Today’s classrooms are full of students from a cohort referred to as Generation Z or Gen Z. Understanding the characteristics of students can be an important tool for an effective teacher. The good news for language teachers is that there are several ways to capitalize on Gen Z characteristics to prompt growth in your language program and increase engagement in the classroom.
Make Language Learning Future-Relevant
The generation of students today have grown up in a culture of housing crisis, debt, and terrorism. They value truth and practicality, do not want their time wasted, and want to feel there is a practical purpose to what they are learning. To capitalize on these feelings, you can educate students on the real benefits of language learning for today’s workforce (see the Lead with Languages report for statistics on the subject). Connect a solid line from learning a language to potential job opportunities and future earnings. Discuss language learning as an investment. Use the NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements as practical guidelines for everything that is done in the classroom. If every activity is tied to a language skill that the students should be able to do, it creates a root of realism that students will respect.
The Seal of Biliteracy is another tool you can use to promote language learning to Gen Z students. With 49 states (and the District of Columbia) having adopted the Seal of Biliteracy, chances are you can incorporate it into your language program. Explain to your students the different ways this recognition could be used to procure advanced placement or opportunities in the workforce. Let them know they can potentially get college credit for their language skills (see ACE credit recommendations for ACTFL assessments). If you know institutions in your area that offer college credit specifically for the Seal of Biliteracy, use that as a promotional tool! If students feel that obtaining the Seal can save them money or open them up for scholarships, you just might see your program numbers grow.
Incorporate Language and Other Disciplines
Another way to capitalize on Gen Z’s need for practicality is to do cross-disciplinary lessons, which incorporates the Connections Standard in the World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages. Show your students the ways that language and culture are used in other content areas. Also remember that your students value authenticity, so find authentic materials and resources whenever possible. This includes your students’ favorite material from social media sites like Instagram and TikTok. Encourage your students to follow different authentic language accounts to boost their exposure to the language. For example, one of my students followed a fan account for her favorite band that was in Spanish. It boosted her fan credibility and her language skills. Gen Z students are connected, so referencing relevant events and trends can be beneficial for student engagement.
You can also select textbook, course materials, student learning activities, and assessments which feature authentic materials. For instance, ACTFL carefully develops content in the AAPPL test to ensure it is as authentic as possible, age-appropriate, and couched in real-life.
Empower Students and Personalize Learning where Possible
A major challenge for educators is the desire to give Gen Z students individualized and personalized learning experiences. It’s hard for a teacher to provide 120 individualized learning pathways to 120 different students each day. The good news is that Gen Z works well when self-directed and values co-planning. Look for opportunities in your lessons to create more self-paced or self-directed learning that allows for different kinds of pacing and choice.
For example, AAPPL score reports provide rich details and strategies that can help students take ownership of their ongoing language development. If you provide a framework for students, and they can learn in a way that they have ownership, they will value the learning experience. Ask students to set their own language goal(s). Provide ways for them to meet the goal(s). If you are using the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines – 2024 or the ACTFL Performance Descriptors which provide a framework for interpreting AAPPL scores, these can be good resources for your students to build an individualized pathway toward proficiency. Your Gen Z students might value ongoing portfolios that help them demonstrate their growth and learning in a more individualized way. Have discussions with students where they need to individually reflect on their progress and weaknesses.
Gen Z students are in our classrooms to prepare for life in a world where skills like collaboration, willingness, independence, and accountability need to be exercised. These are also skills that any employer values in its workers. Language classrooms are wonderful places to build and practice these skills. The act of learning a language requires collaborative interpersonal skills and collaboration and tests a student’s willingness to make mistakes and learn from them. Our job as educators is to help equip our Gen Z students with skills they can apply in their future endeavors. As language educators specifically, we can adapt our resources, assessments, and teaching strategies to empower our Gen Z students to develop proficiency in more than just language.
Watch –> What Is the AAPPL?
