Becoming a Global Teacher: 10 Steps to an International Classroom
Kip Cates, kcates@rstu.jp (www.kipcates.com), Tottori University, Japan
Abstract
This article outlines 10 key steps that language instructors can take to become global teachers and to add an international dimension to their classrooms. The first three steps involve rethinking the role of English as a global language, redefining our roles as educators, and reconsidering how to create an international classroom atmosphere. The next four steps involve exploring global education and related fields such as peace education, integrating global topics into our teaching, experimenting with global education activities, and organizing extracurricular activities. The final three steps involve making use of international experience in class; teaching for peace, international understanding, and world citizenship; and linking up with overseas colleagues through joining ELT “global issues” special interest groups. The author concludes by encouraging teachers to promote international understanding, social responsibility and a peaceful future through professional content-based language education aimed at teaching for a better world.
One challenge for educators today is to help students learn about the rich variety of people in our multicultural world and about the global problems that face our planet. EFL teachers have a special role to play in this important task. In this article, I’d like to outline 10 steps that we can take to become global teachers and add an international dimension to our classrooms.
Step #1: Rethink the Role of English
The first step in becoming a global teacher is to rethink your definition of English. Definitions are important because they limit what we do. How do you define life, for example? As a party? A pilgrimage? A to-do list? Each of these definitions leads you in a different direction. In the same way, how you define English determines what you do in your classroom. What is “English” then? Traditionally, English has been defined as
• a linguistic system of pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar
• a school subject and a topic on national exams
• a language of “daily conversation” about family, sports, and hobbies
• the mother tongue of English-speaking countries such as the United States and United Kingdom
These four traditional views have long formed the basis of much English teaching worldwide. A global education view of English, however, involves two further dimensions. It sees English as
• an international language for communication with people around the world
• a subject for learning about the world’s peoples, countries, and problems
Step #2: Reconsider Your Role As Teacher
How we define ourselves is just as important as how we define our field. One key question teachers can ask themselves is “Who am I?” Do you define yourself as “just an English teacher”? Or do you see yourself as an “educator” in the wider sense? I define myself as a global educator who teaches English as a foreign language. This means I’m dedicated to good English teaching but I’m also committed to helping my students become responsible global citizens who will work for a better world.
The mission we have as global educators is outlined in UNESCO’s 1974 Recommendation on Education for International Understanding, Cooperation and Peace. This document calls on teachers in schools around the world to promote
• an international dimension and a global perspective in education at all levels
• understanding and respect for all peoples and their cultures, values, and ways of life
• awareness of the increasing global interdependence between peoples and nations
• abilities to communicate with others
• awareness of the rights and duties of individuals, social groups, and nations toward each other
• understanding of the necessity for international solidarity and cooperation
• readiness on the part of the individual to participate in solving the problems of his or her community, country, and the world at large
How we teach English in our EFL classrooms can either promote or hinder these goals.
Step #3: Rethink Your Classroom Atmosphere
A third step in internationalizing your teaching is to rethink your class atmosphere. What do students see when they enter your classroom? Bare concrete walls? Photos of native speaker countries? If we really want to teach English as a global language, we need to think about our classroom atmosphere and what it says to students.
What is a global classroom? A global EFL classroom is decorated with global posters, world maps, and international calendars—all in English. It’s a dynamic, colorful place that stimulates international awareness and curiosity about our multicultural world. It features globes, world flags, and displays about current events and topics such as Nobel Peace Prize winners. It is also an environmentally friendly classroom where teachers and students save energy, conserve resources, and use both sides of the paper for handouts and homework.
Step #4: Explore Global Education and Related Fields
Another key step in becoming a global teacher is to explore global education and related fields such as peace education, human rights education, and environmental education.
Global education has been defined as “education which promotes the knowledge, attitudes and skills relevant to living responsibly in a multicultural, interdependent world” (Fisher & Hicks, 1985, p. 8). Another definition states that “global education consists of efforts to bring about changes in the content, methods and social context of education in order to better prepare students for citizenship in a global age” (Kniep, 1985, p. 15).
