The presentation will introduce you to the different ways teachers can help learners to be better prepared for life in the 21st century. There are many ideas which teachers are already using every day such as Global Awareness and Cross Curricular Skills, Critical Thinking and Problem Solving, Communication and Collaboration. The author of the presentation reflects on how we can develop such skills while teaching English to our students.

1. 21st century skills.
Some views on teaching English
today and tomorrow.
Anna Voronina, Pearson teacher trainer
Anna.Voronina@pearson.com

3. Did you know?
The top in-demand jobs of 2010…
…did not exist in 2004
We are currently preparing the students for jobs…
… that do not yet exist
The U.S. Department of labour estimates that
today’s learner will have 10 – 14 jobs…
…by the age of 38
There are 31 Billion searches on Google every
month
In 2006 this number was 2,7 Billion

4. Wanted for the 21st century
workforce:
Resilient, independent learners, who have
flexible skills and competencies, work well
in teams and can lead themselves and
others to perform up to and beyond their
potential.

5. Developing 21st century skills
• What skills do we need to teach?
• How can we teach students emotional
intelligence and self-management skills?
• How can we ensure that students transfer their
skills and knowledge from one subject area to
another encouraging independent, flexible
learning capacity?

6. Your views and ideas
• How do you define 21st century learning
• How do you see them
• What skills do our students need to
develop

8. 21st century skills
• Ways of thinking. Creativity, critical thinking,
problem-solving, decision-making and learning
• Ways of working. Communication and
collaboration
• Tools for working. Information and
communications technology (ICT) and
information literacy
• Skills for living in the world. Citizenship, life
and career, and personal and social
responsibility, cross-cultural awareness

9. Ways of thinking. Becoming an
autonomous learner

10. jump to think
conclusions imprecisely
cannot see
misuse words Issues from
ask
Thinking gets points of view
irrelevant us into trouble other than
questions our own
because
lose track of think
our goal we often illogically
are unrealistic ignore think
relevant ethnocentrically
accept viewpoints
inaccurate miss key think
information ideas egocentrically

11. What makes the learner
autonomous?
• Learning strategies and critical
thinking skills

12. What is critical thinking
• Independent, reasonable, reflective
thinking that is focused on deciding what
to believe and do.
• The process of critical thinking involves
acquiring information and evaluating it to
reach a well-justified conclusion or
answer.

13. Who are critical thinkers
• Critical thinkers gather information from all
senses, verbal and / or non-verbal, written
expressions, reflection, observation,
experience.
• Critical thinkers base their decisions on
clarity, credibility, accuracy, precision,
relevance, depth, breadth logic,
significance and fairness.

14. Features of a critical thinker
A critical thinker:
• Is open-minded and mindful of alternatives;
• Tries to be well-informed;
• Judges well the credibility of sources;
• Identifies conclusions, reasons, and
assumptions;
• Judges well the quality of an argument, including
the acceptability of its reasons, assumptions and
evidence;

15. Features of a critical thinker
• Can well develop and defend a reasonable
position;
• Ask appropriate clarifying questions;
• Draw conclusions;
• Integrates all terms in this list when deciding
what to believe or do.

16. Strategies for teaching critical thinking
Tactical and strategic recommendations:
• Promoting interaction among students as
they learn;
• Asking open-ended questions that do not
assume the “one right answer”;
• Allowing sufficient time for students to reflect
on the questions asked or problems posed;
• Use pair and group work activities.

17. Tactical and Strategic
Recommendations
• Speak less so that students think more.
• Teach students how to read for themselves,
actively and analytically.
• Develop specific strategies for cultivating
critical reading, writing, speaking and
listening.
• Call frequently on students who don’t have
their hands up.

18. Tactical and Structural
Recommendations
• Call on other students to summarize what
have been said.
• Use concrete examples whenever you can to
illustrate abstract concepts and thinking.
• Require regular writing in class.
• Spell out explicitly the intellectual standards
you will be using in your grading and why.
Develop self-assessment skills using
standards.

19. Critical thinking is the art of asking
questions.
• Summary and Definition Questions;
• Analysis Questions;
• Hypothesis Questions;
• Evaluation Questions.

20. Analysis Questions
• how...? / why…?
• what are the reasons for...?
• what are the types of...?
• what are the functions of...?

21. Analysis Questions
• what other examples of...?
• what are the causes/ results of...?
• what is the relationship between .and .?
• what is the similarity or difference between...
and...?
• how does ...apply to ...?
• what is (are) the problems or conflicts or issues...?

22. Analysis Questions
• what are possible solutions/ resolutions to
these problems or conflicts or issues...?
• what is the main argument or thesis of...?
• how is this argument developed...?
• what evidence or proof or support is
offered...?
• what are other theories arguments from other
authors…?

23. Hypothesis Questions
• If…occurs, then what happens…?
• If…had happened, then what would be
different…?
• What does theory x predict will
happen…?

24. Evaluation Questions
• Is ... good or bad ...?
• .....correct or incorrect...?
• .....effective or ineffective...?
• .....relevant or irrelevant...?
• .....logical or illogical...?

25. Evaluation Questions
• .....applicable or not applicable...?
• .....proven or not proven...?
• what are the advantages or disadvantages
of...?
• what is the best solution to the problem /
conflict / issue...?

