How is it possible to teach English as a foreign language and its literature in the 21st century?
1.
Introduction
The purpose of this research is to
investigate 21st-century skills and how they may be implemented into EFL
learners. The 21st-century abilities are documented in the relevant literature, as
well as part and place of 21st-century skills in EFL classrooms, with an emphasis
on English as a Foreign Language (EFL). In addition, the study's findings
revealed that 21st-century abilities are critical in both developed and
developing countries' educational systems, particularly in the English language
learning domain.
It's safe to suppose that today's
English language classroom isn't the same as it was 15 - 20 years ago. According
to De Oliveira, Shoffner and Angus (2010), an English classroom necessitates a
deeper knowledge and application of literacy. English teachers must accept the
evolving and adaptable character of languages that findings reveal as varied as
the computing, entertainment, interactions, and community, rather than a single
all-inclusive literacy. As a result, the English classroom must be a venue that
can handle the growing variety and incorporation of diverse forms of denoting,
where the textual interacts with the optical, aural, geographical, and
behavioural. One method to respond to our learners and society's new concerns
and skills, to work explicitly, but critically, with what professionals have
dubbed "21st-century skills" (Alemi & Daftarifard, 2010).
Educational approaches, computer
literacy, and professional capabilities must all be explicitly integrated in
the twenty-first century. Institutions, as generally, and EFL classrooms as
particularly, should enable students with technologies and methods aimed at building
confidence, logical analysis, teamwork, consciousness, and cross-cultural
competencies, among several other things. Cooperation for 21st Century Skills
(2007) promotes the explicit integration of cognitive and analytical
thinking, technology, entertainment, and computer skills, and new employment
opportunities in this context. Considering their importance, a generic term of
Colombian scientific papers reveals that nothing has been done to incorporate
some of these concepts into EFL classes.
There's a major debate that's
gaining a central position. It's no more just models and frameworks;
alternatively, it is more about how young folks reflect and acquire in the
twenty-first century, and whether we can change schools (and the people who
work in them for the better.) By examining how younger folks choose to educate,
what inspiration and joy of knowing to represent in the context of education, and
how we would place an increased significance on academic achievement and
participation, there would almost certainly be a heightening of concentration
on what occurs inside and outside the curriculum (Hamlyn Paul Foundation, 2008,
p. 3). Without a question, our globe and lifestyles are becoming more
multinational and digitalized (Brown, Lauder & Ashton, 2008). Modernization
and automation, for example, have effects and requirements on folk's working
and academic lives, according to Varis (2007).
There is still a widespread
recognition of the necessity to promote access to information and communication
technology (ICT) in numerous areas of employment, there's also significant
worry about becoming proficient in today’s political learning society using
effective instructional methodologies. Ministries and institutions, according
to Varis (2007), should prioritise minimizing obstacles and interconnection,
encouraging continuing education, driving E-learning developments, encouraging
access to technology, and integrating continuous improvement. In a deeper
sense, Jenson and Lotherington (2011) claim that globalisation and technology
have transformed the network environment, impacting how and whom we connect as
well as drastically changing the nature of linguistic and cognitive
instruction.
Students who are studying as a
second language, English is used to communicate with people from other
countries (EFL) have a vast range of perspectives, attainment grades, and
cognitive abilities, all of which impact their potential to understand and
apply the language Claro and Ananiadou, 2009). At the very same period, these
students are not only engaged in attaining a high control of the various
linguistic skills required in cultural circumstances, but they are also
interested in participating in the university. Additionally, St. John's
University's Languages and Literatures Department (2013) believes that in an
increasingly global society, persons' capacity to function as productive
participants of a globalised world whose members speak a range of words is
critical. As a result, existing approaches focusing on learning languages in
the EFL classroom must give way to new approaches aiming at incorporating
content, environment, innovation, and obtaining a competitive advantage (2009,
Taylor).
It needs to be noted that today's
EFL classroom is not at all like one from the mid-to-late early 20th century.
