintaining healthy relationships.

How are you getting on?

Showing empathy for the feelings of others

Shows understanding of other people’s perspectives and feelings.

I [know/see] what you mean.

Supporting others

Negotiates conflict constructively.

I understand, but…

Managing own emotions

Empathy and relationship skills

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Emotional Development in the classroom SECONDARY Incorporate an individualised approach • Acknowledge that all learners experience emotions in different ways; for a strategy to be effective, it must fit the individual learner and the specific context.

• Coach learners in understanding and managing emotions and fostering effective relationships with others.

Example activity: ‘Name it to tame it’ Simply put, naming feelings helps individuals understand them and develop an ‘emotion vocabulary’.

There are two ways of using this activity: dealing with negative emotions and understanding others’ feelings.

1. Dealing with negative emotions:

Teachers encourage learners to say silently or aloud, or write down, the negative emotion they are experiencing – as they are experiencing it – in order to gain distance. If learners can recognise their emotion, they do not have to accept it – they can consciously become aware of their bodies and minds and disengage from the emotion.

2. Understanding others’ feelings:

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Teachers use the idea of labelling emotions as a means of developing an understanding of the emotions in play during interactions with other learners. Simply silently naming the emotion being felt by the other, for example asking themselves ‘what is this person feeling right now?’ brings it to consciousness and provides information necessary to respond more empathetically. Empathetic teachers and learners understand and share the feelings of others, which first necessitates that they can identify the emotion.

Minimise students’ anxiety • Create the conditions to provoke positive reactions in your students. Some learners may feel anxious in class which causes physical reactions, such as their heart racing.

Students should be supported in recognising these physical symptoms of their emotions and re-directing this energy into enthusiasm. If students can recognise these reactions, they can develop coping strategies when experiencing these situations.

• Create environments conducive to less anxiety, for example by reducing competition between learners, or practising using the language in different ways.

Example activity: ‘Three good things’ Learners write down three things that went well during the day and briefly describe the reason.

The ‘reason’ step is critical as it requires more genuine thought than merely writing down events.

This task can help boost happiness and give the learner a sense of achievement whilst reducing negative emotions. The following template can be used: Three good things that happened today

Reasons:

Raise awareness of how emotions can affect students • Build positive self-beliefs amongst students and encourage them to adopt incremental beliefs about intelligence.

• Support students in understanding how to regulate their emotions by changing their perspective or situation to enable their emotions to shift.

Example activity: ‘Finding the silver lining’ Learners in this activity pay particular attention to problems – big and small – that arise in their classes or lives outside of school. The aim is to engage the student in finding the positive side of a negative situation by creating a habit of considering both the positive and negative consequences that the situation may have.

Learners can use their language skills to verbalise their ‘silver linings’ of any situation to teachers and classmates or document each episode in writing. Teachers need to challenge learners: every time they encounter something problematic, the learner has to find at least one good thing about it. This could be done using the following template: Situation:

What is negative about this?

What is a positive consequence of this?

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Encourage students to express their emotions • Create opportunities for students to talk about their emotions with peers and their teacher.

• Provide students with the language and communication skills they need to express their emotions.

• Encourage mindfulness by showing students different techniques and activities they can do to achieve this.

Example activity: ‘Savouring’ Savouring refers to being mindful of pleasant experiences and intentionally reminiscing, experiencing them in detail and making them last. Learners concentrate attentively on a particular experience, event or achievement to become totally immersed in the pleasure of the moment. To develop savouring skills, teachers encourage learners to stop and notice something enjoyable and use their language skills to share it with others. They could then be encouraged to take something from the event, like a photo or memento to reminisce over and remember the positive emotions they associate with the event.

For example, teachers can take learners on a ‘nature walk’ and ask them to find three things that they would not have noticed before. Learners could touch them, smell them, and carefully observe them so that when they get back to the classroom, they can share their savoured experience with their peers. Teachers could challenge learners to make this a daily habit.

Over to you…

1. Choose one of the example activities in this section and try it out with your class.

– When planning the activity, you may find the guidance above helpful. You could follow the instructions here or adapt the activity to suit your class.

– Following the activity, reflect on what worked well and what could be improved next time, particularly focusing on the extent to which learners were able to recognise and express their emotions.

2. Using your course book or other materials, choose a few activities that you may be using in your classes in the next week or so.

– Consider how you could adapt these activities to raise awareness of emotional development strategies and to encourage your students to think about their own emotions.

