Developing Good Citizenship in EFL Instruction: Strengthening Civic Education Inside Classrooms Ms. KHAOULA BELOUNIS

Outline Introduction Components of Civic Education Teaching Civic Education 1. Appropriate Content 2. Teachers and Students’ Roles 3. Classroom Activities Conclusion References

Introduction In the time of globalization, the world witnesses noticeable economic, political, educational, and social changes. Foreign language teaching and learning and civic education are among the issues that gained waves of interest in the last two decades.

Components of Civic Education In its broadest definition, civic education means “all the processes that affect people’s beliefs, commitments, capabilities, and actions as members of communities” (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy) It has three essential components: Civic knowledge Civic skills Civic dispositions

Teaching Civic Education “Tell me and I’ll forget, show me and I may remember, involve me and I will understand” (Chinese proverb) Teaching Civic education is not simply the inclusion of some concepts in the lesson, rather it is to directly engage students in the creation of their own civic values and virtues. This cannot be achieved without taking into account the following elements: appropriate content, teachers and students’ roles, and classroom activities.

Teaching Civic Education Appropriate Content: Includes topics that reflect good citizenship. Evokes the cultural component of society. Allows serious discussions and debate about substantive social and global issues. Creates a democratic environment.

Teaching Civic Education 2. Teachers and Students’ Roles: “Teachers need to create an environment that is conducive to learners’ practice of different participatory and intellectual skills. When teachers relinquish the controlling role and recognize students’ contributions to the learning process, teachers and students become collaborators in the learning process” (Lynch 1996).

Classroom Activities Pair work activities Group work activities Problem solving activities Role play and simulations Opinion gap activities Information gap activities

Conclusion “As citizens of this democracy, you are the rules and the ruled, the lawgivers and the law abiding, the beginning and the end” (Adlai Stevenson) “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country” (John Kennedy)

References Branson, M. S. 1999. Project citizen: An introduction. Calabasas, CA: Center for Civic Education. http://www.civiced.org/papers/articles_ branson99. Littlewood Lynch, T. 1996. Communication in the language classroom. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Plato.stanford.edu/entries/civic-education/

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