In this webinar recording, Think author Herbert Puchta demonstrates how teachers of teens can confront some of the biggest challenges they face and develop teenage learners by going beyond language teaching. When you help teens develop critical thinking skills and self-esteem, you help them build stronger language skills.
Many teachers of teenagers find their lack of motivation, lack of willingness to study, and hesitance to stop using their native language quite challenging. These are issues that go beyond language, so it’s important to look beyond language teaching in finding solutions.
Research in teenage cognitive development
Research shows that due to developments in the limbic system of the brain, teenagers are extremely prone to risk taking. They also tend to be driven by emotions rather than logic. However, they are very capable learners, often more capable than they’re given credit for, and are also very adaptive. The challenge, then, is to find a way to tap into this adaptive capability.
Peers and the media
This is, of course, more easily said than done, largely due to the competition teachers face for students’ time. Teens spend an average of 70% of their time with peers and media. Because of this, teens are often occupied with superficial activities like social media rather than more serious pursuits. Studies that show checking Facebook, Twitter, email, and similar online outlets constitutes a sort of neural addiction. The novelty-seeking part of the brain is rewarded when we see a like on a Facebook post, not the higher-level part of the brain that governs planning, scheduling, and other functions critical to successful studies.
But rather than change the way society functions, Herbert suggests that we teach students how to critically evaluate a vast expanse of data. Instead of trying to eliminate distractions, we should teach students how to discern good data from bad data and give them tools to properly synthesize the vast array of content available to them. Students who can think flexibly and adapt to what is presented to them will inevitably do better in school, no matter the subject.
The importance of self-esteem
Herbert also discussed the problem of insecurity. Many teens lack self-esteem, which leads to a defensive attitude that has a negative impact on learning. He gives many examples of how to address this. Perhaps surprisingly, one of the most effective approaches is to get teens to focus outward rather than inward. For instance, teens involved in charity work have been found to have higher self-esteem than those who don’t have an activity that provides them with an outward focus.
Herbert closes the webinar by discussing a variety of activities in the language learning classroom that help students address issues of self-esteem and critical thinking. To hear more about these activities and to watch the webinar in full, press play on the video below.
Find out how this insight has informed the secondary course, THiNK.