According to Shoffner, De Oliveira, and Angus (2010), today's English classroom
requires in-depth knowledge and application of reading skills. English
language teachers must accept the evolving and flexible character of the competencies
that address areas as varied as technologies, entertainment, interactions, and
cultures, instead of just a singular all-inclusive fluency. As a result, the
English classroom must be a venue that can handle the growing variety and
incorporation of diverse forms of meaning-making, where the verbal interacts
with the optical, aural, geographic, and cognitive. One method to respond to
our learners and society's new needs and desires is to interact explicitly, but
critically, with what academics have labelled "21st-century skills."
Keywords: English
grammar teaching, English as a foreign language, 21st-century skills, domains
of learning, technology
1.1 Learners in the twenty-first century
Learners in the twenty-first
century are more intelligent, active, and well-informed. Today's students are
inundated with data and possibilities. They have connections with individuals
all over the world and have access to higher-quality content (Perlman, 2010).
Along with this situation, students will confront increased obstacles in
adjusting to life in the twenty-first century of globalisation. As a result,
traditional teaching and learning approaches, on the one hand, are unable to
meet their demands and interests, and, on the other hand, are unable to build
the necessary acquaintance talents to meet the challenges of the twenty-first
century. So, what's the best course of action? Similarly, we must examine our
own teaching and learning techniques to determine what kind of human resources
we will develop in the future. Are they able to compete in the worldwide world
of the twenty-first century? To tackle these varied obstacles, we must involve
students in the creation process. To tackle these diverse obstacles, we must
involve students in the creation, construction, and testing of what is created
in partnership with their needs and interests. As a result, today's children,
according to Pearlman (2006), can become significantly smarter speakers,
communicators, and achievers in the society and business of the next.
There is also a compelling civic
reason for schools to place a greater emphasis on emerging pupils' 21st-century
talents. Though kids require a foundation of basic civic knowledge, rote study
and repetition of government and citizenship facts are insufficient to develop
civic involvement. They must also know how and why to be involved citizens who
think critically so that they can assess news stories, spot biases, and cast
informed votes. They must be able to solve difficulties in order to develop or
review policies to address social issues. If they are to act as jurors or
engage in political campaigns, they must be able to collaborate with others.
They must be able to communicate effectively both orally and in writing in
order to express themselves publicly, defend their position, and suggest new
policies.
The third reason for education and
learning 21st-century skills is worldwide. The huge international
movement, the World Wide Web, international journeys, interconnected global
locations, environmental turmoil, worldwide violence, and other aspects serve
as constant reminders that regions, provinces, and folks are all part of an
interconnected global economy, ecology, and governmental linkage and that
people are all members of the human race. Because of this interconnectedness,
it is even more critical for students all around the world to learn how to
communicate, collaborate, and solve problems with people from different
countries. These three arguments each support the need for 21st-century
abilities from a different angle, yet they are not mutually exclusive. Relatively,
they are complementary because the abilities and awareness required to participate in the financial, societal, and global spheres almost entirely overlap.
1.2 Skills
for the Twenty-First Century
21st-century talents, thus
according to Hirata and Ledward (2011), are a mix of academic skills, specific
abilities, competence, and abilities needed to excel in life and business.
These skills, according to Ledward and Hirata, go beyond digital literacy and
encompass analytical thinking, problem-solving skills, interaction, and
workgroup proficiency. In the end, these abilities enable people to
flourish in the digital economy because they enable them to
a.
Acquire, integrate, and convey
knowledge;
b.
Collaborate diagonally alterations to
solve significant issues;
c.
Produce new learning through the
creative use of numerous technologies.
Each of three key talents,
according to Trilling and Fadel (2009), tackles certain domains that people
need to understand and maintain. For example, the capability to be flexible,
adaptive, identity, culturally engaged, responsive, and competent is described
in life and career. Creativity and growth, on the other hand, encompass the
abilities to be creative and imaginative, analytical, problem-solving,
conversational, and cooperative. Finally, the way to access and use knowledge,
develop and evaluate types of media, and appropriately use innovation are all
forms of knowledge, entertainment, and innovation. These talents, if examined
and implemented into content, training, and evaluation, can assist the education
system in creating an environment for learning involved in designing the critical
skills needed in the twenty-first century (Lai & Viering, 2012).
