Steve Taylore-Knowles ‘Exploring Life Skills with Open Mind’

• 1. Study, Work, Life: developing transferable skills across domains Steve Taylore-Knowles

2. todays young adults ... aged approx. 18-25: born between 1988 and 1995 3. aged approx. 18-25: born between 1988 and 1995 Generation Y Echo Boomers the Millennials Generation Next the Net Generation Generation 9/11 Boomerang Generation (parasaito shinguru) Peter Pan Generation 700 Generation the Precarious Generation Generation Flux todays young adults ... 4. What is the world like for todays young adults (millenials)? Telefonica Global Millennial Survey, 2013 5. How employable are todays graduates? 6. Percentage of employers rating as important: the right academic qualifications the ability to appreciate an alternative point of view communication and the ability to work in teams the ability to grasp complex information 27% 42% 62% 68% Source: GRADdirect 7. Employers who feel that graduates lack soft skills, including the ability to communicate effectively 55% Also highlighted as concerns are an employees ability to: manage their own learning solve problems be motivated Graduate Recruitment Surveyy, Association of Graduate Recruiters 8. University of Warwick Podcast (extract) How employable are todays graduates? Professors Kate Purcel and Peter Elias from the University of Warwick Institute of Employment Research 9. Top ten skills that employers want University of Kent study of multiple surveys 10. Top ten skills that employers want 1 Verbal communication 2 Teamwork 3 Commercial awareness 4 Analysing and investigating 5 Initiative / Self-motivation 6 Drive 7 Written communication 8 Planning & organising 9 Flexibility 10 Time management University of Kent study of multiple surveys 11. Other skills seen as important global skills negotiating & persuading leadership numeracy computing skills self-awareness confidence lifelong learning stress tolerance integrity independence developing professionalism action planning decision-making interpersonal sensitivity creativity University of Kent study of multiple surveys 12. The Importance of Soft Skills in Entry-Level Employment and Postsecondary Success: Perspectives from Employers and Community Colleges, Seattle Jobs Initiative 2013 13. Skills lacking among job applicants UK Commission for Employment and Skills Report, 2014 14. The Importance of Soft Skills in Entry-Level Employment and Postsecondary Success: Perspectives from Employers and Community Colleges, Seattle Jobs Initiative 2013 15. life skills 16. psychosocial and interpersonal skills generally considered important UNICEF 17. personal management and social skills which are necessary for adequate functioning on an independent basis International Bureau of Education 18. Life skills education is designed to facilitate the practice and reinforcement of psychosocial skills in a culturally and developmentally appropriate way; it contributes to the promotion of personal and social development, the prevention of health and social problems, and the protection of human rights. World Health Organisation 19. It is evident that in addition to practical and vocational skills, other types of skills such as social, individual and reflective skills are also needed. Life skills programmes emphasise abilities that help to facilitate communication, negotiation, to think critically and solve problems and make independent decisions. Madhu Singh, UNESCO Institute for Education 20. Work and Career Study and Learning Self and Society Life skills are the key skills you need to be effective in your work life, your academic life and your social life. 21. Life skills are the key skills you need to be effective in your work life, your academic life and your social life. Young people need to be prepared for flexible careers, and need to develop the skills that employers value. (Work and Career) Young people need to develop autonomy and responsibility for their own learning. (Study and Learning) Young people need to express themselves and find personal fulfilment in an increasingly-connected, global, social world. (Self and Society) 22. But Im an English teacher! I teach English! 23. You should be developing life skills in your English classroom because 24. You should be developing life skills in your English classroom because - English alone is no longer enough 25. as English becomes more generally available, little or no competitive advantage is gained by adopting it. Rather, it has become a new baseline: without English you are not even in the race. David Graddol English Next (2006) British Council 26. You should be developing life skills in your English classroom because - English alone is no longer enough - communication skills are key 27. You should be developing life skills in your English classroom because - English alone is no longer enough - communication skills are key - many lifeskills are culturally and linguistically dependent 28. You should be developing life skills in your English classroom because - English alone is no longer enough - communication skills are key - many lifeskills are culturally and linguistically dependent - its the expertise teachers already possess 29. Target skill: evaluating different plans Context Pre-Intermediate / Intermediate Possible grammar links: modals of possibility / prediction (may, might, will, could) will / going to 30. Target skill: evaluating different plans Establish which factors are important. Evaluate how each plan affects these factors. Rank the plans. (Decision matrix) 31. A Work in groups. Think about the people who live in your town/city. Which of these factors are most important for them? Check four. new jobs places to enjoy nature good roads cheap housing good schools clean air good public transportation places to shop 32. B Your town/city government is considering three development plans for the green area in the picture. Read the information about each plan. 33. Plan A Under this proposal, the government is planning to use this area for urban development. They are going to build a large number of new houses as well as other facilities, such as schools and a shopping mall. They are also going to create more roads and provide public transportation to the area. They will allow a few companies to build facilities near the new development. 