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Emotional Development in learning materials Here, students engage with the topic of emotions by identifying and describing a range of feelings (exercises 1 and 3). They are encouraged to reflect on their own emotions and draw conclusions for behaviour that supports mental health (for example, ‘Stay happy!’ article, part 2: This week I will make three wishes about…).

SECONDARY

VOCABULARY

Stay happy!

Feelings

1 Read the leaflet about happiness. Do you recognise the feelings it describes?

7.01

2 Match the words in bold in the leaflet with the words and phrases 1–13. Then listen, check and repeat.

1 happy glad 2 angry

8 quiet and calm 9 in emotional pain

3 unhappy

10 extremely happy

4 very silly

11 finding something funny

5 feeling thanks

12 positive about the future

6 not confident

13 pleased you have achieved something

7 enthusiastic 7.02

3 Listen to the conversations. Complete the sentences with a word from the leaflet.

1 Sally feels absolutely …

2 The boy feels …

3 Mark felt absolutely …

4 The girl feels really …

5 Monica is feeling a bit …

LEARN TO LEARN Remembering adjectives Writing a sentence about your personal experiences with new adjectives will help you remember them.

4 Do Part 1 in the Stay happy! leaflet. Write a sentence for each adjective.

I feel amused when I watch comedy films.

5

COLLABORATE Work in pairs. Read out your sentences. Do you have similar or different ideas?

I feel satisfied when I score a goal in football.

6 Use it!

Really? Well, I like art so I feel really satisfied when I’ve drawn a good picture.

Now do Part 2 of the leaflet. Tell your partner your plans. Do they think you will really do them?

Adolescence can be an emotional rollercoaster.

Sometimes you’re absolutely thrilled to be alive, then suddenly you feel down for no reason. You often feel insecure about who you are, and annoyed with every adult on the planet. You can feel ridiculous when you don’t know something all your friends seem to know, and hurt that nobody seems to care about what you’re feeling. Of course, people do care, which is why we’ve created this exercise for developing positive emotions.

Part 1 For each word below (amused, etc.), think of an activity or situation that helps you feel that emotion.

Part 2 Choose two positive emotions you want to practise. Using your ideas, do something which will increase those emotions every day for a week. We’ve given you some examples.

I feel … amused when my best friend tells me jokes. hopeful when I make a wish.

This week I will … ask him to tell me some every day. make three wishes about … .

peaceful when I walk on the … beach. … grateful when my brother helps me with my homework. … eager when I start a new art project. satisfied when I’ve tidied my … room. … glad when my friends are happy.

Explore it!

Guess the correct answer.

Complete the expression Laughter is the best … a communication

b exercise c medicine

Find out a fact about smiling and write a question for your partner to answer.

U N I T 7 | KE E P C A LM ! 87

Collaborate Level 4, page 87, ISBN 9788490366028

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Selected further reading For more information on Life Competencies, please see: Creative Thinking: Dörnyei, Z., & Murphey, T. (2003). Group dynamics in the language classroom. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Goldstein, B. (2008). Working with images. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Kaufman, J., Glăveanu, V., & Baer, J. (Eds.). (2017), The Cambridge handbook of creativity across domains. (Cambridge Handbooks in Psychology). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Maley, A., & Peachey, N. (Eds.) (2015). Creativity in the English language classroom. Available at: englishagenda.britishcouncil.org/sites/default/ files/attachments/pub_f004_elt_creativity_final_v2_web-1.pdf Sternberg, R.J. (2006). The nature of creativity. Creativity Research Journal, 18(1), 87–98.

Critical Thinking: Anderson, L. W., & Krathwohl, D. R. (2001). A taxonomy for learning, teaching, and assessing: A revision of Bloom’s taxonomy of educational objectives. New York: Longman.

Black, B. (2008). Critical thinking – a definition and taxonomy for Cambridge Assessment: supporting validity arguments about critical thinking assessments administered

by Cambridge Assessment. Paper presented at 34th International Association of Educational Assessment Annual Conference, 9th September 2008, Cambridge.

Butterworth, J., Thwaites, J., & Thwaites, G. (2008). Thinking skills. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Ennis R.H. (2015) Critical thinking: A streamlined conception. In M. Davies & R. Barnett (Eds.) The Palgrave handbook of critical thinking in higher education. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

Fisher, A. (2011). Critical thinking: An introduction (2nd ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Learning to Learn: Chamot, A. & Harris, V. (Eds.) (2019). Learning strategy instruction in the language classroom: Issues and implementation. Bristol: Multilingual Matters.