Multiple intellectual methodologies
have been introduced to arrange the evaluation of 21st-century abilities. The
North Central Regional Educational Laboratory and the Metiri Group have
suggested one of these approaches (Lemke, 2002). According to Lemke (2003),
this system gives a framework for determining what pupils require to prosper in
today's business world. Through four perspectives, the paradigm identifies four
general skills: technological skills, imaginative thinking, efficient
communication, and increased efficiency. To perform in a knowledge-based
society, the first dimension requires the ability to create, organise, and
evaluate information using digital technologies and methods of communication.
People's cognitive capacities to apply information technology in complicated
and persistent settings, as well as to know the consequences of doing so, are
referred to as inventive reasoning. The ability to properly interact with
everyone, whether vocally or in writing, using a wide range of sources and
technologies, is the third dimension. Finally, increased efficiency refers to
the ability to focus, organize, and govern in order to produce appropriate and
high-quality commodities and outcomes.
Generally, concepts for
21st-century abilities are quite stable. They all believe that the abilities
required for life, profession, participation, and consciousness in the
twenty-first century vary from some of those required in the previous
century. These disparities arose primarily as a result of shifts in how we
interact, use technology, develop information, and engage with one another.
These developments necessitate learners, employees, residents, and persons
possessing a new set of skills that enable them to effectively act, understand,
and network. Regardless of its importance, schools and instructors must
exercise caution while redecorating and modifying their methods and processes
in response to the 21st-century skills movement. Certain features of this trend
need to be carefully considered by organizations and instructors.
1.3
Criticism of 21st Century Skills
Current economic and social
conditions have obviously had a significant effect on learning and education.
According to Wyn (2009), not only does the rate of change necessitate the
acquisition of new skills more regularly, but the amount of advanced
technologies also necessitates the implementation of new connections in both
professional and personal lives. To her, these regulatory changes imply that,
in order to live, people must be able to learn a wide range of skills and
pursue novel employment opportunities on a frequent basis. As a result, investigators,
lawmakers, instructors, and some other decision-makers, according to Wyn, must
reflect on the acquaintance and abilities that people desire in order to take
part efficiently in work and society, as well as the role of schools and higher
education institutions in establishing those abilities and attitudes.
At first glance, it appears logical
to expect that teaching, instruction, and education must be able to meet
people's requirements and desires as a result of modern work and technology
requirements. There are, however, some features of such debate that must be
carefully explored. Van Dijk (2001) says that researching how power, dominance,
and social system are enforced, maintained, and managed through communication
is useful in this stage. According to him, education tries to impose
infrastructural and competent procedures associated with energy misuse and
discourses reproductive capacity; in general and especially, such misuse and
reproductive capacity occur when specific components, activities, and norms are
standardised and systematised meet the needs and desires and require of a
specific group of actors. In a similar context, Rogers (2004) says that
instructors must critically examine communication in order to evaluate, assess,
and evaluate the current interaction between the industry, policy measures, and
foreign affairs.
A thorough study of the language
around the 21st-century skills paradigm exposes, along with other things, some
biases or assumptions toward such cognitive, practical, and philosophical
approaches. Even though a complete examination of such scenarios is well beyond
the scope of this document, I will only touch on some of the assumptions and
emphases that 21st-century skills discourse supports or promotes. To begin, it
appears that proponents of 21st-century talents feel that critical thinking
skills were abilities unique to today's climate. In this context, Silva (2009)
points out that it is erroneous to believe that critical thinking skills are
new to the twenty-first century, as much of the same has been advocated by
intellectuals and instructors from historical Socrates to twentieth-century
John Dewey. In a contemporary setting Mishra and Kereluik (2011) claim that
reflective practice, conflict resolution, and creative skills, rather than
being learned, are acquired.
The 21st-century skills paradigm,
on the other side, apparently thinks that learning should be based on skill
sets instruction and practical learning encounters. Skills-driven education,
according to Hirsch (2007), overlooks basic information in the misguided notion
that persons might become specialists in addressing issues thoughtfully and
imaginatively than overwhelming their heads with variable information. Hirsch,
on the other hand, quality education should foster a mutual association between
basic competencies and resources since basic knowledge aids in the
transformation of general-purpose abilities into critical-thinking abilities.