Global education comprises the four domains of knowledge, skills, attitudes, and action. The first goal is knowledge about the world’s peoples, places, and problems. The second involves teaching skills such as critical and creative thinking, problem solving, conflict resolution, and communication skills. The third involves promoting attitudes such as cultural curiosity, respect for diversity, a commitment to justice, and empathy with others. The final goal is action—taking concrete steps locally and globally to make a better world.
Exploring new fields to improve our teaching is nothing new. Good teachers have always gone to other disciplines for ideas, techniques, and resources. Teachers who wish to deepen their knowledge of grammar, for example, turn to the field of linguistics. Teachers interested in student motivation turn to the field of psychology. In the same way, if we are serious about teaching English for international understanding, we need to explore global education and related fields. This can be done in a number of ways: by reading books, surfing Web sites, and attending conferences.
EFL teachers who explore new fields are able to approach world topics more confidently and can draw from a wider variety of activities, techniques, and resources for their content-based teaching. The result is usually greater student motivation, increased global awareness, and enhanced language learning.
Step #5: Integrate Global Content Into Your Teaching
Global education doesn’t happen through good intentions alone. It must be planned for, prepared, and consciously taught. After all, students can’t learn what you don’t teach.
It doesn’t do any good, for example, to teach English grammar and somehow hope that students become more “international.” Rather, a global language teacher must sit down and write up a “dual syllabus” comprising (a) a set of language-learning goals and (b) a set of global education goals. Once these are listed, the teacher’s job is to design effective, enjoyable class activities that achieve both sets of objectives in an integrated, creative way.
What content should we teach to promote global awareness, social responsibility, and international understanding? Three key content areas are world regions (geographic literacy), world themes (multicultural topics), and world problems (global issues). By designing content-based EFL activities, units, and courses around these, we can promote both language learning and global education.
Step #6: Experiment With Global Education Activities and Resources
Part of becoming a global teacher involves experimenting in class with global education activities, and resources. Global education DVDs, posters, and teaching packs, for example, can be obtained through resource centers such as Social Studies School Service (http://www.socialstudies.com). Nongovernmental organizations such as Oxfam and Amnesty International can also provide good teaching materials.
Games designed around international themes can stimulate motivation, promote global awareness, and enable practice of language skills. Global education games range from environmental bingo to world travel board games. Books such as Worldways (Elder & Carr 1987), Multicultural Teaching (Tiedt, 2001), and In the Global Classroom (Pike & Selby, 2000) provide a variety of such activities that can be adapted to the EFL classroom.
Role plays promote creativity and communicative language use in a way traditional teaching can’t. There’s a big difference between reading about refugees, for example, and actually becoming one in class. Global education role plays include conflict resolution skits, discrimination experience games, and Model UN simulations, and can have students take on roles ranging from world leaders to endangered species.
Video allows teachers to bring the world into the classroom in a very real way. Through the magic of video, we can take our students to the Amazon or to UN headquarters in New York— all at the touch of a button. For an EFL lesson on landmines, for example, I’d love to fly my students to Cambodia to meet actual landmine victims but my salary doesn’t allow that. The next best thing is to bring Cambodia to my classroom. This I can do with videos such as What’s Going On?, a UN series featuring Hollywood celebrities that allows students to travel the world in English without leaving the classroom.
Step #7: Organize Extracurricular Activities
Extracurricular activities are another way to combine global awareness with English practice. Setting up an English “Global Issues” study group is one idea. Other ideas include writing English letters to overseas foster children or holding English charity events to raise money to help African AIDS victims, assist Iraqi children, or build schools in Nepal.
Some EFL teachers add an international dimension to their schools through English speech contests on global themes or by inviting English guest speakers from groups such as UNICEF. Others arrange volunteer activities where students pick up litter on local beaches or participate in charity walk-a-thons all while using English outside of class.
Sending students to international youth events is another idea. One program I’m involved in is the Asian Youth Forum (http://www.asianyouthforum.org). This program brings together Asian EFL students to build friendships, break down stereotypes, and discuss global issues all through the medium of English-as-a-global-language.
