Rita Divéki: Developing Global Competence in the Hungarian EFL Classroom
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2. Review of the Literature
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2.1. Theoretical Background
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2.1.2. Global Education
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2.1.2.3. Global Competence

2.1.2.3. Global Competence

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The concept of Global Competence (GC) was developed in 2011 in a joint effort by the Asia Society, CCSSO (Council of Chief State School Officers) and Harvard University’s Project Zero, framing it as “the capacity and disposition to understand and act on issues of global significance” (Boix Mansilla & Jackson, 2011, p. xiii). Global competence is seen as a “multifaceted cognitive, socio-emotional and civic learning goal” (OECD, 2018, p. 7), which can be incorporated into any subject (e.g., into EFL, see Section 2.1.3) in the context of global education. The concept became widespread in 2018 when OECD PISA set out to assess 15-year-old students’ global competence in their triennial test. They defined Global Competence as
 

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the capacity to examine local, global and intercultural issues, to understand and appreciate the perspectives and world views of others, to engage in open, appropriate and effective interactions with people from different cultures, and to act for collective well-being and sustainable development (OECD, 2018, p. 7).
 

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This definition consists of four main dimensions (Figure 2.2) which go beyond the traditional view of competences, favouring an integrated view of learning.
 

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Figure 2.2 The Four Dimensions of Global Competence and its Building Blocks
Source: OECD (2018)
 

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  1. Dimension 1: The capacity to examine issues and situations of local, global and intercultural significance (e.g., poverty, economic interdependence, migration, inequality, environmental risks, conflicts, cultural differences and stereotypes);
  2. Dimension 2: The capacity to understand and appreciate different perspectives and world views;
  3. Dimension 3: The ability to establish positive interactions with people of different national, ethnic, religious, social or cultural backgrounds or gender;
  4. Dimension 4: The capacity and disposition to take constructive action towards sustainable development and collective well-being (OECD, 2018, p. 7).
 

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The first dimension (Examining issues of local, global, and cultural significance) highlights students’ ability to understand local, global, and intercultural issues and use their critical thinking to formulate opinions on such issues. A globally competent student should “understand the earth as a system” (Boix Mansilla & Jackson, 2011, p. 12) and rely on their disciplinary (e.g., Literature, Language, History, Economics, Mathematics, and Biology) and interdisciplinary (e.g., environmental sustainability, population growth, economic development, global conflict and cooperation, health and human development, human rights, cultural identity, and diversity) knowledge to ask questions, analyse situations, present information and develop informed opinions about issues of global significance. A globally competent student should also be familiar with what is happening around them in the world, i.e., the news, key issues and trends that shape our thinking and today’s world (Boix Mansilla & Jackson, 2011; OECD, 2018; OECD/Asia Society, 2018). However, being globally competent is not about accumulating and regurgitating information, it is rather about “students’ ability to understand particular contexts, telling phenomena, and revealing transnational connections” (Boix Mansilla & Jackson, 2011, p. 13).

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The second dimension (Understanding and appreciating the perspectives and world views of others) refers to students’ ability to consider global problems and other people’s world views from different perspectives. The first step towards this is being able to recognise one’s own perspectives and being able to accept that other people might not share these perspectives. Globally competent students can understand that their viewpoints and assumptions are shaped by multiple factors (e.g., economic factors, power, religion, culture, and language use), which they should be able to identify and critically reflect on. Learners with global competence make use of the shared experiences of people to bridge differences and find some common ground (Boix Mansilla & Jackson, 2011; OECD, 2018; OECD/Asia Society, 2018).

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Its third dimension (Engage in open, appropriate, and effective interactions across cultures) is mainly concerned with students’ ability to communicate ideas. The basis of this dimension is understanding different cultural norms, interaction styles, the degree of formality and being flexible enough to adapt to these aspects in a communicative situation. It also entails an effort to adopt their norms and behaviours to the norms and behaviours of the person with whom they are interacting. They are open, curious, and respectful communicators, who can make themselves understood and understand the other party (Boix Mansilla & Jackson, 2011; OECD, 2018; OECD/Asia Society, 2018). This dimension thus builds on students’ intercultural communicative competence, which can be developed in language classes.

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The last dimension (Taking action for collective well-being and sustainable development) entails that globally competent students should be active and proactive members of their society and act responsibly to tackle global, local and intercultural issues. As a first step, they should be able to identify those situations when they are needed or create situations when they can take ethical and creative action, either alone or collaborating with others. A globally competent student should be courageous, make their voice heard and take a stand when they face injustice. They should have faith in their abilities to contribute to change and they should advocate and act for change in their communities and even outside their communities (Boix Mansilla & Jackson, 2011; OECD, 2018; OECD/Asia Society, 2018).

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Each of the above-mentioned dimensions builds on specific knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values. A globally competent learner has knowledge about the world and other cultures. Thus, the building knowledge building block of GC consists of the knowledge of local, global, and intercultural issues. Most of these issues tend to be controversial and learners should be prepared to deal with controversy as well. Tawil (2013) proposes the following four knowledge domains to be integrated into the curriculum: (1) culture and intercultural relations; (2) socioeconomic development and interdependence; (3) environmental sustainability; and (4) global institutions, conflicts, and human rights. These knowledge domains could provoke in-depth discussions in the classroom, highlight differences in opinion (OECD, 2018) and can be integrated into most of the subjects.

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In addition, globally competent learners have the skills to understand the world and take action. These skills can be categorized into cognitive, communication and socio-cultural skills, which largely correspond to the 21st-century skills. The specific skills that make someone globally competent include reasoning with information, communicating effectively and respectfully, perspective taking, conflict management and resolution, and finally, adaptability (OECD, 2018).

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Globally competent learners also need attitudes of openness, respect for people from different cultural backgrounds and global mindedness, which are necessary dispositions to be able to use the knowledge and skills mentioned above. These attitudes can be nurtured either explicitly through participatory practices or implicitly through a “curriculum characterised by fair practices and a welcoming school climate for all students” (OECD, 2018, p. 17). Globally competent students should also strive for valuing human dignity and valuing cultural diversity. Even though it is difficult to select a core set of values that everyone should respect and that everyone interprets similarly, taking a human rights perspective and referring to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights for guidance can be a feasible solution.

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Having outlined the history and the concept of global citizenship education and the global competence framework, the following section explores the possibilities of implementing global citizenship education in the English as a foreign language class.
 
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