Ravitch (2009) claims that educated people learn from not only their own circumstances but also from other people's experiences. A true performer of critical thinking
skills, according to her, is able to understand history's lessons, literature's
adventures, science and mathematics' inner logic, and the significance of
intellectual arguments by investigating them.
Additionally, the 21st-century
skills paradigm emphasizes the idea that, due to compelling industrial and
technological concerns, teaching methods must improve students' diverse
competencies. The economic argument is that in a globalized economy, market
prices intensifies competition for people who can be more competitive by
applying critical analysis and language skills to new issues and contexts. The
technological justification, on the other hand, is that individuals need access
to knowledge and the ability to use it in order to participate in, benefit
from, and be creative in the new technological world. Advocates for 21st-century skills emphasise the role of the economic and business environment in
school reform because of their value.
Certain reservations must be
expressed about the past emphasis on economics and innovation. To begin
with, education's goals extend above preparing young people for financial and
labour-force involvement. Schofield asserted in a 1999 study that learning should
mainly help individuals in productively belonging to their cultures. To her,
successful belonging is learning how to engage in active citizenship, which
entails the growth of persons who are free, active, and equal in their ability
to select their identities, entitlements, and responsibilities. In a similar
spirit, Seymour (2004) asserts that learning should first and foremost assist
people in thinking and living in ways that promote the development of an
integrated, broader, and far more comprehensive mindset. In particular, he
believes that education should focus on assisting us in understanding that we
are, as this is more essential than what we can learn or do. Furthermore,
education policy necessitates discourse and practice that is ethically grounded
and future-oriented. According to Kurth-Schai and Green (2009), educational
reforms cannot merely entail introducing new political and pedagogical practices.
Not only that but such reforms must be crafted through collaborative dialogue
with the goal of ensuring that all citizens have access to shared literacies.
Furthermore, these reforms must emphasize social justice, equity, and
transformation, as well as the entire growth and integration of the intellect,
heart, body, and spirit. Without uncertainty, the twenty-first century has
changed a lot of things and studies. Certain organizations and academic
researchers, such as the Partnership for 21st Century Skills and the Assessment
and Teaching of 21st Century Skills, have attempted to establish common skills,
norms, and paradigms. Despite its significance, the 21st-century skills program
requires examination and criticism. Almost all of its principles and focuses
convey tastes and values that may lead to discrepancies and discrepancies. It is,
nonetheless, crucial to examine how some of its core precepts might be used to
improve and revolutionize the quality of teaching and
learning English as a foreign language.
1.4 The
Twenty-First-Century EFL Classroom
I would really like to begin by
briefly defining the EFL present situation prior to actually exploring the
relationship between 21st-century abilities and EFL learning and teaching.
According to Rogers (2000), the twentieth century saw a remarkable level of
work in language instruction methods and techniques. Communicative Language
Teaching was and continues to be one of the best-known methodologies (CLT). CLT
has influenced the curriculum design of the study by emphasizing communicative
ability, students’ learning, and relationship. It has also led to renewed
research methods such as content-based instruction (CBI), task-based
instruction (TBI), and content and language integrated learning (CLIL)
(Richards, 2006).
Some researchers, on the other
hand, argue that techniques are specialist recommendations for practice with
pedagogic constraints as well as hidden socio-cultural and political goals (Stern,
1992; Allright & Bailey, 1991). In this light, Kumaravadivelu (1994)
identifies the 'post method condition,' in which teachers must be able to
adjust their own technique in response to local, contextual elements while
still being directed by a number of macrostrategies4. According to
Kumaravadivelu (2004), macro strategies are broad guidelines that teachers utilize
to develop their own situation-specific classroom tactics and, eventually, to
establish their own philosophy of practice.
English, on the other hand, cannot
be considered a basic linguistic code or even a collection of skills.