Step #8: Make Use of Your International Experience in Class
EFL teachers are an incredibly “global” group of people who have lived, worked, and traveled overseas. Despite their global backgrounds, however, many teachers leave their international experience at home and spend class time being “ordinary” teachers. In my view, these teachers lose out on a chance to add an international dimension to their teaching.
Good teaching means using our talents to promote effective learning. If you’re good at art, you should use your drawing skills to motivate students. If you’re good at drama, you should exploit this in your teaching. The same applies with international experience. If you’ve lived in Kenya, use your experience to design exciting EFL lessons to promote understanding of Africa. If you’ve done an eco-tour, prepare an English slide show about your trip to the rainforest.
As teachers, we bring to class a variety of talents, skills, and experiences. Using these effectively can enliven our teaching, stimulate motivation, promote global awareness, and encourage language learning. If you have global experiences, exploit them. If you don’t, why not try to get some?
Step #9: Teach for Peace, International Understanding, and World Citizenship
A further step in becoming a global teacher is to promote ideals such as peace, international understanding, and world citizenship. This can involve creating activities, lessons, and units designed to overcome stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination. It can also involve creating a classroom ethos that encourages students to see themselves as good citizens of their country, their region, and the wider world.
A further way to promote these ideals is through overseas exchanges. EFL key-pal programs enable students to use English while promoting cross-cultural understanding and interpersonal friendships. In this way, students not only develop language skills but also become citizen diplomats involved in people-to-people exchanges aimed at promoting peace.
Such exchanges are especially needed between so-called “enemy countries.” Much of my work has involved EFL exchanges between Japan and Korea. English exchanges between young people in conflict areas—Israel and Palestine, India and Pakistan, the United States and Iran—give students an opportunity to break down the walls of prejudice and ignorance to achieve friendship and cooperation on a personal and national level.
Step #10: Link Up With Your Colleagues
A final step in becoming a global teacher is to link up with colleagues around the world who are working to promote global awareness, social responsibility, and international understanding. This can begin with sharing ideas about EFL and global issues with teachers in your school, city, or province. Another way is to join a global education special interest group. These offer a rich variety of ideas, activities, and resources through their Web sites and newsletters. In Japan, I chair a Global Issues in Language Education Special Interest Group (GILE SIG) which issues a quarterly newsletter available to teachers worldwide. Similar groups include IATEFL’s Global Issues SIG and TESOLers for Social Responsibility (TSR). By reaching out across borders to colleagues around the world, we can become part of the global movement of ELT professionals who are working together to promote international understanding and social responsibility through professional content-based language education aimed at teaching for a better world.
Conclusion
I hope the 10 steps above prove useful for teachers seeking to add a global dimension to their classrooms. Please check out the resources below and feel free to contact me.
References and Resources
Elder, P., & Carr, M. (1987). Worldways: Bringing the world into your classroom. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
Fisher, S., & Hicks, D. (1985). World studies 8-13. New York: Oliver & Boyd.
Kniep, W. (1985). A critical review of the short history of global education. New York: American Forum.
Pike, G., & Selby, D. (2000). In the global classroom. Canada: Pippin.
Tiedt, P. (2001). Multicultural teaching (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.
UNESCO. (1974). Recommendation concerning education for international understanding, cooperation and peace. Paris: UNESCO.
Special Interest Groups
• JALT Global Issues SIG (Japan): http://www.gilesig.org/
• IATEFL Global Issues SIG (UK): http://gisig.iatefl.org/
• TESOLers for Social Responsibility (US): http://www2.tesol.org/communities/tsr/
Global Education
• Asian Youth Forum (AYF): http://www.asianyouthforum.org
• Social Studies School Service (USA): http://www.socialstudies.com
• United Nations Cyber School Bus (UN): http://www.un.org/Pubs/CyberSchoolBus
• United Nations. (2003) What’s going on? (video series): http://www.un.org/works/goingon/goinghome.html
Note: EFL teachers interested in global education are invited to subscribe to the Global Issues in Language Education Newsletter. Subscription rates are US $15 (1 year, 4 issues). To subscribe, contact Kip Cates, Tottori University, 4-101 Minami, Koyama, Tottori City, JAPAN 680-8551; kcates@rstu.jp; http://www.kipcates.com.