26. Evaluation Questions
• what should or should not happen...?
• do I agree or disagree ...?
• what is my opinion...?
• what is my support for my opinion...?

27. Reading critically.
As you read ask yourself the following
questions:
• What is the topic of the book or reading?
• What issues are addressed?
• What conclusions does the author reach
about the issue(s)?
• What are the author’s reasons for his or
her statements or belief?

28. Reading critically.
As you read ask yourself the following
questions:
• Has the author used neutral words or
emotional words?
• Be aware of why you do, or don’t, accept
arguments of the author.

29. What is the topic?
MEMORY

30. Reading and speaking
1a Work in pairs and discuss. Which of the things
are you good/bad at remembering?
• names and faces
• pin numbers, passwords, etc.
• facts and information
• messages and arrangements
• things that happened long ago
• things that happen recently
b Do you think you have a good memory?

31. Reading and speaking
• 2 Read the comments below. Do you have the
same or similar experiences to any of the
speakers?
• 3 Read the text quickly. Then match paragraphs
1 – 5 with comments a – d. There is one extra
paragraph.

32. 4 Read the text again and decide if the
statements are true (T) or false (F).
Correct the false statement.
5 Work in pairs and discuss. Is there any
information in the text that you find
surprising? Why?
6 Read the tips for improving your memory.
Are the ideas in the box associated with
remembering or forgetting? Write R or F
next to each idea.

33. Seven tips for improving your memory
1. Sleep well: if you don’t sleep properly, we ‘lose’
many of our memories.
2. Do physical exercise: When you exercise, more
oxygen goes to your brain and that makes your
memory work better.
3. Do mental exercise: It is important to exercise
your brain just like your body. New activities are
more challenging than familiar ones.
4. Be interested: Ask yourself questions about
what you are learning. We learn better if we are
interested.

34. Seven tips for improving your memory
5. Keep reviewing: Review information regularly
rather than trying to remember it all at once.
6. Have a cup of coffee: Caffeine, like exercise,
sends oxygen to your brain and helps you
concentrate.
7. Form a mental picture: for example, if you want
to remember the name ‘John Keys’, imagine his
face with a big key on it. The stranger the
picture the better!

35. Work in pairs and discuss
• Which tips seem the most/least useful?
• Which, if any, would be useful in learning
English?
• Do you have any other ways of
remembering new words in English?

36. Memory Test
Letter, serious, heart, philosophy, envelope,
page, paper clip, 2,000 years, magician,
scarf, rabbit, trick, five o’clock, empty, hat,
mysterious, universe, fur, hair, amazing,
world, half an hour.

37. How are words remembered?
Do we remember all the words that we learn?
• What helps you to remember new words?
• Why are some words more difficult than
others?

38. Systematic forgetting. Why we forget?
How to remember things better?

39. Reasons for forgetting
• Poor understanding / attention / listening;
• Distractions;
• Tiredness, anxiety, emotions, mood and stress;
• Interference new information being confused with
existing information;
• Poor learning strategy;
• Lack of importance – you remember what you
value;
• Dehydration – the brain needs water to conduct
electrical pulses fast.

40. The memory techniques
• Rhyming;
• Physical prompts: bones and dips for a number
of days in a month;
• Memory workout (read, cover, write, say, check);
• Visual prompts (to remember the sequence of
facts think of a regular journey. Connect each
fact to a point on the journey;
• etc

41. Task
Choose who to hire or fire!
Preparation. Reading and listening
• 1 Read about the reality TV show The Executive
and answer the questions.
• What are the contestants hoping to win?
• What do they have to do each week?
• Who judges the contestants?
• What kind of person is Sir Darren?
• How many contestants will be in the final?

42. 2a Listen to Sir Darren talking about the
qualities he is looking for in the finalists.
Which things does he mention?
• Business experience • Can take
• Potential responsibility
• Business sense • Achieves things
• Qualifications • Communication skills
• Clear-thinking • Assertive
• Works well in a team
2b Listen again. Which two qualities are most
important to Sir Darren?

43. • 1a Read the profiles of the four semi-finalists.
Memorise as much information as you can.
• 1b Work in groups. Don’t look at the profiles. See
how much you can remember about the four
candidates.
• 2 audio track 5.5 Listen to the board discussing the
candidates’ qualities and make notes. Compare
your answers with other students.
• 3 Work in groups of four. Choose one candidate
each. Go through your notes and underline the
strengths and circle the weaknesses. Summarise
your candidate’s strengths and weaknesses for the
group.

44. Task Speaking and listening
• 2 audio track 5.5 Listen to the board discussing
the candidates’ qualities and make notes.
Compare your answers with other students.
• 3 Work in groups of four. Choose one candidate
each. Go through your notes and underline the
strengths and circle the weaknesses.
Summarise your candidate’s strengths and
weaknesses for the group.

45. Task Speaking and listening
• 4 On your own, decide which three candidates
should be fired. Discuss your ideas in your
groups and make the final decision.
• 5a Tell the group what you decided and why.
Who do you think will be the eventual winner
and the runner-up?
• 5b listen to Sir Darren explaining who he has
chosen and why. What order did he put the four
candidates in? Was it the same as your group’s
order?

47. Thank you!
anna.voronina@pearson.com