Alternatively, English should be perceived as an important language that
individuals can use to convey their distinct cultures and interact well with the rest of the planet in an easy to understand manner ( 2006, Crystal). Eaton
(2010) asserts that today's EFL classroom should no longer be centred on
syntax, memory, or rote learning as a result of the current approach. However,
it should be viewed as a place where people may develop to interact with others
throughout the world by using linguistic and cultural understanding. As a result,
Eaton contends, a reimagined field that is more learner-centred, cooperative,
and digitally motivated is justified. Teachers can use fresh and innovative
concepts and strategies in the EFL classroom as part of this rethinking. One
place where I believe EFL teachers could make a difference is in the classroom.
1.5
The EFL Classroom and 21st Century Skills
To prosper either now or in the
future, learners not only must become educated but then also capable of
applying that literacy within their significant information domain. According
to Armstrong and Warlick, that literacy entails the ability to read thoroughly
for interpretation in interactive content, handling suitable software
applications to acquire knowledge, using academic and theoretical skills in
communicating knowledge with visuals, and understanding the moral use of the
content highway, among several other things. In 2001, Warschauer posed an
intriguing issue that remains valid today: What role does speech training play
in the information technology society? According to him, the solution to this
question gives new meaning to English language teaching. To begin, English
language educators must create opportunities to engage students in the types of
effective teaching and real concern activities that they may face in the near
future. According to Warschauer, students can acquire this level of commitment
by completing the complex entire project that includes bargaining, teamwork, main
objective, highly interaction, and the creation of significant outcomes.
Furthermore, according to Black
(2009), Efl learners require activities based on new technological devices and
semantic modes that allow them to develop both standard language proficiency
and computer literacy and 21st-century abilities. Multifunctional methods such
as online communication, virtual communities, virtual narration, and multimedia
revamping, she says, will be used to teach and learn English so that students
can engage in the creative management of significant cultural and intellectual
artefacts. She claims that by doing so, kids are able to not only represent
themselves, but also communicate on online sites by combining word, art, and
voice. Some coworkers and academics may ask if this isn't just "more of
the same" after reading this post. EFL literature has undoubtedly provided
us with a sufficient quantity of works on communication, teamwork, enterprises,
technologies, and intertextual.
1.6
What are the qualities of a 21st-century EFL classroom?
Armstrong (2004) believes that a
more digital and networked world needs students' abilities to demonstrate
knowledge, utilise information, and convincingly convey ideas when considering
what kids will learn now. 201 pupils must become not merely read, but also
capable of using that literacy within their information environment in order to
succeed now and in the future. Using that literacy entails being able to read
deeply for meaning in multimedia content, using appropriate software tools to
process information, using practical and technical skills to communicate
knowledge with multimedia, and understanding the ethical use of the information
highway, among other things, according to Armstrong and Warlick. 201 Students
must become not only literate but also capable of applying their knowledge in
the context of their information environment in order to succeed now and in the
future.
In 2001, Warschauer (2001) posed an
intriguing topic that remains relevant today: What role does language training
play in today's information technology society? The answer to this question,
according to him, gives English language teaching new purposes. First and
foremost, English language educators must offer happenings that engage students
in the types of authentic tasks and problem-solving activities that they will
encounter in the future. 'Engagement can be accomplished by having students
carry out difficult project work including negotiation, teamwork, goal-setting,
meaningful communication, and the development of challenging goods,' according
to (Warschauer, 2001). (p. 55).
Today's students, in the
twenty-first century, should be aware of the skills and talents required to
excel in their careers in the Information Age. Discover that in order for our
pupils to prosper in the twenty-first century, they must learn 12 skills:
• Adaptability
• The ability to lead
• Determination
• Efficiency
• Social abilities
• The ability to think critically
• Imagination
• Cooperation
• The ability to communicate
• Knowledge on how to use information
• Knowledge of the mass media
• Computer literacy
These abilities are designed to
help pupils keep up with the fast-paced world of today. Each talent has its own
way of assisting students, but they all have one thing in common.
1.7 To
include 21st-Century Skills in EFL Classes
Students and teachers can work with
both or either Multiliteracy and Multimodal Communicative Competence to enrich
the EFL classroom with 21st-century abilities, in my opinion. Systematic
understanding, according to Dupuy (2011), encompasses not just the opportunity
to generate and evaluate texts, but still a critical awareness of the
relationships between scriptures, speech norms, and sociocultural settings.
