A Global Issues Project Pack

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A Global Issues Project Pack

• Andrew Finch, PhD

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Global Issues
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Global Issues
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Global Issues
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Global Issues
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Global Issues
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Global Issues
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Global Issues

• Why include GI in our English classes?
• Meaning
• Learning to express opinions in English
• Relevance
• Addressing issues of importance to the students
• Authenticity of Content-matter
• Cultural importance
• Investigating issues crucial to the home
  culture
• Social importance
• Discovering what we can do to help

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Projects

• Why use projects for Global Issues?
• Projects exemplify process and task-based
  ideas by being collaborative, avoiding
  competition, and lending themselves to analysis
  of global goals into sub-components which are
  then delegated to sub-groups, who take
  responsibility for completing them.
• Skehan, P. (1998). A Cognitive Approach to
  Language Learning. Oxford Oxford University
  Press, p. 273.

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Projects

• Why use projects for Global Issues?
• Projects allow for a wide scope of
  self-determined action for both the individual
  and the small group of learners within a general
  framework of a plan which defines goals and
  procedures. Project learning realises a dynamic
  balance between a process and a product
  orientation.
• Legutke, M Thomas, H. (1991) Process and
  Experience in the Language Classroom. Harlow
  Longman, p. 160.

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Projects

• Projects take account of recent findings made in
  the fields of cognitive, affective and social
  learning
• Cognitive over-emphasis on one aspect of
  language (e.g. grammar, communication, fluency,
  error-correction) adversely affects the attention
  given to other learning processes.
• Affective factors such as attitude, perceptions,
  motivation, confidence and anxiety control what
  is learned in the classroom, and are more
  important than cognition (Stern, 1983).
• Social collaboration, responsibility, honesty
  and trust can be developed and learned in the
  classroom. It is the responsibility of teachers
  to foster these important life skills.

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Projects

• Projects allow for a student-centered perspective
  of language learning, focusing on the development
  of
• Autonomy (self-directed learning)
• problem-solving (higher-order thinking skills)
• critical thinking (higher-order thinking skills)
• self-esteem (confidence, motivation, success)

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Projects

• This involves putting the student in the driving
  seat in terms of
• identifying learning needs (needs analysis)
• taking responsibility for achieving those needs
  (planning, setting goals, achieving goals)
• reflecting on the effectiveness of the study
  process (assessment, leading to new goals).

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A Project Pack

• The following slides will explore a sample ELT
  Project Pack, to see how EFL teachers can
  promote
• Awareness of global issues
• Meaningful SLA (Second Language Acquisition)

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Global Issues materials should

• be directed at the learner
• empower the student as an autonomous learner
• promote self-esteem
• reduce affective filters
• develop personal and social responsibility
• include linguistic goals
• include learning-for-life goals
• encourage personal reflection on cognitive,
  affective and social achievements.

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Social Goals
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How can we help?
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How can we help?
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How can we help?
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How can we help?
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How can we help?
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How can we help?
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Some Quotes

• Human history becomes more and more a race
  between education and catastrophe. (H. G. Wells
  http//www.quotationspage.com)
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• Now the whole question of the educators role in
  dealing with planetary crisis becomes prominent.
  (OSullivan, 2001, p. 46)

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Some Quotes

• Some type of holistic, or participating
  consciousness and a corresponding sociopolitical
  formation have to emerge if we are to survive as
  a species. (Berman, 1981, p. 23)
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• Establishing lasting peace is the work of
  education all politics can do is keep us out of
  war. (Montessori, cited in McCarthy Ed., 2001,
  p. 35)
• Education becomes a meaningless endeavour unless
  the education acquired has some impact on
  thehuman condition. (Pine Boy 1977 237)