Rita Divéki

Developing Global Competence in the Hungarian EFL Classroom


Global Competence Development through Experiential Learning Activities

Experience and learning seem to be intertwined and closely related (Beard & Wilson, 2006), as considering the definition of experiential learning, i.e., “the sense-making process of active engagement between the inner world of the person and the outer world of the environment” (p. 19), experience should always undergird the learning process. Beard and Wilson (2006) go on to say that not all experiences result in learning, as “we have to engage with the experience and reflect on what happened, how it happened and why” (p. 20) for learning to happen. Even though an average person encounters an infinite number of stimuli during a regular day, it depends on many factors which stimulants they meaningfully engage with. Meaningful engagement, which is based on previous knowledge and experiences, and reflecting on the experience are the key to learning. Experiential activities usually involve a great level of emotional response, and learning first takes place in the emotional domain, which is later reinforced in the cognitive domain through post-activity reflections and discussion (Pike & Selby, 1988). Based on the above, experiential learning can be defined as “the insight gained through the conscious or unconscious internalization of our own or observed experiences, which builds upon our past experiences or knowledge” (Beard and Wilson, 2006, p. 43). Experiential learning in the EFL class can take many forms, and classroom activities that involve the students cooperatively working on a project or task, including the phases of exposure, participation, internalization, and dissemination can be regarded as experiential (Knutson, 2003). In the exposure phase, the students’ background schema is activated, which entails activating the past experiences and background knowledge of the subject. This process can happen through setting goals and understanding the objectives of the activity, or by answering questions about students’ personal experiences in connection with the topic. The participation phase is the experience itself, the collaborative activity in the classroom, where students need to rely on their ability to negotiate, communicate, and take on roles and responsibilities. In the internalization phase, the teacher-facilitators asks students questions to help them reflect on their feelings in connection with the experience. The dissemination phase links classroom learning with the real world outside the classroom: the project may end in a role-play of a social situation or even in a field trip where the students can use their newly acquired skills (Knutson, 2003). The dissemination phase provides us with a clear link to global citizenship education, as the main aim of GCED is acquiring knowledge, skills and attitudes through classroom activities but also going beyond the physical boundaries of the classroom and taking action to create a better world.

Developing Global Competence in the Hungarian EFL Classroom

Tartalomjegyzék


Kiadó: Akadémiai Kiadó

Online megjelenés éve: 2024

ISBN: 978 963 664 013 2

In today’s world, there are increasing demands for education systems for empowering students to become active and responsible global citizens who are prepared to address the challenges of the 21st century and who are equipped with global competence. This book examines global competence development (GCD) in English language teaching in Hungary from the perspective of university English as a foreign language (EFL) teacher trainers and secondary school EFL teachers. Based on the findings, it details the characteristics of globally competent teachers, offers a wide array of activities that can be used for nurturing global citizens, and outlines recommendations for the successful implementation of GCD in both secondary and tertiary education.

Hivatkozás: https://mersz.hu/diveki-developing-global-competence-in-the-hungarian-efl-classroom//

BibTeXEndNoteMendeleyZotero

Kivonat
fullscreenclose
printsave