According to Dupuy, this capacity equips students to involve in a variety of
communicative situations and encourages the critical involvement necessary to
shape their societal possibilities.
Elsner (2011) claims that today's
ESL students must be able to communicate with a range of manuscripts,
encompassing dynamic, sequential, and unstructured materials, texts with many
possible explanations, texts provided on paper, displays, or online, and
written materials that contain one or more contexts. EFL teachers, according to
Haut (2010), not only should incorporate various kinds of texts, parameter
settings of the text, and narratives, but also provide direct instruction detailing
the underlying norms so that learners can access to relocate among both
narratives and then become both conscious and vital of the inherent characteristics
that are depicted.
Royce (2007), on the other hand,
claims that considering the recent effects of changing modalities and norms, EFL
classes must be more important in building students' multimodal intercultural
ability. Teachers, he believes, should begin focusing on and developing
students' visual literacy abilities, as well as developing an educational
system of language to promote these strengths when visuals co-occur with spoken
and written forms. Heberle (2010) defines multimodal communicative ability as
the learning and use of language in addition to the physical, gesture,
acoustic, and geographic components of conversation, including
computer-mediated information exchange, in this line of thought. According to
her, familiarising EFL students with various types of multimedia and semantic
meanings might help them be adequately prepared for various literacy practises
in their professional and social interactions with native and non-native
English speakers. She recommends task-based or content-based training, as well
as critical results and interpretation of visuals.
2.
The
Purpose of Paper
The basic 21st-century aptitudes are interaction, teamwork, real concern, digital literacy, rational
reasoning, judgment, originality, creativity, social and personal responsibility,
leadership, and so on. On the other hand, due to the universality of the
English language and the necessities of the knowledge-based economy, it has
been demonstrated that 21st-century skills play a significant role for EFL
students in their EFL classes. The study outlined a series of phases or tactics
for incorporating 21st-century abilities into English language acquisition.
Finally, this study's main conclusions were the necessity for significant
changes in the English language curriculum and increased teacher awareness.
3.
Significance
of Research
In the subject of foreign language
teaching and learning, there are an increasing number of research publications
demonstrating approaches that increase the quality of teaching and learning a
second language. Despite having access to a wealth of knowledge about effective
techniques in Florida education, achieving a level of skill that allows a
teacher to organise the types of learning opportunities indicated above takes
time and effort; it is a learning process in and of itself. The more teachers
understand how to create meaningful learning experiences, the more
equipped they will be to assist students in connecting and engaging with their
own learning.
"Education is meant to be the
process by which we engage individuals in their completeness, to give them a
sense of who they are and their possibilities so that they can lead a life that
means something to them and to the rest of us," Robinson (2011) writes
(18:37). According to Robinson, the new emphasis on the presence of 21st-century skills in FL education appears to be a crucial key to the process of
engaging learning (2011). However, the principles are still new, and there has
been very little research into their application, especially in relation to
enjoyment, focus, and interest (i.e., flow).
In the context of FL classrooms, it
seems worthwhile to explore deeper into the relationship between 21st-century
abilities and the sensation of flow. This understanding could aid in
determining the role and possibilities of FL education in reducing disaffection
and improving student engagement, as well as in assisting students in
connecting with themselves, one another, and the world.
4.
Objectives
of the Research study
The study's research objectives are
as follows:
1.
Thoroughly examine and evaluate facts,
justifications, assertions, and opinions; address different types of
non-challenges including both traditional and unconventional methods.
2.
Oral and visual language skills in a
range of formats and circumstances are used to appropriately convey views and
beliefs.
3.
Possess the potential to collaborate
efficiently and politely with a variety of people.
4.
To generate additional and valuable
suggestions, apply a variety of idea generation strategies.
5.
To manage the flow of data from a number
of sources; acquire and evaluate the information objectively and effectively.
5.
Research
Questions:
The following questions are
addressed in this paper:
1.
What are the skills of the twenty-first
century? What role may the discussion of 21st-century skills play in EFL
classrooms?
2.
What characteristics define an EFL
classroom in the twenty-first century?
3.
What are some strategies for
implementing 21st-century skills into EFL classes?
6.