34. Plan B Under this plan, the government is going to create a large park for people to enjoy. They plan to clean up the area and provide facilities such as picnic tables, barbecues, and a playground for children. They are going to build several new roads to the park, but they wont allow the construction of houses, schools, or stores in the green area. 35. Plan C This plan will allow the government to sell the green area to private developers. The developers want to build a small number of large, expensive houses. They are going to build new streets and a small park. The park will be exclusively for residents. The city government is going to provide a bus service to the area for people who work in the houses. 36. C Write the four factors you checked in A in the first column of this table. Give each plan a score from +2 to -2, depending on how it will affect each factor. Factor Plan A Plan B Plan C 1 2 3 4 Total new jobs cheap housing clean air places to shop 37. Plan A Under this proposal, the government is planning to use this area for urban development. They are going to build a large number of new houses as well as other facilities, such as schools and a shopping mall. They are also going to create more roads and provide public transportation to the area. They will allow a few companies to build facilities near the new development. new jobs cheap housing clean air places to shop +2 -2 +1 +2 38. C Write the four factors you checked in A in the first column of this table. Give each plan a score from +2 to -2, depending on how it will affect each factor. Factor Plan A Plan B Plan C 1 2 3 4 Total new jobs cheap housing clean air places to shop +2 +1 -2 +2 39. Plan B Under this plan, the government is going to create a large park for people to enjoy. They plan to clean up the area and provide facilities such as picnic tables, barbecues, and a playground for children. They are going to build several new roads to the park, but they wont allow the construction of houses, schools, or stores in the green area. new jobs cheap housing clean air places to shop 0 +2 -1 0 40. C Write the four factors you checked in A in the first column of this table. Give each plan a score from +2 to -2, depending on how it will affect each factor. Factor Plan A Plan B Plan C 1 2 3 4 Total new jobs cheap housing clean air places to shop +2 +1 -2 +2 0 -1 +2 0 41. Plan C This plan will allow the government to sell the green area to private developers. The developers want to build a small number of large, expensive houses. They are going to build new streets and a small park. The park will be exclusively for residents. The city government is going to provide a bus service to the area for people who work in the houses. new jobs cheap housing clean air places to shop +1 0 -2 0 42. C Write the four factors you checked in A in the first column of this table. Give each plan a score from +2 to -2, depending on how it will affect each factor. Factor Plan A Plan B Plan C 1 2 3 4 Total new jobs cheap housing clean air places to shop +2 +1 -2 +2 0 -1 +2 0 +1 -2 0 0 +3 +1 -1 43. Target skill: analyzing assumptions In critical thinking, assumptions refers to anything that is taken for granted in the presentation of an argument. These may be facts, ideas or beliefs that are not stated explicitly but which underlie the argument. Without them, the same conclusion would not be possible. Stella Cottrell, Critical Thinking Skills (Palgrave, 2005) 44. Target skill: analyzing assumptions Context Intermediate / Upper Intermediate Possible grammar links: present deductions (must be, might be, could be, cant be) 45. An example: Analyzing assumptions In critical thinking, assumptions refers to anything that is taken for granted in the presentation of an argument. These may be facts, ideas or beliefs that are not stated explicitly but which underlie the argument. Without them, the same conclusion would not be possible. Stella Cottrell, Critical Thinking Skills (Palgrave, 2005) 46. Connect these dots by drawing four straight lines, without lifting your pencil off the paper and without going back over a line. 47. Connect these dots by drawing four straight lines, without lifting your pencil off the paper and without going back over a line. Questioning your assumptions 1 The instructions say each line has to start and end on a dot. T / F 2 Your lines can go further than the rows of dots. T / F 3 Each line has to go through three dots. T / F 48. Connect these dots by drawing four straight lines, without lifting your pencil off the paper and without going back over a line. 49. Study, Work, Life: developing transferable skills across domains Steve Taylore-Knowles http://www.facebook.com/STK01