Dörnyei, Z. (2005). Psychology of the language learner: Individual differences in second language acquisition. Mulwah, NJ: Erlbaum. Dörnyei, Z. & Ryan, S. (2015).

The psychology of the language learner revisited. London: Routledge.

Ellis, G. & Sinclair, B. (1994). Learning to learn English: A course in learner training. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

Griffiths, C. (2008). Lessons from good language learners. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Little, D., Dam, L. & Legenhausen, L. (2017). Language learner autonomy: Theory, practice and research. Bristol: Multilingual Matters.

Oxford, R. (2017). Teaching and researching language learning strategies: Self-regulation in context. New York: Routledge. Pawlak, M., Mystkowska-Wiertelak, A. & Bielak, J. (Eds.).

(2017). Autonomy in second language learning: Managing the resources. Berlin: Springer

Communication: Canale, M. (1983). From communicative competence to communicative language pedagogy.

In J. C. Richards & R. W. Schmidt (Eds.), Language and communication (pp. 2–27). London: Longman.

Celce-Murcia, M., Dornyei, Z., & Thurrell, S. (1995). Communicative competence: A pedagogically motivated model with content specifications. Issues in Applied Linguistics, 6(2), 5–35.

Council of Europe. (2001). Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

Available at www.coe.int/en/web/common-european-framework-reference-languages/home Dörnyei, Z., & Scott, M. L. (1997). Communication strategies in a second language: Definitions and taxonomies. Language Learning, 47(1), 173–210.

Kellerman, E. (1991). Compensatory strategies in second language research: A critique, a revision, and some (non-) implications for the classroom, in R. Phillipson, E. Kellerman, L. Selinker, M. Sharwood Smith, & M. Swain (Eds.), Foreign/second language pedagogy research: A commemorative volume for Claus Færch, (Multilingual matters). Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.

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Collaboration: Hess, N. (2001). Teaching large multilevel classes. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

McCafferty, S., Jacobs, G. & DaSilva Iddings, A.C. (Eds). (2006). Cooperative learning and second language teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Mercer, N. (2000). Words and minds: How we use language to think together. London: Routledge.

NRC – National Research Council (2011) Assessing 21st Century Skills: Summary of a Workshop. J A Koenig, Rapporteur. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) (2017).

PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) 2015 results (volume V): Collaborative problem solving. Paris: PISA, OECD Publishing.

Social Responsibilities: British Council. (2008). Global citizenship in the English language classroom. London: British Council.

Council of Europe. (2002). The Maastricht global education declaration: European strategy framework for improving and increasing global education in Europe to the year 2015. Available at: rm.coe.int/168070e540 Corbett, J., & Thornbury, S. (2010). Intercultural language activities (Cambridge handbooks for language teachers). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

OECD. (2016). Global competency for an inclusive world. Paris: OECD. Available at: www.oecd.org/education/Global-competency-for-an-inclusive-world.pdf Oxfam. (2015). Global citizenship in the classroom: a guide for teachers. Oxford: Oxfam GB. Available at: www.oxfam.org.uk/education/resources/global-citizenship-in-the-classroom-a-guide-for-teachers UNESCO. (2016). The ABCs of global citizenship education. Paris: UNESCO. Available at: unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0024/002482/248232e.pdf

Emotional Development: Arnold, J. (1999). Affect in language learning. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Dörnyei, Z., & Ryan, S. (2015). The psychology of the language learner revisited. New York, NY: Routledge.

Gregersen, T. MacIntyre, P.D. & MacMillan, N. (2019). The emotional rollercoaster of teaching abroad: In search of silver linings in difficult times. In C. Gkonou, J.-M. Dewaele, & J. King (Eds.), Language teaching: An emotional rollercoaster. Bristol: Multilingual Matters.

Lopes, P.N., Salovey, P., & Straus, R. (2003). Emotional intelligence, personality, and the perceived quality of social relationships. Personality and Individual Differences, 35(3), 641–658.

MacIntyre, P. D. & Gregersen, T. (2013). Emotions that facilitate language learning: The positive-broadening emotional power of the imagination. Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching, 2(2), 193–213.

Reeve, J. (2018). Understanding motivation and emotion (7th ed.).

Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Laura and Olivia Language Research Team, Cambridge University Press

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You can find information about the other competencies in the Cambridge Life Competencies Framework at cambridge.org/clcf

✓ Creative Thinking ✓ Critical Thinking ✓ Learning to Learn ✓ Communication ✓ Collaboration ✓ Social Responsibilities ✓ Emotional Development

© Cambridge University Press 2020