Literature
Review
The talents of the twenty-first century
are those that target persons' non-traditional capabilities and increase their
positivity and contribute to their surroundings. 21st-century talents,
according to Hirata and Ledward (2011), are a mix of subject knowledge,
specific abilities, competence, and skills required to excel in business and
life. These abilities, according to Ledward and Hirata, go beyond digital
literacy and also include analytical thinking, problem-solving skills,
interaction, and collaboration. Finally, because these abilities assist
individuals, they enable people to succeed in the modern industry.
a.
get accessibility to, evaluate, and
transmit messages;
b.
collaborate around divisions to resolve
complex challenges;
c.
Develop new knowledge through the
creative application of digital solutions.
Whereas existing academic
institutions represent the effects of the workplace and virtual approach involves,
the early modern 21st-century school must focus on cognitive skills as well as
effective and aesthetic domains to bring together rigorous content and
real-world relevance, according to the Partnership for 21st Century Skills
(2007b). To help schools achieve such ambitious goals, the Partnership (2007a)
designed a framework for 21st-century learning that involves core subjects (English,
Reading, Language Arts, World Languages, Arts, Mathematics, Economics, Science,
Geography, History, and Government and Civics) as well as interdisciplinary
themes (global awareness, financial, economic, business, civil literacy, health
literacy, and environmental literacy). These subjects and themes revolve around
three core abilities: life and career skills, learning and innovation skills,
and creative problem-solving skills.
Each of three key talents,
according to Trilling and Fadel (2009), tackles certain areas that people
really need to learn and enhance. For example, the capability to be flexible,
adaptive, conscience, culturally informed, responsive, and competent is
described in life and career. Learning and growth, on the other hand, entail
the ability to think creatively and be imaginative, as well as a perceptive, real
concern, conversational, and cooperative. Finally, the ability to obtain and
use knowledge, develop and analyse types of media, and efficiently use
innovation are all part of information, media, and technology. These talents,
when examined and incorporated into the curriculum, instruction, and evaluation,
can assist schools and teachers in creating learning environments capable of
developing the essential competencies required in the twenty-first century (Viering
& Lai 2012).
Numerous theoretical methods have
been created to organise the evaluation of 21st-century abilities. The North
Central Regional Educational Laboratory and the Metiri Group have suggested one
of these models (Lemke, 2002). According to Lemke (2003), this model presents a
system for defining what pupils require to succeed in today's business world.
Through four components, the model outlines four general skills: information
age, imagination, good communication, and improved quality. To perform in a
learning society, the first dimension requires the ability to create, organise,
and evaluate information using digital technologies and communication tools.
Learners' cognitive capacities to apply computer technology in complicated and
persistent settings, as well as to understand the consequences of doing so, are
referred to as inventive thinking. The ability to clearly communicate with
others, either vocally or in writing, using a variety of mediums, is the third
dimension. Finally, high productivity refers to the ability to prioritise,
plan, and manage in order to produce significant and strong products and
outcomes.
In general, approaches for
21st-century abilities are mostly congruent with one another. They all believe
that the skills required for life, profession, society, and consciousness in
the twenty-first century are different from those required in the previous century.
Modifications in the way we speak, use technologies, generate information, and
engage with people have largely caused these distinctions. These developments
necessitate students, workers, citizens, and individuals possessing a new set
of skills that enable them to effectively act, think, and network. Regardless
of its importance, schools and instructors must exercise caution while
rethinking and reforming their methods and processes in response to the 21st-century skills movement. Certain features of this trend must be carefully
considered by institutions and educators.
Because technology improves and
promotes English learning, incorporating 21st-century abilities has also been
shown to benefit students' Language competence. Prior studies used a variety of
21st-century learning methods in English language instruction to see what
benefits they provided. Other researchers employed projects that could improve
students' English language learning in addition to 21st-century learning
paradigms. Thang et al. (2014), for example, undertook a Digital Story Telling
(DST) initiative in the English for Academic Purposes course (EAP). The
researchers discovered that pupils were capable of working both individually
and collaboratively in this assignment, and the value of cooperation was quite
clear. Aside from that, the DST initiative helped students develop other
21st-century abilities such as creative thinking, digital literacy, and
communication. Meanwhile, Carrió-pastor and Skorczynska (2015) discovered that
when collaborative learning is paired with communication technology like Google
Docs, the results are more positive.
Yang, Chuang, Li, and Tseng (2013)
produced similar results by teaching English listening and speaking abilities
using a virtual learning environment called Moodle. The Moodle platform
improved the students' communicative competence, according to the study's findings.
Not only had that, but pupils' critical thinking skills increased as their
full accessibility significantly improved. These researchers have discovered that
when English language learning is integrated with 21st-century knowledge and
skills, students' development and achievement are enhanced. Students not only
increase their English language skills, but they also develop their 21st-century talents. This will produce students who are well-rounded and balanced
in all aspects of their lives, not just academically. With this type of
learning, educational institutions will be able to generate graduates who are
prepared to confront the challenges of the twenty-first century.
Educational standards all over the
planet must be upgraded, upgraded, and reformed in order to meet the demands of
various markets in order to conform to the ever-changing Scientific Revolution.
This is critical in place to ensure that a current regime is of top quality. It
is essential in developing and preparing the future group with 21st-century
skills in order to reach this goal. Trilling and Fadel (2009) introduced 21st-century knowledge, emphasising that in order to educate 21st-century knowledge
to students, instructors must be experts in the abilities they wish to convey
to classmates.
To assure that the incorporation of
21st-century skills is sustainable, it is critical to determine yet if the
stakeholders and key players are prepared to do so. As a result, some academics
looked into the opinions of investors and significant participants on learning
in the twenty-first century. For example, Campbell Jr and Kresyman (2015)
decided to interview stockholders such as business managers about crucial core
competencies, and they discovered that in order for students to meet industry
demands, varies from mild to severe improvements in the education system,
including 21st-century education, are required. Employers aren't the only ones
who have expressed their dissatisfaction. Maida (2017) also performed research
into students' views on 21st-century skills education. According to the
findings, students have high expectations for themselves in order to master
21st-century abilities.
While some studies use technology
to teach 21st-century skills, others do not. While it is feasible to teach 21st-century abilities without using technology, Motallebzadeh et al. (2018) found
that technology has a role in students' development of 21st-century skills.
Even though teachers who won the 21st-century learning teacher campaign or
PAK21 Campaign (Husni, 2019) demonstrated that teaching and learning 21st-century skills can be done without technology, the usage of technology in
schools is increasing. Teachers have little choice but to include technology
into their teaching process, especially since that teaching and learning
sessions are conducted online.
7.
Methodology
I will utilize the descriptive
strategy to obtain data for the current study. The narrative methodology is
selected will also provide an overview of 21st-century abilities and identify which skills should be integrated into English language acquisition.
My research will primarily be qualitative.
In addition, I will use the
deductive approach to make a conclusion based on evidence gathered from
literature on 21st-century abilities and English language development.
Participants will be chosen for this study based on existing criteria, such as
being current teachers with at least five years of teaching experience in the
English department and eager to share their innovative teaching approaches.
8.
Conclusion
The 21st century requests the
express combination of acquiring and advancement abilities, data, media and
computerized education abilities, just as life and vocation abilities.
Subsequently, schools overall and EFL study halls specifically ought to furnish
understudies with practices and cycles zeroed in on securing and creating, in
addition to other things, innovativeness, decisive reasoning, cooperation,
media education, drive and self-bearing, and social and diverse abilities.
Eventually, EFL study halls should be filled with significant and mentally
animating exercises, practices, and cycles that permit understudies to not
simply verbalize musings and thoughts adequately utilizing oral, composed and
21st-century skills nonverbal correspondence, yet to likewise comprehend
complex viewpoints, utilize numerous media and advancements, settle on
decisions and choices, and work innovatively with others. Thus, educators need
to examine basically what 21st-century development offers to improve their
academic cycles and information practices. Moreover, this investigation can
move them to advance to give their understudies freedoms to foster the
proficiencies required in this day and age. At last, not exclusively can such
development keep the instruction administration flexible, responsive, and
self-restoring, yet it can likewise advance a feeling of prosperity in the
showing calling (Hamilton, 1996).
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